You Choose
Your Body Shop.

What the law actually says

Texas Insurance Code §1952.301 prohibits an insurance company from requiring that repairs be made at a particular facility as a condition of paying a claim. It also restricts insurers from intimidating or coercing a policyholder into a specific shop. Your adjuster may hand you a list, may tell you a shop is "approved," and may imply the process is faster there. None of that changes who gets to decide.

What a "preferred shop" really is

A preferred, network or direct repair program (DRP) shop has signed an agreement with the insurer covering labor rates, parts sourcing and cycle time. In exchange the shop gets referral volume. Some DRP shops do excellent work. But the arrangement means a meaningful share of their business depends on the carrier, and that is a different incentive structure than a shop whose only relationship is with the vehicle owner. Where those incentives most often show up is parts — aftermarket or used parts instead of OEM — and labor hours written tight.

The claim, step by step

1. Report the claim to your carrier and get a claim number. Tell them the shop you have chosen.
2. Get a free written estimate. Bring the vehicle to us. No cost, no obligation, and you can use it to decide whether filing is even worth it.
3. Adjuster inspection. The adjuster inspects, or accepts photos, and writes an initial estimate. It is usually low, because photos do not show what is behind the bumper cover.
4. Teardown. We disassemble and document the actual damage.
5. Supplement. We file the difference with photos and negotiate directly with the adjuster. This is normal, not a red flag.
6. Repair and quality control.
7. You pay your deductible. The carrier pays the rest.

Things worth knowing

• You do not need three estimates. Texas does not require it, and most carriers will settle off one from your chosen shop.
• Not every repair should be a claim. If the total is near your deductible, filing costs you a claim record for little benefit. Get the free estimate first.
• Comprehensive is different. Hail, theft and road-debris claims are generally no-fault and often carry a lower deductible.
• OEM vs. aftermarket parts. You can request OEM. Whether the carrier pays the difference depends on your policy, but the request should be made and documented.
• Diminished value. Texas allows third-party diminished value claims in some circumstances when you were not at fault. Ask your carrier.

Ready to start? See insurance claim assistance or collision repair. We work with every major carrier and we are not in anyone's network.