Body shop estimation.

[PC69]

I went to get a repair estimation from 4 body shops yesterday and got 4 very different quotes:

shop #1: $2550
shop #2: $2200
shop #3 $1350
shop #4 $920

I informed all of them that I'll be paying it out of my own pocket. I don't quite understand why the difference is so great between the body shops. My feeling is that since ICBC is very generous about the repair cost, many body shops will charge the max allowed by ICBC regardless of the actual repair cost. As a consumer with no experience in auto repair, it's very difficult to tell which one is charging a fair price. Some people will say you get what you pay for but is this really the case? May be someone working in this field can offer some insight.

[VR6GTI]

Need more information on the vehicle and damage done to the vehicle.
Is there parts that need to be replaced? Maybe one is quoted with used parts or aftermarket?
Some shops dont take parts off and just mask them to save you money but it looks like shit in the end.
Right now some autobody shops are struggling and are undercutting to get any job they can.
Icbc to generous

[PC69]

Originally Posted by VR6GTI

Need more information on the vehicle and damage done to the vehicle.
Is there parts that need to be replaced? Maybe one is quoted with used parts or aftermarket?
Some shops dont take parts off and just mask them to save you money but it looks like shit in the end.
Right now some autobody shops are struggling and are undercutting to get any job they can.
Icbc to generous

It's bimmer and don't need to replace anything. I scraped the rear door near the fender in the parking lot. All it needed is some body work and repaint of the rear body.

[VR6GTI]

Look at your quotes and see the difference.
They should all be on computer print out and easy to read, if any of them are hand written i would just scratch that shop off the list

[TheSalesman]

I had a big dent on my quarter panel and took it to 3 shops.
I got $500, $1200 and $2000 at different shops.

[hirevtuner]

the things i look for in a good body shop
1> courteous customer service (before and after)
2> check any reviews on reputation on the shop (ie. go to icbc website if they have been accredited or referals)
3> written warranty they can backup after the job has been done (ie. 6 mos or 1 yr)

hope that helps

[Rotary_Rage]

post pictures and I'll give you an accurate quote.

I can tell you that cost Bucket of Bondo is 36$, Epoxy Primer is 1.70 per/L, High Build primer is about the same, Base coat is 3.70 per/L and clear coat is 2$ per/L

Wages hourly for a Bodyman at shop cost is generally 2x what the bodyman makes and a painter is about 60-70$ an hour

Typical repair (minor fender fender, dents and dings) is about 4-5 hours repair time and 2-3 hours for paint, plus the cost of materials.

Like I said i can give you a rough quote if you post a few pics.

[jasonturbo]

Originally Posted by Rotary_Rage

post pictures and I'll give you an accurate quote.

I can tell you that cost Bucket of Bondo is 36$, Epoxy Primer is 1.70 per/L, High Build primer is about the same, Base coat is 3.70 per/L and clear coat is 2$ per/L

Wages hourly for a Bodyman at shop cost is generally 2x what the bodyman makes and a painter is about 60-70$ an hour

Typical repair (minor fender fender, dents and dings) is about 4-5 hours repair time and 2-3 hours for paint, plus the cost of materials.

Like I said i can give you a rough quote if you post a few pics.

I'm not sure why you were failed for this post lol...

But on a side note those are some very cheap prices for coatings...

My advice with body shops is this, dont let price be the major factor, let the quality of the work and the reputation be the deciding factor.

One of the main reasons you might see a major difference in the quotes is because the shops that are very busy all the time who have a good reputation are going to charge you as much as possible. Because regardless of whether or not you send your car there for work, there is another customer waiting to take your spot there, so they dont really care to quote low.

[Eff-1]

If you actually read the quotes, you should be able to see where the difference lies. Could be the labour rates, the hours, the scope of work, etc

How the heck are we supposed to know without seeing the quotes and/or seeing the damage?

[Rotary_Rage]

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

I'm not sure why you were failed for this post lol...

But on a side note those are some very cheap prices for coatings...

My advice with body shops is this, dont let price be the major factor, let the quality of the work and the reputation be the deciding factor.

One of the main reasons you might see a major difference in the quotes is because the shops that are very busy all the time who have a good reputation are going to charge you as much as possible. Because regardless of whether or not you send your car there for work, there is another customer waiting to take your spot there, so they dont really care to quote low.

Not really sure why I was failed either, lol the prices are Cost which is why they are cheaper. Also prices are based of Glasurit waterborn paint. And I'm not talking about your average Canadian tire bondo either, the stuff we use in industry is a ton better then anything a regular Joe can buy.

I was just giving him a rough idea of what materials cost a Body shop and where they make profit

[illicitstylz]

There's different ways to do things.

The higher quotes may be full " complete " repair , full paint refinish, hazardous waste removal, blending the rear fender since the door is repaired, remove and install of door parts (mouldings, handles, emblems)


Lower quotes may be because they know you're paying out of your own pocket, so they "cut corners" and repair just the door itself (no R&I of door and fender, blend etc)

You need to know which exact procedures/steps they're going through to end up with that estimate they've given you. Guaranteed all 3 of those values do not have the same repair " procedure".

