Auto Body Repair Proposal Template

What should an auto body repair proposal template include?

An auto body repair proposal template should turn one vehicle inspection into one approval-ready document: customer and vehicle identification, documented damage, an itemized repair plan, labor and parts totals, paint and materials, taxes or exclusions, schedule, terms, and authorization. It is more detailed than a one-line quote because the customer can see what will be repaired, replaced, refinished, and approved.

Start with a proposal number, issue date, expiry date, shop name, address, phone, email, customer name, vehicle year, make, model, VIN, license plate, odometer reading, insurer or claim number when applicable, and inspection date. Washington’s Attorney General says written estimates for face-to-face repairs expected to exceed 100 dollars must include the odometer reading, problem or requested repair, alternatives, estimated cost, and required labor and parts. Source: Washington State Attorney General, accessed July 2026.

Use these 10 proposal sections in this order

• 1. Repair proposal cover: proposal number, customer, vehicle, claim reference, issue date, valid-through date.
• 2. Damage summary: impact area, visible damage, safety concerns, photos or marked inspection images.
• 3. Scope of work: each repair, replacement, refinish, calibration, scan, alignment, or sublet operation.
• 4. Line-item estimate: operation, quantity or hours, rate, unit price, line total, and tax treatment.
• 5. Parts disclosure: OEM, aftermarket, recycled or used status; supplier and warranty where known.
• 6. Paint and materials: itemized actual cost or stated paint-material method, never a hidden catch-all.
• 7. Assumptions and exclusions: concealed damage, insurer supplements, unrelated mechanical faults, rental vehicle, towing, and storage.
• 8. Schedule: intake, teardown, parts confirmation, repair, refinish, quality control, customer delivery.
• 9. Terms: deposit if used, payment method, price validity, change-authorization process, warranty statement.
• 10. Authorization: signature or documented electronic or oral approval before work begins.

What is a copy-ready auto body repair proposal template?

Use this copy-ready template as the body of the proposal. Replace only the bracketed business data in your document system; keep the operational wording specific enough that the customer can approve or question each line.

Proposal cover and damage summary

Proposal No.: ABR-2026-0147. Issued: July 28, 2026. Valid through: August 27, 2026. Customer: Jordan Lee. Vehicle: 2022 Honda CR-V EX, VIN ending 4821, odometer 38,412 miles. Loss reference: rear-left impact. Inspection finding: rear bumper cover is scuffed and split at the left corner; left reflector is damaged; left rear quarter panel has a 7-inch crease above the wheel opening; trunk operation is normal at visual inspection. This proposal covers the operations listed below, subject to teardown findings.

Proposal total formula: body labor hours multiplied by the approved body rate, plus refinish labor hours multiplied by the approved refinish rate, plus mechanical or frame hours where applicable, plus parts, paint and materials, sublet services, taxable charges, and applicable tax. Show every subtotal before the grand total. If a discount applies, show it as a separate negative line, not as a reduced labor rate.

Approval wording to place below the total

I authorize the repair facility to perform the operations listed in this proposal up to the authorized total shown above. I understand that concealed damage, required safety procedures, or additional parts discovered after teardown are not authorized unless I receive the revised scope and authorize it. Preferred additional-work authorization: phone, email, text, or in person. Customer name, signature, date, and authorization contact method.

How do you price an auto body repair proposal?

Price an auto body repair proposal from operations, not from a round number. Every operation needs a unit: labor hours, one part, a material amount, a sublet invoice, or a fixed approved charge. The template should expose the arithmetic so a customer, insurer, fleet manager, or owner can compare the proposed work with the damage description.

Line-item pricing formula

For each labor line, calculate line total as labor hours multiplied by the applicable posted or agreed rate. For each part, calculate line total as quantity multiplied by the disclosed part price. For each sublet operation, use the vendor quote or invoice amount. Then calculate proposal subtotal before tax, taxes where applicable, and grand total. Do not invent a parts price, labor rate, or tax rate in a reusable template; enter the current shop, supplier, jurisdiction, or insurer-approved amount on the issued proposal.

California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair says an auto body or collision repair estimate must be itemized, must show estimated price for all parts and labor, and must identify a new replacement crash part as OEM unless it is specifically identified as non-OEM aftermarket or used. It also says paint and materials must be included through an hourly-rate or actual-cost method. Source: California BAR, Write It Right, accessed July 2026.

How do you handle supplements and customer approval in an auto body repair proposal?

A collision repair proposal should distinguish visible damage from hidden damage. Approve the initial visible-damage scope, perform teardown only as authorized, then issue a supplement when new repair operations, parts, safety procedures, or sublet work change the approved amount. The supplement must show what changed, why it changed, how much it adds or subtracts, and how the customer authorized it.

