How to choose a body shop in Florida

After a crash, you may be handed a list of shops. Before you agree to anything, ask your insurer what your policy says about where the car can be repaired, and ask for the answer in writing.

Florida law says that if an insurer elects to repair a vehicle and specifically requires a particular shop, it must have the car restored to its condition before the loss, in both performance and appearance, at no additional cost to you beyond what the policy states.

If the insurer settles a partial loss based on a written estimate, Florida law requires it to give you a copy of that estimate. Ask for it early. It is the starting point for every conversation that follows.

If the car is not safe to drive, ask where it will be towed and stored, and who pays for storage. Florida law requires an insurer to give you notice before it stops paying storage charges it previously authorized, with 72 hours to move the car.

Motor vehicle repair shops in Florida must register with the state, and the registration number has to appear on your invoice.

Before repair work that will cost more than $150, the shop must give you a written estimate, unless you waive it in writing. If the final bill will go over the estimate by more than $10 or 10 percent, whichever is greater, up to $50, the shop has to contact you and get your approval first.

If aftermarket crash parts, meaning body parts not made by your car's maker, were used to write the estimate, Florida law requires the estimate to identify each one and include a printed disclosure. Separately, an insurer may not require replacement parts that are not at least equal in kind and quality to the damaged parts in fit, appearance, and performance.

When the job is done, you get an itemized invoice that lists labor and parts, identifies any used or rebuilt parts, and states what the shop guarantees and for how long. You can ask to inspect or keep the parts that were removed.

A full teardown before the final numbers. Much of the damage in a crash hides behind the bumper cover and inside the doors. A good shop takes it apart, finds the hidden damage, photographs it, and sends a supplement to the insurer instead of skipping it or leaving it for later.

Repairs follow the vehicle maker's published repair procedures. Modern cars use high-strength steels, aluminum, and structural adhesives, each with its own rules. Heating or welding a part the maker says to replace can weaken the car where it matters most in the next crash.

Structure is measured, not eyeballed. If the frame or unibody took a hit, it should be measured against the maker's dimensions before and after the repair, and those measurements should be in your file.

Ask about the parts plan for safety parts in particular. Airbags, seat belt parts, and crash sensors should be replaced the way the maker directs, and the shop should be able to tell you where each one came from.

Most newer cars have driver assistance systems: cameras behind the windshield, radar behind the bumper or grille, and sensors in the mirrors and corners. After a crash, and even after a windshield or bumper replacement, those systems often need calibration to work correctly.

A pre-repair scan finds fault codes the crash stored in the car's computers. A post-repair scan confirms that nothing was left behind. Ask whether both are on the estimate.

A car that looks perfect with a camera that is aimed wrong can brake late, brake for nothing, or not warn you at all. Make sure calibration is done, documented, and included in what you get back with the car.

Paint matching is a skill. The shop should confirm the paint code, spray test panels, and blend into the neighboring panels when needed, so the repair does not jump out in direct sun.

Miami sun and heat punish a bad paint job quickly. Peeling, fading, and color mismatch show up faster here than in cooler places. Ask how the shop prepares and protects new paint, and what the paint warranty covers.

Look at the finished car outside, in daylight, from a few angles. Check panel gaps, trim, and that every light and sensor works before you sign off.

Will you give me your written estimate and walk me through the insurer's estimate side by side? Which parts are from the maker, which are aftermarket, and which are used or recycled?

Do you follow the maker's repair procedures? Do you do pre and post repair scans? Who calibrates the safety systems, and will I get the report?

What does your warranty cover, for how long, and is it in writing? How will you keep me updated while the car is here, and who is my one point of contact?

One more Florida detail: if you carry comprehensive coverage, the law says your deductible does not apply to windshield damage. It is worth knowing before you pay out of pocket for glass.

We write a detailed estimate, take the car apart to find hidden damage, document it with photos, and work with your adjuster on supplements. You get updates while the car is here, and nothing extra is done without your approval.

When the car is ready, we walk you around it, show you the scans and calibration results, and hand you an itemized invoice. If something is not right, we fix it.

If the car turns out to be a total loss instead, we tell you plainly and help you get your belongings and paperwork together for the next step.