Written estimate request
Request a written auto body estimate in Van Nuys
Send photos, drive in, or call to request a preliminary estimate. Confirm the estimate scope and any fee before authorizing work.
Three ways to request one
Pick the option that fits where the car is right now. The shop will confirm the estimate scope, timing, and any fee.
Send photos
Fastest if the car is parked somewhere with decent light. Upload them on the estimate form so the shop can review what the photos show.
Response timing is not currently promised on the website. If a photo leaves something unclear, the shop may request another photo or an in-person inspection.
Drive in
Bring the car to 14332 Oxnard Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401 during Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm. We look at it with you, say what we are seeing, and write it up.
This is the better option when the damage involves how a door or hood closes, or when something is rubbing, dragging, or leaking. Those are hard to read in a photo.
Call
310-406-6008. Useful when the car is not drivable, when you are not sure whether this is worth a claim, or when you would rather talk it through before sending anything.
Set expectations
What a written estimate is, and what it is not
What it is
A document that lists the damaged panels, the parts needed, the labor operations, and the refinish work, each on its own line. It is the starting document your insurer works from and the one you approve before anything is touched.
What it is not
A final invoice. A first estimate is written from the outside of the car, so it describes the damage that can be seen. What is behind the panel is still an open question until the panel comes off.
Why the number can move
Collision energy travels. A bumper cover with a scuff can sit in front of a cracked absorber, a bent reinforcement bar, or a deformed rail end.
When teardown reveals damage the first estimate could not see, that becomes a supplement. It is a normal, expected part of collision claims, not a sign that something went wrong.
Ask the shop and insurer who will document the additional damage, request authorization, and explain any amount not covered before additional work goes ahead.
Written estimate
Four photos that make your estimate accurate
One wide shot
The whole side of the car where the damage is, taken from far enough back to show where the damage starts and stops.
Close-ups of each panel
One per damaged panel, straight on, close enough to read the depth of the dent, any creasing, and any paint transfer.
The VIN plate
Through the windshield at the base on the driver's side, or the sticker in the driver's door jamb. It gives us the trim, the paint code, and which parts actually fit.
The whole car
One from a front corner, one from the rear corner. These show whether the impact moved anything beyond the panel you are looking at.
You do not need three estimates
This one is worth saying plainly, because it costs people days. Three estimates is a habit left over from an older way of handling claims.
A California insurer cannot require multiple estimates as a condition of your claim. Under Insurance Code section 758.5 it may recommend a shop, but it cannot require you to use one, and it must pay the reasonable cost of repair at the shop you choose.
Choosing your own shop also cannot be used to raise your deductible or cut your coverage. You should receive a document called the Auto Body Repair Consumer Bill of Rights, and that choice is on it.
If an insurer pushes back on where you take the car, the California Department of Insurance consumer line is 800-927-4357.
An estimate is not a claim
Asking a shop to look at your car does not open a claim and does not notify your insurer of anything. Nothing starts until you say it starts.
Some people get the estimate first for exactly that reason, to decide whether filing makes sense at all. Having the written number in hand before you talk to an adjuster is the stronger position either way.
If the collision was recent and you are still working out the order of things, start with what to do after an accident in California.
What usually comes next
Where the estimate leads depends on what the car turns out to need. Most of what we write up falls into collision repair, bumper repair and replacement, or body and paint work.
If the panel is dented but the paint is intact, ask about paintless dent repair when you send the photos. It is a different process with a different line on the estimate.
Questions
Estimate questions people ask
How do I request a written estimate?
Send vehicle details and damage photos, call, or visit during shop hours. Confirm any estimate fee and what the preliminary estimate covers before authorizing work.
Do I need three estimates?
No. Three estimates is an old habit, not a rule. A California insurer cannot make multiple estimates a condition of your claim, and under Insurance Code section 758.5 it must pay the reasonable cost of repair at the shop you choose.
Will an estimate change after you start work?
It can. A first estimate is written from what is visible on the outside of the car, and removing damaged parts sometimes reveals more — a bent bracket, a cracked absorber, a mount that took the load. That additional damage is written as a supplement and approved with your insurer before the work goes ahead.
Do I have to file a claim to get an estimate?
No. An estimate is a repair document, not a claim, and asking for one does not notify your insurer of anything. Some people get an estimate first precisely to decide whether filing is worth it.
Damaged car? Start with a photo.
Upload photos of the damage and request a preliminary estimate and next steps. Prefer to talk? Call the shop during business hours.