5 min read
Repair time is rarely limited by the repair itself. Assessment, approval and parts supply usually decide how long your car is with a body shop.
A realistic timeline
- Inspection and estimate — same day, often within the hour for a walk-in
- Insurer or customer approval — same day privately; 1 to 5 working days through an insurer
- Parts ordering and delivery — next day for common models, longer for premium or newly released vehicles
- Body and panel work — 1 to 4 days depending on the number of panels
- Paint, curing and reassembly — 1 to 3 days
- Quality check and handover — same day
What adds delay
First, insurer authorisation — nothing can be ordered or started until the work is approved. Second, back-ordered parts, which are outside any repairer's control. Third, hidden damage found once panels come off, which needs a supplementary estimate and a second approval.
Typical overall duration
A minor cosmetic or SMART repair is often same day or next day. A single panel repair and respray is usually two to three days. A moderate accident repair across several panels commonly runs one to two weeks including approvals. Structural repairs take longer and are quoted individually.
We give you a target completion date at the point of approval and tell you as soon as anything changes, rather than leaving you chasing us.