1. Phase 1 – Research

Estimates: Our skilled estimator will inspect your vehicle and begin to document the damage caused by the collision in the form of an estimate. In some cases, you may already have a preliminary estimate of this damage prepared by your insurance company. In any event, this step must be accomplished prior to beginning the repair process.

Authorization: Prior to any work being done, you must first sign a repair authorization allowing us to repair your vehicle. At this time it is not unusual for our estimator to request another signature in advance to cover any additional damage that might be found once the repair is underway.

2. Phase 2 – Discovery

Repairs begin: We can now contact you to schedule a convenient time for your vehicle to be repaired. In some cases, your vehicle may already be at our repair center, in which case, it will be available for immediate repair.

As your vehicle’s outer panels are removed and the physical structure of the vehicle is revealed, often additional or “hidden damage” is discovered. This additional damage is difficult to diagnose at the time of the original estimate as it cannot be seen or predicted until we perform this thorough inspection. Please note that any additional damage may alter your vehicle’s completion date.

Supplement report: This report is written to cover any additional or “hidden” damage that may be discovered once your vehicle’s outer panels are removed and the physical structure of your vehicle is revealed. This is referred to as supplement damage in insurance terms.

Supplement authorizations: The insurance company must authorize this additional damage before we can continue the repair.

Order additional parts: Should we find additional damage, we will need to repeat steps 2, 3, & 4. For this reason, our estimator may have asked you to sign an authorization document in advance to cover these additional repairs. Please note that this additional damage may alter your vehicle’s completion date. Crest Collision will make sure you are kept informed of any additional costs along the way.

Unibody repairs begin: Your vehicle was manufactured in compliance with tight structural standards. The exact location and fit of integral parts are critical to the operation and appearance of your vehicle. In this process, we measure your vehicle against published factory specifications and return your vehicle to within the manufacturer’s prescribed tolerances to ensure proper operation, location, and fit of body and structural parts.

New parts installed: All collision-related repairs require some degree of cosmetic repair and often require the replacement of factory panels. We will check for proper fit here and ensure your vehicle’s parts look, fit and align the way they should. 

3. Phase 3 – Finishing Touches

Vehicle painting process: Our technicians will begin the refinishing process by applying a primer. A surface filler is sprayed on to ensure a quality, uniform, and smooth surface. Block sanding is the method of further preparing the surface of your vehicle paint.

To ensure that the highest quality standards are met; we carefully mask your vehicle to protect it from overspray during the refinishing process. Only the area that needs to be refinished is left uncovered. We then place your vehicle in a controlled atmosphere called a paint booth.

This process removes all outside contaminants that may have been deposited on your vehicle during the repair process. Tacking the vehicle then removes any dust particles that may remain.

Reassembly, wheel alignment, air conditioning, detailing, final inspection, and test drive: Once the vehicle has gone through the refinishing process we then reattach the outer parts such as mirrors, moldings, and other hardware. Should your repair require a wheel alignment or services such as air conditioning repair, we will perform them at this time. Your car will undergo a thorough cleaning, test drive, and quality inspection prior to being returned to you.