Collision estimate negotiation is the work of documenting a repair completely and then getting the insurer’s appraiser to approve and pay for it, line by line, supplement by supplement.
Most shops lose money in the gap between the first estimate and the real repair. The car comes apart and there’s hidden damage. The OEM procedure calls for steps the estimate didn’t include. A calibration is required. The appraiser pushes back on labor times or materials, and a busy estimator lets it go because three more cars are waiting. That gap repeats on every file.
We close it.
What we do on every file
- Write or review the estimate. We build it in CCC ONE or Mitchell, or audit the one you wrote, against OEM repair procedures.
- Document the repair. Photos, measurements, teardown findings, OEM position statements and calibration requirements attached where they support a line item.
- Build the supplements. Hidden damage, required operations, materials and sublet work, written up as they’re found.
- Negotiate with the appraiser. We work the file with the insurer’s appraiser or desk reviewer, line by line, and keep pushing on items the repair actually requires.
- Follow it to the end. We stay on the file through the final supplement so the approved total matches the repair you performed.
Why exotic and high-end cars are different
I run a shop that works on Land Rover, Rivian and high-end European cars every day, and Gold Coast Collision Center works on Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley and McLaren. On these cars the standard estimate is almost always short:
- OEM procedures call for specific sectioning, bonding and rivet repairs, often in aluminum or carbon fiber.
- Parts are expensive, slow and sometimes restricted to certified repairers.
- ADAS and system calibrations are required after many repairs.
- Paint and materials costs run well above average, and refinish procedures are longer.
If those items aren’t documented, they don’t get paid. On a six-figure repair, one missed operation can be thousands of dollars.
How pricing works
The fee is a set percentage of the final insurer-approved repair total, agreed in writing before we start. You see the approved figures on every file. There’s no charge for a quick review of a file to see whether it’s worth working.
Scope: what we don’t do
- We work for the repair shop, on the shop’s repair. We don’t represent vehicle owners in their insurance claims.
- We don’t give legal advice or handle injury claims.
- We can’t promise any insurer will approve a given amount. What we promise is a complete, documented estimate and a negotiator who stays on the file.
Related services
Good estimates start with a properly set up estimating system (collision shop software) and trained, certified staff (OEM certification readiness). Documentation discipline also helps with OEM audits and with shop operations.
Next step
Send us one or two recent files where you think money was left on the table. We’ll look at them and tell you honestly what we would have done differently.