RepairRadar workshop guide
How to write faster repair estimates
A fast estimate is useful only if the workshop can explain and deliver it. Keep a repeatable process, use your own rates and treat AI as a draft, not an inspection.
1. Capture the vehicle and damage once
Record the make, model, registration where available, customer contact details and the work requested. Take a wide photograph showing the damaged corner or side, then angled close-ups. Include adjoining panels, gaps, lights and sensors. A short walkround video or voice note can help capture details that are awkward to type. Avoid putting unrelated customer documents in photographs.
2. Separate repair operations
Turn the description into clear operations: remove and refit, repair or replace, prepare, prime, paint, blend, reassemble and check. Identify possible hidden damage as an assumption rather than presenting it as a confirmed part replacement. A dent with intact paint might suit paintless dent removal; a torn panel or cracked coating may need a different method. Follow manufacturer repair procedures.
3. Price labour using your workshop rate
Use your actual hourly rate rather than a generic national figure. Check the hours attached to each operation and avoid charging the same strip-and-refit operation twice. Include diagnostics, calibration or alignment only when justified by the vehicle and repair. Quote specialist work separately if it will be outsourced. A customer should be able to see what the labour covers.
4. Check parts and paint before promising a price
AI cannot confirm current supplier stock, manufacturer part numbers or a paint formulation from a photograph. Verify prices and lead times for parts you intend to order. Allow for clips, consumables and corrosion protection where applicable. Metallic, pearl and three-stage finishes can need more preparation and blending than solid colours. State whether an estimate uses repairable panels, new genuine parts or an alternative agreed with the customer.
5. Review totals, VAT and exclusions
Make clear whether the displayed amount includes VAT. Show a subtotal and the applicable VAT separately when your business is VAT registered. Keep any provisional items visible and explain that dismantling may reveal additional work. Agree authorisation before exceeding the quoted scope. Do not convert a broad AI range into a fixed workshop promise without checking the vehicle and work.
6. Send a branded estimate for approval
Include your business name, address, telephone, email, logo and estimate date. Describe the vehicle and scope in plain English. Send the customer an approval link and record their response. A requested drop-off date is not a confirmed booking until the workshop agrees it. Keep the estimate and any later amendments together so the team works from the same version.