What a good estimate does
A good estimate does three jobs at once:
- It prices the repair, line by line, so the customer or the insurer can see what they're paying for.
- It plans the repair: the parts, the operations and the order of work your technicians will follow.
- It records the customer's consent. In many states a signed or documented authorization is what lets you start work, bill for it and, later, hold the car until you're paid.
State rules on written estimates
States with auto repair laws usually set when a written estimate is needed, require the customer's authorization before work, and limit how far the bill can go over the estimate without fresh consent. Some examples:
| State | When a written estimate is needed | Going over it without new consent |
|---|---|---|
| California | Before any repair | Not allowed |
| Florida | Jobs over $150 (it was $100 before 2024) | The greater of $10 or 10%, never more than $50 |
| New York | When the customer asks | Not allowed |
| Washington | Over $100, unless the customer signs a form choosing another option | Up to 110% of the estimate, before sales tax |
| Connecticut | A signed authorization with a maximum cost before any work; jobs under $50 are exempt unless the customer asks | Not allowed |
| Pennsylvania | Repairs and price authorized in writing, or the price posted | Not allowed |
| Colorado | Jobs over $100, with written consent | The lesser of 10% or $25 |
| Virginia | When the customer asks, if the charge may be over $25 | 10%, or 20% on vehicles at least 25 model years old |
From each state's statute or regulation, checked October 2026. Many other states have their own rules, and some cities and counties add more.
What to put on the estimate
Florida's list is one of the longest, and California's Bureau of Automotive Repair publishes a detailed guide, called Write It Right. Between them and the other states, a complete estimate shows:
- Your shop's name and address, and the customer's name and contact details.
- The date, and the vehicle's year, make, model, plate or VIN and odometer reading.
- The damage or the repairs the customer asked for.
- Each part, labeled new OEM, aftermarket (non-OEM), used, rebuilt or reconditioned.
- The labor for each operation, with the hours and whether it's flat rate or hourly.
- Refinish, paint and materials, and any sublet work, listed separately.
- Fees, itemized: in California, a hazardous waste fee with your EPA ID number. California bans a separate shop supplies charge; Florida allows one with a set disclaimer.
- The expected completion date, which Florida, Colorado and Virginia require.
- Your storage charges and when they start, and whether the customer wants the replaced parts back.
- Your warranty, and the customer's signature or recorded authorization.
Write it in plain language. California's guide says shorthand such as “R&R” isn't acceptable on a customer's estimate. If you build your estimate from an insurer's, California also requires you to say so, name the insurer, give the claim number and total, attach the insurer's estimate and tell the insurer before you change it.
Teardown and estimate fees
Charging for an estimate or a teardown is usually allowed, as long as the customer knows first:
| State | The rule |
|---|---|
| California | A teardown needs its own estimate and authorization first, giving its cost, the area to be taken apart ("front of vehicle" is enough, "area of damage" isn't), the reassembly cost, the parts teardown will destroy, a warning if the car may not be restorable, and the most time reassembly will take |
| Florida | The estimate shows the charge for making it. If the customer cancels, you can charge for teardown, destroyed parts and reassembly only if you disclosed those costs before the diagnosis |
| Connecticut | Tell the customer the estimate or diagnosis charge first and get consent, in writing if they ask or it's $50 or more. Post a sign with your hourly labor charge, storage terms and diagnosis charge |
| Pennsylvania | Disclose and post the estimate charge, storage terms, and whether parts are new, used, reconditioned or rebuilt |
| Colorado | If taking the car apart is needed to estimate it, show the reassembly cost and the cost of parts it destroys |
| Virginia and New York | A reasonable fee for the estimate is allowed, disclosed first in Virginia |
When the repair costs more
When you find more damage, stop and get consent before the extra work, in the form your state requires:
- 1
Write the revised estimate
The added parts and labor, and the new total. - 2
Get the customer's consent before the work
In California, record oral consent with the date, time, the name and phone number of the person who gave it, the added parts and labor, and the new total. Email, text and fax consent are allowed there too. - 3
Tell the insurer, on an insurance job
Send a supplement with the evidence. In New York, the insurer must reinspect hidden damage within two business days. Our supplements guide covers the process.
In California, the customer can name someone else to approve added work, but not the shop or the insurer.
Plan the repair before you price it
The best way to avoid going over the estimate is to find all the damage before you write it. That means a teardown of the damaged area, a pre-repair scan, and the automaker's procedures for each operation, then a check against a list of what's commonly missed.
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists publishes that list free: its Guide to Complete Repair Planning has 1,033 operations in 37 categories, from bumpers to the final bill. It has no prices or times, and SCRS says not every item can be charged on every job.
GuideOEM repair procedures, scans and ADAS calibrationWhich automakers require scans, where to find their procedures, and when a calibration is needed.What the database leaves out
The estimating databases price labor from guides, and the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) says only a small share of their times come from actual time studies. Each guide lists what its times leave out:
| Database | Not included in the labor time |
|---|---|
| Mitchell refinish | Blending and tinting, corrosion protection and chip-resistant primer, finish sanding and buffing, masking the interior, rebagging the car, cleaning release agent off raw plastic, weld-burn repair and gravel guard. Paint and materials aren't in the refinish time |
| Audatex | Pre- and post-repair scans, ADAS calibration, frame setup and pulling, welding setup and test welds, seam sealer on new parts, restoring corrosion protection, and fitting or modifying new or recycled parts |
| All three | The times assume new, undamaged parts. Fixing a defect on a new part, such as a bumper cover that won't fit, is extra |
From Mitchell's refinish procedure page and the Audatex Database Reference Manual (April 2025). CCC uses MOTOR's guide, which has its own list.
Shops often leave these off. In the 2026 Who Pays for What? survey, 49% of shops said they never bill for fixing defects on new bumpers. Check the procedure pages for each operation you add; our estimating systems guide explains how to read them.
How long an estimate is good for
None of the state laws above sets how long an estimate stays valid, so it's your policy. Put it on the estimate. Parts prices move often: the Audatex manual notes many automakers change theirs on the first of each month. If the customer comes back after that, re-price the parts before you order.
Then make sure the money follows the estimate: our guide to getting paid covers deductibles, insurer checks and storage, and our parts pricing guide the rules on part types and sales tax.
