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Email templates · Auto repair shop

Email template to ask a body shop for a repair estimate

Your car has been damaged and you need to know what fixing it will cost, either to decide whether to file a claim, to check an insurer's number, or simply to pick a shop. You are allowed to use any shop you want; an insurer can suggest one but cannot require it. Most shops will give a preliminary estimate from clear photos, then firm it up once they see the car. Asking by email means you can send the same photos to three shops and get three written estimates, each broken into parts, labor, and paint, without spending three afternoons driving around. An itemized estimate is also what you need if you later have to argue with an adjuster about what the repair really costs.

Before you send

  • Eight to twelve photos in good light: each damaged area up close, the whole side of the car from a few feet back, and the odometer. Include anything that no longer opens, closes, or lines up.
  • The VIN, year, make, model, and trim. The VIN lets the shop price the exact parts.
  • Whether this is going through insurance, and if so which company and the claim number. Shops handle insurance jobs differently and may already have a relationship with the insurer.
  • Your preference on parts. New original manufacturer parts (OEM) cost more than aftermarket or used parts, and your policy may only cover the cheaper option unless you pay the difference.
  • When you can bring the car in for an in-person look.
Subject Repair estimate request: [year make model], [type of damage] 
Hi [shop name],

I'd like a written estimate to repair damage on my [year make model trim], VIN [VIN], about [mileage] miles.

What happened: [one or two sentences, e.g. someone backed into the driver's side rear door and quarter panel in a parking lot on date]. Photos are attached. The [door / trunk / hood] [still works / no longer closes properly], and I have not noticed any other issues.

Could you send me an itemized estimate showing:

- Parts, with whether each is new original, aftermarket, or used
- Labor hours and your hourly rate
- Paint and materials
- Estimated days in the shop

[This will go through insurance company name, claim number / I'm paying out of pocket, so please quote your best price]. I know you'll need to see the car to confirm, and I can bring it by on [day and time options].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • A good shop replies within a day or two with an itemized estimate and a note about what they cannot tell from photos, usually hidden damage behind panels. That caveat is normal.
  • Compare estimates on labor hours and parts type, not just the total. A much lower number often means used parts or fewer hours than the job takes.
  • If an insurer's estimate is lower than the shop's, give the shop the adjuster's estimate and ask them to write a supplement, which is the shop's itemized list of what the adjuster missed. Shops do this all the time.
  • If a shop will not put the estimate in writing, or wants a deposit before giving one, use a different shop.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Get repair estimates on my car from a few body shops 
Hi StandIn,

Please get written repair estimates for my car from several body shops so I can compare them.

The car: [year make model trim, VIN, mileage].
The damage: [what happened and when, and I'll attach photos].
Insurance: [company and claim number, or "paying out of pocket"].
Parts preference: [original manufacturer only, or open to aftermarket to save money].
Where I am: [city or zip code] and I can bring it in on [days and times].

Send the same photos and details to three or four well-reviewed shops nearby, get itemized estimates with parts, labor, and paint broken out, ask about timing, and bring me a comparison with your take on which shop looks best.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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