No. It is, however, a requirement that your insurance company works with any auto shop you choose and help negotiate a fair price.

In contrast to what insurance companies may state, California law allows you to administer the decision of who gets to repair your vehicle. Your insurance company cannot require you to visit an auto body shop of their choice.

Unlike most situations, this answer varies on a case to case basis. What needs to be taken into consideration is the extent of the collision damage and the financial element. The ‘drive-in’ estimate (also known as the visual only estimate’) doesn’t take into account the interior damage. So, once the vehicle has been disassembled and closely inspected, there is a possibility that the price to repair will increase - sometimes dramatically. There is no one reason as to why there is a hike in price, however, one of the most common aspects is due to the fact that there are much more expensive components on the inside of the car. Naturally, this cannot be seen during the initial estimate and is only discovered when the vehicle has been taken apart. All insurance companies are aware of this knowledge, so due to this, they are trained to deal with additional unseen damage and price increases. If you have any questions about handling your claim personally or turning it into your insurance company, please don’t hesitate to ask the shop for advice.

1. OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured): These are parts that have been provided by your vehicle’s factory supplier.
2. Aftermarket: These are parts that have been copied from the original factory and have been manufactured, mainly overseas, by a 3rd party supplier.
3. Recycled Parts: This is an original factory part that has been removed from a vehicle once it’s retired and used in another.

A visible-only estimate (also thought of as the drive-in estimate) is determined by the appraiser before disassembling the vehicle. As a result, no hidden damage is assumed at the initial estimate. Visual-only estimates are conducted in order to avoid disabling a vehicle before it comes in for the repair. Once the vehicle has been left at an auto body shop, that is when all the damaged parts will be removed and inspected for hidden damage.

This is typically an included estimate for hidden or additional damage that hasn’t yet been discovered during the ‘visual-only’ estimate. Both supplements and hidden damage are a normal occurrence during the post-collision procedure. Modern vehicles have been developed and designed to crush from the “outside in” as a way to protect the driver and passengers. If a shop were to discover additional damage, it writes a supplement and notifies the insurance company or customer for approval to continue on with the added repairs.

If the frame has not been permanently weakened by a tear or a kink, then the answer is yes. Vehicles are now designed with what is called a “uni-body” frame, which basically means that most of the vehicle core is a part of the frame structure. It is a common practice of many auto shops to repair a vehicle frame without any hinderances. However, please keep in mind that some areas of the crush zone within the frame are off limits to repair. If serious damage has been done, a frame component section or replacement might be required.

Essentially, Waterborne Paint is a high solid product. This means that water is the carrier of the color instead of solvents, which is normally used. It has excellent coverage, uses less product, is an easy cleanup and most importantly: Waterborne Paint is much safer to the environment. It produces 25% less pollution emission than solvent-based paints. So basically we’re aiding in saving the earth one car at a time!

Much like everything else, time is determined by how many hours of labor is spent on a particular vehicle. Each car is unique in its repair process and particular parts may not be available to pick up locally. In the event that this was to occur, a shop will include shipment dates. However, as a base point, companies will estimate 4 labor hours, not including weekends or holidays.

Most vehicle rental companies will require the following:

1. The renter must be 21 years of age or older.
2. The renter must carry their own insurance policy.
3. The renter must provide a valid, non-expired driver’s license, and proof of insurance.
4. The renter will be required to put down a credit card as a security deposit.

Rick’s Auto Body will not need to write another estimate for you, but we will want to review your insurance estimate alongside the vehicle prior to scheduling the vehicle for repairs. This will allow us to gather any information we may need to pre-order the exterior parts necessary to repair your vehicle.

No, we will not write another estimate for you. All we need is to review the already provided insurance estimate before scheduling your vehicle for repairs. This information is crucial as we may be required to preorder exterior parts before the process begins.

Absolutely. We have PDR (Paintless Dent Removal) teams available at all locations.

You will receive updates as often as you would like. Right before the repair process, the working staff will discuss how often you would like to receive updates and you’re able to decide from there!