Damage Estimating

Damage estimating is a distinct discipline within the automotive repair industry. Estimators need training and experience to perform the work well. To receive industry certification in damage analysis and estimating, estimators must pass a written test and have two years paid experienced performing the work.

To understand the inner workings of estimating for insurance claims it is important to understand the motivation behind the various individuals and companies involved.

A certain level of fairness in estimating is provided by the California law and the California Department of Insurance. The Department encourages parties to work out disputes, but accepts complaints and will attempt to assist consumers when an insurance company fails to resolve a problem.

Most insurance companies and collision repair shops have an interest in treating customers fairly. They also have individual incentive to shade estimates either up or down. And there is always the human factor, estimators make mistakes.

When dealing with your own insurance company, there is a high incentive to “treat you right.” Your insurance company wants to retain you as a customer. The pricing structure of some companies, however, forces them to contain costs including payments to their own insured. These “low cost” insurance companies typically steer their clients toward low end repair shops where the estimators aim low and the quality of repairs may be marginal. In these cases, both insurance adjusters and the body shop hope you do not question the estimates and settle for average or below quality work.

When dealing with the insurance company of the “other guy” – or person at fault in an accident – there is less incentive to “make you happy.” The focus is more on settling a claim.  The company can get you to settle, the quicker they clear their books of a liability. This company may offer to send you to a preferred repair provider, or may simply write you a check.  In the latter case, the check will be based on the estimate(s) obtained. You are on your own to select a repair shop.

While you are entitled to a fair settlement, what is “fair” depends in part on what you expect and what you can justify. If you agree to a settlement which does not accurately reflect the cost of repairing your car, you are stuck. Asking a knowledgeable third party can often help you obtain appropriate compensation to insure your car is returned to its pre-collision condition.

In California, most of the largest, best known insurance companies use direct repair facilities for the majority of their collision repair work. A direct repair facility is an auto body repair business which agrees to prepare collision estimates for the insurance company and to complete the repair work at the estimated price. The insurance company pays the shop for the repairs directly. These facilities provide “one stop” service for customers and generally perform better than average quality work.

Gene Townsend Auto Body and Paint is a direct repair facility for five (5) of California’s eight (8) largest automobile insurance companies. Our work is closely monitored by these companies and we pride ourselves in having maintained these relationships for decades.

For more information about direct repair facilities click here.