Supplement workflow

• 1. Record the original proposal number, original approved total, customer approval date, and approved scope.
• 2. Photograph and describe the newly found condition after teardown, such as a damaged absorber, broken bracket, distorted reinforcement, or required sensor calibration.
• 3. Add only changed operations as supplement lines; do not rewrite unchanged approved lines.
• 4. Show original total, supplement increase or decrease, revised total, and revised delivery date if parts or operations change timing.
• 5. Contact the customer using the stated preferred method and record date, time, contact name, contact address or phone, and authorization result.
• 6. Attach the approved supplement to the final repair invoice and customer file.

California BAR states that authorization must be obtained and recorded on the estimate before repairs begin. Its examples permit written authorization with signature and date; oral authorization with date, time, authorizing person, and phone number called where applicable; or electronic authorization with date, time, authorizing person, and email address or phone number contacted where applicable. It also requires a revised work order, customer contact, revised cost, and documented authorization for additional repairs. Source: California BAR, Write It Right, accessed July 2026.

State rules differ. In Washington, once a written estimate is issued, a repair facility generally may not charge more than 10 percent above the estimated cost without prior approval. In Florida, when the final bill exceeds the authorized estimate by more than 10 dollars or 10 percent, whichever is greater, the consumer has stated remedies if the vehicle is withheld over the disputed amount. Source: Washington State Attorney General and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, accessed July 2026. Verify the law for the shop’s location before issuing the template.

How do you turn the template into an automotive project proposal?

An automotive project proposal uses the same repair estimate data but packages it for a decision-maker who needs scope, timing, approvals, and delivery controls. This format works for fleet damage, dealership recon, municipal vehicles, company cars, restoration work with a defined phase, or an insurer-facing repair presentation.

Use this six-part automotive project proposal structure

For a fleet proposal, add a business-impact line without changing the repair scope: vehicle availability, required delivery date, and substitute-vehicle responsibility. For a restoration or customization proposal, divide the work into approved phases such as disassembly, metal repair, body preparation, refinish, reassembly, and final inspection; authorize each phase before beginning the next if the condition cannot be confirmed upfront.

What belongs in an automotive project proposal presentation?

An automotive project proposal presentation should let a customer approve the repair in 12 slides or fewer. Show the same scope, totals, and terms that appear in the proposal document; do not use different figures in a deck. The presentation is especially useful when the proposal has multiple panels, safety procedures, insurer supplements, fleet stakeholders, or a delivery deadline.

12-slide automotive proposal presentation outline

• 1. Title: vehicle, proposal number, shop, issue date.
• 2. Repair objective: restore the vehicle according to the approved scope.
• 3. Vehicle profile: year, make, model, VIN reference, mileage, claim or fleet reference.
• 4. Damage overview: affected areas and inspection photos.
• 5. Repair-versus-replace decisions: each panel, bumper, lamp, trim, or structural item.
• 6. Body repair operations: labor lines and repair rationale.
• 7. Refinish plan: panels, blends, paint materials method.
• 8. Parts plan: part list, OEM or disclosed alternative status, supply dependencies.
• 9. Safety and sublet operations: scans, calibration, alignment, glass, mechanical, or vendor work when applicable.
• 10. Budget: category totals, exclusions, and total authorization amount.
• 11. Timeline: intake, teardown, parts confirmation, repair, refinish, quality control, delivery.
• 12. Authorization: total, valid-through date, supplement method, signature or electronic approval.

For every visible damage image, label the corresponding proposal line number. For example, photo marker 03 points to the split bumper cover and proposal line 01, while photo marker 04 points to the left-quarter crease and proposal line 02. This lets the customer connect each cost category to an observed condition rather than treating the proposal as an unexplained total.

How can AnyGen create an auto body repair proposal template?

Use AnyGen when you need a repeatable auto body repair proposal template that is easy to customize for each vehicle and can also become an automotive project proposal presentation. Provide the inspection notes, vehicle details, listed operations, current labor rates, supplier part prices, paint-material method, taxes, and delivery constraints; AnyGen can structure those inputs into the sections, tables, approval block, and 12-slide presentation outline shown on this page.

Copy this input checklist before generating

• Shop data: legal name, address, phone, email, proposal numbering format, warranty wording.
• Customer and vehicle data: customer name, year, make, model, VIN, plate, mileage, claim or fleet reference.
• Inspection data: damage location, photos, visible conditions, teardown assumptions, safety concerns.
• Operations: body hours, refinish hours, mechanical or frame hours, part quantities, sublet services, scans or calibrations.
• Current prices: approved labor rates, supplier part costs, paint-material amount or method, tax rules, discounts if any.
• Delivery controls: target delivery date, parts dependencies, payment or deposit terms, supplement authorization method.

Before sending the proposal, compare generated line items against the repair plan and local rules. AnyGen can organize supplied information, but the repair facility remains responsible for inspection accuracy, labor and parts pricing, part-type disclosure, tax treatment, insurer requirements, customer authorization, and compliance in the jurisdiction where the repair is performed.

Frequently asked questions