[Rotary_Rage]

Illicitstylz is pretty much bang on the money. You said the damage was on the rear quater, Depending where on the quarter the damage is it may have to be blended into the door/trunk.

To give you a rough example a dent the size of a quarter turns into a repair area of about 12" by 12" after you factor in the damage area the paint feather edge the filler area and where the primer is sprayed.

[PC69]

Originally Posted by illicitstylz

There's different ways to do things.

The higher quotes may be full " complete " repair , full paint refinish, hazardous waste removal, blending the rear fender since the door is repaired, remove and install of door parts (mouldings, handles, emblems)


Lower quotes may be because they know you're paying out of your own pocket, so they "cut corners" and repair just the door itself (no R&I of door and fender, blend etc)

You need to know which exact procedures/steps they're going through to end up with that estimate they've given you. Guaranteed all 3 of those values do not have the same repair " procedure".

As a person with no auto repair knowledge, I don't know what is consider "full" repair. All I want is to restore the car to its original condition.

To give you an idea, both shop #1 and #2 charge almost 24 hrs of labour. shop #3 charge 15 hrs. Shop #1 also charge $200 on "ATS Allowance Amount" which I've no idea what it is. Also I noticed both shop#1/#2 have identical labour rate on everything (are they using the same ICBC system?) and they charge a total of $945 on sheet metal. Why does the repair use so much metal sheet? What is it use for?

I don't know but it seems to me that 3 man days is quite a lot of time to fix this type of damage.

[yadoh]

LOL at $2550 and $2200 to fix that..
post up the shop names

[PC69]

Originally Posted by yadoh

LOL at $2550 and $2200 to fix that..
post up the shop names

Too much or too little? If you think it's too little, I can say probably not the case. I've used shop #2 before to repair a 17k damage and they definitely not cheap out on their labour. My friends also used shop #2 and its repair cost is usually on the high end.

[illicitstylz]

Originally Posted by PC69

As a person with no auto repair knowledge, I don't know what is consider "full" repair. All I want is to restore the car to its original condition.

To give you an idea, both shop #1 and #2 charge almost 24 hrs of labour. shop #3 charge 15 hrs. Shop #1 also charge $200 on "ATS Allowance Amount" which I've no idea what it is. Also I noticed both shop#1/#2 have identical labour rate on everything (are they using the same ICBC system?) and they charge a total of $945 on sheet metal. Why does the repair use so much metal sheet? What is it use for?

I don't know but it seems to me that 3 man days is quite a lot of time to fix this type of damage.

Full repair as in, taking the full procedure to fix the vehicle, as per "protocol", compared to "cutting corners" and just fixing the essentials.

I'm actually a claims adjuster so I can help you out with a bit more since you posted the pictures.

"Full" proper repair procedure, done by the books, hence a more expensive repair bill.

The quarter panel is dented, and that alone looks like 2-3 hours of repair (at avg $75/hr labour rate). The quarter panel and rear door will need to be repaired, refinished, hazardous waste removal, R&I(removal and installation) of door mouldings, handles, gascap (if it's on that side), tail light, and blend refinish of the front door as well as the trunk lid and possibly rear bumper.

Cutting corners method, barebone essentials, that way you save money since you're paying it out of your own pocket.

2-3 hours repair of the dent, repair, refinish, hazardous waste removal

As you can tell it's a much shorter repair period + less repair hours therefore lower bill.

That's basically what the discrepancy in price is. Usually black cars you can get away without blending the other panels.


edit: since the dents are on the quarter panel where the fender body lines are, that's a more expensive and labour intensive repair job so expect more than 2-3 hours maybe.

[PC69]

Originally Posted by illicitstylz

edit: since the dents are on the quarter panel where the fender body lines are, that's a more expensive and labour intensive repair job so expect more than 2-3 hours maybe.

shop #1: 10.5 hrs
shop #2: 9 hrs
shop #3: 6.5 hrs

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

why are u afraid posting shop's names?

[PC69]

Originally Posted by Mugen EvOlutioN

why are u afraid posting shop's names?

I just don’t think the names is relevant but I’ve no problem disclose their names if people really want to know.

[VR6GTI]

ATS on a estimate is for a rental or courtesy car. I would not go with the $900 quote or the $2500 quote. The repair cost should be around $1500-$1800.

[VR6GTI]

Originally Posted by Rotary_Rage

Wages hourly for a Bodyman at shop cost is generally 2x what the bodyman makes and a painter is about 60-70$ an hour

Typical repair (minor fender fender, dents and dings) is about 4-5 hours repair time and 2-3 hours for paint, plus the cost of materials.

Let me know what shops are paying $60-70 an hour so i can go my ticket and apply there.

[PC69]

Originally Posted by VR6GTI

ATS on a estimate is for a rental or courtesy car. I would not go with the $900 quote or the $2500 quote. The repair cost should be around $1500-$1800.

Thanks. I'll try to get estimate from 2-3 more shops to get a better idea.

[Peturbo]

Originally Posted by Rotary_Rage

post pictures and I'll give you an accurate quote.

