Written Collision Repair Estimates: Your Right, and Our Standard

Every repair at GEM Collision starts with a written estimate, and that isn't a marketing promise — it's California law working the way it should. The Bureau of Automotive Repair requires licensed shops to give you a written estimate for parts and labor before work begins, and to get your authorization before exceeding it. A shop that starts work on a handshake number is breaking the rules and, more practically, setting up the exact dispute a written estimate exists to prevent.

What a proper written estimate contains

A real estimate itemizes the repair: each part with its type (new OEM, aftermarket, or recycled — with disclosure rules attached), each labor operation with its hours and rate category, refinish time, and materials. It should read like a plan, not a lump sum. When you get ours, an estimator walks the lines with you, because an estimate you don't understand hasn't done its job.

One honest caveat we attach to every number: an initial estimate covers visible damage. Collision energy hides damage behind bumpers, panels, and trim, which is why the final repair plan comes from disassembly and blueprinting — and why additions are documented as supplements with photos rather than absorbed silently.

Photo estimates, labeled honestly

Our online estimate flow builds a preliminary written estimate from your photos, usually within one business day. It's the fastest way to get a real starting number without moving the car — and it carries the same honest label: preliminary until inspection. What never changes is the format: written, itemized, explained, and yours to keep and compare.

If an insurer has already written an estimate, bring it. Comparing their sheet against the actual vehicle is routine work, and their first number is a starting point exactly the way ours is.