Auto Body Estimate Template
Body and refinish hours, parts type, blend panels and a supplement clause. Free PDF.
Collision damage is estimated from the outside of a car whose damage is on the inside. A bumper cover hides a reinforcement bar, the bar hides a rail, and the rail is either straight or it is a structural repair that doubles the file. Every body shop in the country knows what happens next: the panels come off and a supplement is written. The estimate's job is to be the first honest version of that — hours by type, parts by grade, and a plain sentence saying that the teardown is when the real number appears.
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ESTIMATE
Issued
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Issued by
Meridian Collision Center
2810 West Van Buren Street 85009 Phoenix, AZ United States estimating@meridiancollision.example |
Bill to
Lucienne Okafor
2130 Camelback Road 85016 Phoenix, AZ United States l.okafor@example.com |
| Description | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Body labour — front bumper, fender, headlamp mount 8.6 hours at 62.00, estimated before teardown | 1 | $533.20 | — | $533.20 |
Refinish labour including blend to adjacent door Metallic silver; 6.0 hours, blend required for colour match | 6 | $58.00 | — | $348.00 |
Parts — OEM bumper cover, aftermarket fender OEM fender available at 388.00 on request | 1 | $1,140.00 | — | $1,140.00 |
Front radar sensor recalibration Static calibration to manufacturer specification after refit | 1 | $395.00 | — | $395.00 |
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What this estimate commits you to
- How long it stands
- Thirty days, and only as the first estimate on a claim — an insurer's appraiser writes their own, and the two are reconciled before the vehicle comes apart.
- What it does not cover
- Mechanical repair behind the panels, pre-existing damage outside the impact area, glass replacement, wheel alignment, and a rental vehicle for the duration of the repair.
- What would change the price
- The supplement. A bent rail or crushed reinforcement visible only once the cover and fender are off, a structural measurement out of tolerance on the bench, corrosion under a panel being repaired, and additional blend panels the colour match turns out to need.
- How the client accepts it
- Sign the repair authorisation and the direction of pay so we may bill your carrier directly; teardown is scheduled once the deductible is confirmed and parts are ordered against the approved estimate.
Edit this template Free, no account, no watermark — download the PDF when you are done.
When the work is done, invoice it
What to put on an auto body estimate
- The vehicle, the impact point and the direction of force, because that is what predicts what is behind the panel
- Body labour, refinish labour, frame and mechanical hours separated — they are different rates in every shop
- Parts by type: OEM, aftermarket, reconditioned or recycled, priced as offered rather than assumed
- Blend panels named, since colour match on a metallic almost always needs the adjacent panel
- ADAS calibration where a sensor sits behind a panel being replaced, static or dynamic, priced as its own operation
- The supplement rule: that teardown may produce one, who approves it, and how long approval takes
Questions
What is a supplement and why does every collision job have one?
It is an addition to the estimate written once the vehicle is apart. It exists because the first estimate is made with the damage still covered — and a shop that does not write supplements is either eating hidden damage or was lucky, which is not a business model.
Should the estimate say whether parts are OEM or aftermarket?
Always, per part. It is the difference an insurer's estimate and yours will most often disagree about, and a customer who reads the word aftermarket on your estimate can choose to pay the difference rather than discover it at delivery.
Why is calibration a separate line?
Because it is separate work with separate equipment. A camera behind a windscreen or a radar in a bumper has to be recalibrated to specification after the panel is replaced, and a car handed back with an uncalibrated driver-assist system is a liability nobody wants to have absorbed into a paint line.
About the free estimate generator
Is this estimate generator really free?
Yes. There is no fee, no trial period and no watermark on the PDF. Nothing on this page requires a credit card.
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
An estimate is your best assessment of what the work will cost and can move if the job does. A quote is a fixed price you are offering to hold. If the figure you are about to send is one you intend to stand behind, use the quote generator instead.
Does an estimate commit me to the price?
Not in the way a quote does. An estimate is an informed projection, and the document prints that in as many words — "This is an estimate, not a bill. Prices may change." What it does commit you to is being straight about why a final figure differs, which is why the exclusions are worth writing down.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Fill in the form and download the PDF directly — there is no sign-up and no login for this tool.
Can the client accept the estimate online?
Not from a downloaded PDF — a file has no button. Saving the estimate to an account gives it a link the client opens and answers on, and the answer is recorded against the document.
What happens after the client says yes?
The estimate becomes an invoice for the same work. In an account that is one step and the figures carry across; from a PDF it means typing them again.
Can I use this for any currency or country?
Yes. Choose any currency and country for either party — the totals and formatting follow your selection.
Ready to send it?
The template opens in the free estimate generator with these lines already on it. Change what you like, download the PDF.
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