(January 21, 2019)  BUELLTON, Calif. — A new infographic breaks down why it often takes so long for body shops to complete a job. The team at Jim Vreeland Ford Parts created this chart to offer a behind-the-curtain peek at the players involved, the process, the potential bottlenecks, and some insights into improving the wait time from the damage incident to the complete repair.

Illustrating the six steps that most body repair jobs must follow, the chart even lays out the best-and-worst-case scenario for completion, from a mere 7-day ordeal at best to a whopping six weeks at worst.

“As a business that sells and ships OEM collision parts, I know most folks have already been without their vehicle for a few days or a week before we even receive the order,” says Tom Madden, parts manager at Jim Vreeland Ford Parts. “In my experience, both us and the body shop folks are trying to get the customer’s car back to almost-perfect condition as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the insurance companies have a lot of forms and rules that often slow down the process.”

Are the insurance companies the biggest hold-up in the collision repair process? The chart breaks down the timeline like this:

    • The shop has to inspect and assess the damage. Depending on the relationship that shop has with the driver’s insurer, preparing the initial estimate can take anywhere from a few hours to seven days.

    • After receiving approval, the shop can order the parts. Sometimes, the insurance company doesn’t want to pay for OEM parts. This can add time to locating the parts or negotiating the cost. Once the parts are ordered, it can take two to 10 days for delivery. Unfortunately, car body parts do sometimes get damaged in transit.

    • While the shop waits for new parts to arrive, they begin disassembly. If they find something else in the process, the body shop will need to revise their estimate. Between resubmitting the estimate and the work involved in the disassembly, this adds another one to seven days to the process.

    • Before the insurance company approves the new estimate, they often require proof that another part must be replaced. Sometimes, they send out their own adjuster to verify the needed repairs. Depending on the circumstances, this can add another three to 14 days.

    • When the actual repairs begin, it must be done with precision and care. To ensure the integrity of the vehicle, the body shop takes anywhere from one to five days bolting, welding, testing, and otherwise repairing the damage.

    • Although it is the last step, the prime and paint booth can get bogged down. Busy shops sometimes hit a bottleneck at this stage. For this reason, the final step can take anywhere from one to three days.

“To increase your chances of speeding up the process, choose a shop your insurance company frequently works with or is affiliated with,” Madden says. “It’s a bummer to be without your car, but parts orders can get delayed, everyone else might have the same hail damage your car suffered, the shop might be backed up. There’s little chance the process will be quick. Just take a deep breath and practice your patience.”