Auto Body & Collision Repair 

Frequently Asked Questions

Each customer’s repair times will vary due to the extent of vehicle damage, part availability, and insurance claims. We will do our best to provide you an accurate timeline during our initial estimate.

We have relationships with reputable tow companies and can easily arrange to have your vehicle towed to our shop. If you prefer, you can arrange this yourself. We advise that you consult with any insurance company involved in your claim before arranging the tow. If your vehicle is deemed safe to drive, and depending on your coverage, there may be reduced or no coverage for the tow and you could possibly incur that cost.

First, consult with the insurance company handling your claim to understand your rental car coverage. Rental car coverage can have unexpected considerations. For example, if your vehicle is determined to be safe and drivable, you may not be entitled to coverage until your car is in the shop for repairs and then, the coverage may be for a limited time.

Yes. Under Colorado State law, insurance companies are fully within their right to require claimants to obtain an estimate from the shop designated by the insurance company. We recommend you always talk first with the insurance company involved with your claim to understand their procedures. It will not matter how many independent estimates you obtain; a body shop must work from the estimate the insurance company takes as its estimate of record. If the insurance company tells you that you can bring your car to our shop for an estimate, ask them to send us the “assignment”. The assignment is nothing more than their authorization for us to do the estimate. They can send us the assignment by fax, email, or electronically through mutually used estimating systems.

If you obtained an estimate from a shop the insurance company authorizes, and they accept that estimate as the estimate of record, then that estimate is used by the body shop as their starting point. Should the repair costs exceed that estimate of record, the shop will submit a “supplement” to the insurance company to cover the additional work. Depending on the relationship between the insurance company and the shop, the supplemental work may proceed without interruption. Other times, the insurance company will send an adjuster to look at the submitted supplement and that adjuster must approve the supplement before the work proceeds. This process is totally normal and occurs all the time. It helps insurance companies in their cost containment efforts while also looking out for their customer’s best interest. Most supplements are approved within 24 to 48 hours. Whenever a supplement is generated, depending on any additional parts order, the time to repair your vehicle may be impacted.

First, Colorado State law does not require you to get multiple estimates. As long as the shop of your choice follows industry guidelines and uses market pricing in the estimate, multiple estimates are a waste of your time. That said, accepting payment from a private party is always risky. Your estimate is based only on a visual exam. Once the repair begins, it is always possible additional damage will be revealed that is not included in the original estimate. Bradford Auto Body will not accept payment from anyone except the vehicle owner (or the insurance company involved). If you have a third party arrangement, that person must pay you; we will not bill them for the initial or additional repairs nor will we take payment from them. If your vehicle has additional costs, you will be responsible to our shop for that payment before we release the vehicle.

No! Under Colorado State law, whereas the insurance company CAN tell you where to obtain an estimate, they CANNOT tell you where to have your vehicle repaired. For a body shop to be a “preferred” shop, the shop has agreed to various concessions and parameters with the insurance company. This is totally acceptable as insurance companies struggle with rising claims and costs. However, in Colorado as well as in most states, the practice of telling claimants they must use a shop from the “preferred list” is not permitted. As long as the shop of your choice follows industry guidelines and insurance company requirements, your repair will be covered according to the estimate and any approved supplements.

No. Because we warranty the work on your vehicle, we must be able to control the parts process as that can significantly impact the repair. When we control the parts order, we are able to refuse and return parts when necessary. We have relationships with many suppliers, all who provide excellent service.

No. Because we warranty the paint on your vehicle, we must do all work related to the paint.

Whether for collision or hail, first consult with the insurance company to understand their requirements for estimates. Have them send us the assignment. Once this is done, for collision, we ask that you arrive no later than 1 ½ hours before closing. We work on a first come basis. Most estimates take 15 to 30 minutes to complete. With heavy damage, this will take longer. For hail estimates, you need to call for an appointment as this can take additional time and more than one person. Since initial estimates are visual, it is very important that you wash and dry your vehicle prior to the estimate. This will assure that we can evaluate what is needed to repair your vehicle as accurately as possible. If we cannot see it, we cannot fairly evaluate the damage.

PDR (paintless dent repair) is a process of removing minor dents from the body of a car that does not involve new parts or painting. Most typically this is used for small hail, door dings, and similar. This is a very satisfactory and cost effective repair as long as the paint surface is intact. There are limitations to successful PDR; your estimator will be able to advise you if part or all your repair is suitable for PDR.

We will complete all work we can in the shop. Where outside expertise is either prudent or necessary, we have established relationships with reputable outside providers. Examples of typical outside work are: glass replacement, alignments, clear-bra installations.

We suggest you wait 90 days before washing your car with any kind of high pressure wash. Thereafter, care for your car the same as always, with touchless wash and soft, nonabrasive cloth.

Yes! Bradford Auto Body warranties all work we are responsible for. Additional damage to your vehicle, normal wear and tear, or subsequent work done by unauthorized persons, are not included in the warranty.

What may seem simple is not. Every repair can involve its own unique set of issues. The following are just some of the variables that effect cost and time to do even what seems like a simple repair: age of car, pre-existing damage, prior repairs, paint condition, hidden damage, and availability of parts. Without our trained estimators being able to visually examine your vehicle, they will not be able to provide you with a confident assessment.

We use a computerized paint mixing system that allows our painters to mix colors according to the codes provided by the manufacturer of your vehicle. The most common reasons for a color not appearing to match exactly are due to natural fading of the vehicle color from sun and other weather elements, prior paint repair work, variants in the original manufacturer’s paint mixing and application, and material (metal or plastic components).

No. It is not possible for a manufacturer to create inventory for every external part in every color created for every model for every year of production. Every external body part from mirrors to hoods must be painted. If a used part is procured, then we will do what is necessary to prepare the part before painting.