Getting auto body shop estimates is the first step in getting your car repaired after an accident, or even when you are looking to get your car restored and painted.

Here are some tips on getting auto body shop estimates:

Shop around

If you don’t already have a preferred auto body shop, it’s always good to get several auto body shop estimates before choosing the one to do your work. Each estimate may vary based on their labor rates, how much they can get parts for, if they try to get used parts to save you money, etc.

Discuss your preferences

If there are certain things you would like your body shop to consider, let them know ahead of time so these requests may be factored in. For example, we often try to save our customers money by ordering used parts instead of brand new factory parts. We are going to be repairing them (if necessary) and painting them anyway, so most of our customers appreciate this.

Determine if set price or hourly rate

All auto body shops have an hourly rate by which they base their estimates on. However, when you are discussing your Asheville body shop estimates, ask if this is a set rate, or if it will vary based on the hours it takes to complete. For some jobs, like fixing bumpers or doing a motorcycle paint job, we give customers a set price for the job. For other jobs, like restorations and full paints jobs that require more body work, receive an estimate that includes materials and estimated time to complete. We keep track of our labor time and charge by the hour. We very rarely go over what we quoted in our auto body shop estimates, but there are times when it is necessary due to more rust or other body damage we couldn’t see without stripping it down. Tim has a great eye for what body repairs are needed, so our estimates are typically very accurate.

Check out the shop itself

What is your first impression when you walk in? Is the place busy? Are the people friendly and professional? Before leaving your car somewhere, you want to make sure you feel comfortable with the shop itself. Take a look at their website, pictures of their previous work, and even ask for references if you feel the need. If you approve of what you see, this should also play a role in choosing one body shop over another.

Request a quote

Call or fill out a Quote Request form (at the bottom of our website) to get an estimate from TD Customs. We can oftentimes give a quote over the phone or through email, especially if you are able to send pictures of the damage or what you would like to have done. If Tim knows he needs to see the vehicle in person, we’ll ask you to come by the shop so we can take a closer look. TD Customs does very high quality work, with very affordable prices, so we are confident in our estimates.

Located in Mills River, just down the road from the Asheville Airport, TD Customs is an auto body shop offering auto body repairs, restorations and custom paint jobs. If you’ve got a vehicle needing to be repaired or restored, contact us for an estimate.

Look through our Photo Galleries to see pictures of our work!