Not All Auto Repair Shops Are Equal in Quality and Price! 

Choosing an Auto Body Shop

General recommendations are to find a shop of experienced and certified technicians utilizing the proper equipment to perform repairs. Do your research before just picking the auto body shop most convenient to your location or the one that offers the lowest price. Oftentimes insurance companies will suggest shops they have relationships with. This may be a good option since most insurance companies require their partner shops to have industry certifications and quality equipment, plus the repairs are warrantied for as long as you own the vehicle. The downside is the shop is constrained by the insurance company to repair the vehicle for as little cost as possible. This may or may not affect the repair quality depending on the damage. 

You might want to consider traveling outside your immediate area to a reputable shop if you want great service and repairs. Looking at trusted reviews online, such as Google, Yelp, or BBB and looking at the shop's Facebook page can be helpful to get a sense of the shop. Don't forget the traditional method of asking friends and family for recommendations.

Getting Multiple Estimates

Getting an estimate on your vehicle takes some time, which will push back the start of your repairs, especially if obtaining multiple estimates. Figure each estimate will require two hours of your day, so shopping around for the lowest estimate can end up taking up valuable time. Unfortunately, the cheapest estimate you get won’t be the best option for you and your vehicle.

Why Prices Vary

Prices can vary from shop to shop for a number of reasons. Keep in mind, a reputable auto body shop has high overhead costs due to required licensing, insurance, technician training, and the constant upgrading of equipment necessary to work on the rapidly advancing technology in vehicles. If a shop provides a substantially lower estimate cost, they are either running the shop illegally or not providing a thorough initial estimate. Beware of the illegally run shop that says they warranty their work, because when you bring it back for an issue they won't want to know anything about it. Providing a low initial price is a method a shop uses to be able to start the job. Once the vehicle is apart, they will call to tell you about additional costs your vehicle can not be put back together without. 

Some factors influencing the pricing given by auto body shops are:



• Quality and cost of body, prepping, and paint materials vary
• Overhead costs for well-trained technicians and proper equipment
• Cost of OE vs Aftermarket replacement parts
• Cost to operate in affluent zip code 
• Shop popularity and seasonal volume

If the auto body shop is in a highly populated downtown area, rent prices and taxes, or even general overhead might be higher, not to mention the cost of hiring and maintaining employees. Since location can be a big factor, some people might choose to take their car to a less expensive area in hopes they will be able to save money. 

Shops that have more experienced technicians and an established reputation will have a larger client base and typically have higher pricing. All of these factors can add up to why different auto body shops might give varied estimates to the same customer. 

Keep In Mind

It is important to know that the estimate is not the exact price or cost of the repairs, as the estimator typically only takes into initial consideration what they can immediately see and how long they believe the repair will take. Once a shop starts to work on your vehicle, they might find more hidden damage which will obviously add to the estimate of the cost. 

Many times the phrase “you get what you pay for” can apply when it comes to auto body shop repairs. If you choose the cheapest shop, you probably won’t be satisfied with your service or repair. Therefore it is important to look at the quality of the estimate and repair shop, rather than only focusing on the price they give you.

Put Your Trust in Ray’s Automotive!

If you are looking for a trusted auto repair shop, call Ray’s Automotive! Our technicians all have over 20 years of experience in the industry. We will happily give you a fair estimate for your vehicle repair. As a family owned business, we treat every customer like family. Give us a call today!