I can tell you that cost Bucket of Bondo is 36$, Epoxy Primer is 1.70 per/L, High Build primer is about the same, Base coat is 3.70 per/L and clear coat is 2$ per/L

Wages hourly for a Bodyman at shop cost is generally 2x what the bodyman makes and a painter is about 60-70$ an hour

Typical repair (minor fender fender, dents and dings) is about 4-5 hours repair time and 2-3 hours for paint, plus the cost of materials.

Like I said i can give you a rough quote if you post a few pics.

Originally Posted by VR6GTI

Let me know what shops are paying $60-70 an hour so i can go my ticket and apply there.

I think what he meant is the shop charges roughly 2x what a bodyman would make.
About half goes to the bodyman(depending on experience), rest to the shop.

[6thGear.]

Originally Posted by Rotary_Rage

I can tell you that cost Bucket of Bondo is 36$, Epoxy Primer is 1.70 per/L, High Build primer is about the same, Base coat is 3.70 per/L and clear coat is 2$ per/L

Wages hourly for a Bodyman at shop cost is generally 2x what the bodyman makes and a painter is about 60-70$ an hour

Clear coat is not $2/L. A gallon of good clearcoat with a quart of hardener is roughly $250 -$350. FYI for people that don't know, paint materials typically come in quart(1L) and Gallon(4L) and shops usually buy the gallon. Epoxy and high build primer is not $1.70/L either. And no way in hell waterbased basecoat is $3.70/L. A quart of color toner is roughly $70. Even that cheap ass Korean made clearcoat is $25 and there's no way a reputed company like Glasurit sells materials for that damn cheap.

General Shop rates nowadays is $70/hr for body and paint is $70/hr + $30ish/hr(for material cost) for the paint side.

Originally Posted by Rotary_Rage

Also prices are based of Glasurit waterborn paint.
I was just giving him a rough idea of what materials cost a Body shop and where they make profit

Shops make profits off labour not material cost....

Originally Posted by illicitstylz

I'm actually a claims adjuster
The quarter panel is dented, and that alone looks like 2-3 hours of repair (at avg $75/hr labour rate). The quarter panel and rear door will need to be repaired, refinished, hazardous waste removal, R&I(removal and installation) of door mouldings, handles, gascap (if it's on that side), tail light, and blend refinish of the front door as well as the trunk lid and possibly rear bumper.

Cutting corners method, barebone essentials, that way you save money since you're paying it out of your own pocket.

Usually black cars you can get away without blending the other panels.

edit: since the dents are on the quarter panel where the fender body lines are, that's a more expensive and labour intensive repair job so expect more than 2-3 hours maybe.

If your an icbc adjuster, you should well know that gas caps don't get R&I time and you definitely don't get blend time for rear bumpers. This job doesn't require any blending of adjacent panels...just quarter panel and rear door repaint.

Originally Posted by PC69

shop #1: 10.5 hrs
shop #2: 9 hrs
shop #3: 6.5 hrs

Shop #3 has the most closest estimate. You should be looking at 5-6 hrs for paint and your body repair should be about 4 hrs(reason being, I can tell you
have damage on your inner portion of the quarter panel. Do a quick calculation with the shops rates I provided and it will tell you which shop is ripping you off and which isn't

Originally Posted by Peturbo

I think what he meant is the shop charges roughly 2x what a bodyman would make.
About half goes to the bodyman(depending on experience), rest to the shop.

Bodymen don't get half of the shop rates....they make about $26-28/hr and painters now make about $19-22/hr(no thanks to icbc...fuckers)

[PC69]

Originally Posted by 6thGear.

Clear coat is not $2/L. A gallon of good clearcoat with a quart of hardener is roughly $250 -$350. FYI for people that don't know, paint materials typically come in quart(1L) and Gallon(4L) and shops usually buy the gallon. Epoxy and high build primer is not $1.70/L either. And no way in hell waterbased basecoat is $3.70/L. A quart of color toner is roughly $70. Even that cheap ass Korean made clearcoat is $25 and there's no way a reputed company like Glasurit sells materials for that damn cheap.

General Shop rates nowadays is $70/hr for body and paint is $70/hr + $30ish/hr(for material cost) for the paint side.



Shops make profits off labour not material cost....



If your an icbc adjuster, you should well know that gas caps don't get R&I time and you definitely don't get blend time for rear bumpers. This job doesn't require any blending of adjacent panels...just quarter panel and rear door repaint.



Shop #3 has the most closest estimate. You should be looking at 5-6 hrs for paint and your body repair should be about 4 hrs(reason being, I can tell you
have damage on your inner portion of the quarter panel. Do a quick calculation with the shops rates I provided and it will tell you which shop is ripping you off and which isn't



Bodymen don't get half of the shop rates....they make about $26-28/hr and painters now make about $19-22/hr(no thanks to icbc...fuckers)

Thanks for sharing the information. I brought my car to two more body shops and I've a good idea what the repair cost should be. Both of them gave me a quote of around $1500 which is very close to the range suggested by VR6GTI.