Car Repair EstimatorFree auto repair estimate template
Updated 2026-09-29 · By the Car Repair Estimator team
Build a written estimate below with parts, body labor, refinish labor, paint materials and sublet work on separate lines, then download it as a PDF for the customer to sign. Below the generator: what a written estimate should contain and the state rules that make it more than a formality.
A written estimate is the first document a customer sees from your shop, and it sets the ceiling for what you can bill without another conversation. The generator below works for mechanical jobs and body shop work alike: add the vehicle and VIN, list parts and labor operations, add refinish, blend and paint materials if it's a paint job, and download a PDF with a signature line.
What a written estimate should contain
- Shop details: name, address, phone and state registration number if you have one; estimate number and date.
- Customer and vehicle: name and contact, year, make, model, trim, color, VIN and odometer reading.
- Description: the customer's concern or the damage in plain words, for example "Right front fender dented and scratched, headlamp cracked."
- Parts: each part with quantity, price and type (new OEM, aftermarket, used or rebuilt).
- Labor: each operation with hours and rate, split by labor type.
- Paint and materials, sublet and fees: each on its own line.
- Tax and total.
- Terms: how long the estimate is valid, how additional work will be approved, storage or teardown charges if the customer declines, and a signature line authorizing the work.
Body labor vs refinish labor
On collision estimates, keep body and refinish labor on separate lines. Body labor covers removing and installing parts, straightening and repairing panels. Refinish labor covers preparing and painting: sanding, primer, base coat and clear coat. The two are often billed at different hourly rates, and customers and insurers both expect to see them split. Frame and mechanical labor, if any, get their own lines too.
For each panel, decide repair or replace. A repaired fender carries body hours for the repair plus refinish hours for the panel. A replaced fender carries the part price, remove-and-install hours and refinish hours for the new panel, including painting inner edges where needed.
Blend
When a panel is painted, the adjacent panels often need to be blended so the color matches from every angle. Blending means refinishing part of the neighboring panel to fade the new color into the old. List blend as its own refinish line for each adjacent panel ("Blend right front door") rather than folding it into the main panel. Metallic, pearl and tri-coat colors are the ones most likely to need blending. See what a repaint costs for how paint type moves the price.
Paint materials
Paint, primer, clear, reducers, sandpaper and masking are real costs. Bill them as a separate paint and materials line. Many shops calculate it from the refinish hours on the estimate; whatever formula you use, apply it consistently so two similar jobs come out priced alike.
Supplements and hidden damage
A photo or walk-around estimate can only price what you can see. Behind a bumper cover or a fender there may be broken brackets, a crushed absorber or damaged sensors. Say so on the estimate ("Estimate based on visible damage; additional damage found during teardown will be quoted before repair"). When you find more, write a dated supplement listing the added parts and labor and get approval before you do the work.
The Database Enhancement Gateway reminds estimators that the published labor times in estimating systems assume new, undamaged parts going onto new, undamaged vehicles, so judgment is still needed on a damaged car. Seized fasteners, rust and prior repairs are all reasons to add time.
Validity period
Parts prices and availability change, so put an expiration on every estimate. Many shops use 15 to 30 days. Also note whether the price assumes a specific part type, because swapping an aftermarket part for OEM later changes the total.
Customer authorization and state estimate laws
Get a signature, or a documented electronic approval, before starting work. Several states make this a legal requirement:
- California: the shop must give a written estimated price for parts and labor, and no work may be done and no charges may accrue before the customer authorizes it. Going over the estimate requires the customer's oral or written consent after the shop determines the estimate is insufficient; if consent is oral, the shop must note the date, time, name of the person, phone number called and the added parts, labor and cost (Business and Professions Code 9884.9).
- Florida: when a repair will cost the customer more than $150, the shop must prepare a written estimate (Florida Statutes 559.905, 2024). The state consumer agency says the final bill cannot exceed the estimate by more than $10 or 10 percent, whichever is greater, up to $50, without the customer's consent.
Other states have their own thresholds and rules, and some have none. Check your state attorney general or consumer protection agency before you set your process.
From estimate to invoice
Once the customer signs, the estimate becomes the basis of the repair order and, when the job is done, the invoice. If you'd rather start from a photo than a blank form, Car Repair Estimator Repair+ builds an itemized estimate from a damage photo, a note and a VIN scan, with repair vs replace per panel, body and refinish hours on separate lines, blend and a paint materials line, then converts the approved estimate to an invoice. Its estimates are informational, not insurance appraisals. For step-by-step method, read how to write an auto repair estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What should a car repair estimate include?
Shop and customer details, vehicle year, make, model, VIN and mileage, a description of the damage or concern, each part with price and type, labor hours and rate for each operation, paint materials, sublet work, fees, tax, total, how long the estimate is valid and a customer authorization signature.
Is a repair estimate legally binding?
It depends on the state. In California and Florida, for example, the shop must get the customer's approval before charging more than the written estimate. Elsewhere it is mainly a contract question, so clear terms and a signature matter.
How long should an estimate be valid?
There is no universal rule. Many shops set 15-30 days because parts prices and availability change. Whatever you choose, print it on the estimate and re-quote after it expires.
What is a supplement on a body shop estimate?
A supplement is an addition to the original estimate for damage found after teardown, such as a bent bracket behind a bumper cover. Write it up as a separate, dated addition and get the customer's or insurer's approval before doing the work.
Sources
- California Business and Professions Code 9884.9 (written estimates and consent)
- Florida Statutes 559.905 (written repair estimates, 2024)
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Motor vehicle repair
- Database Enhancement Gateway - Know your estimating system
Write the estimate from a photo
Snap the damage, scan the VIN and get an itemized estimate with body and refinish hours on separate lines.
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