Questions? Straight answers.

If the insurance company determines your vehicle is an economic total loss (the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle), they will notify you and usually give you a choice of either selling the vehicle to the insurance company or retaining the salvage. In most cases it is in your best interest to sell the vehicle to the insurance company. The offer will be determined by what comparable vehicles are selling for in the area, or by Kelley Blue Book or NADA valuations.

You will visit the body shop and sign a release to the insurance company once you have negotiated a final price (including tax), and you’ll need to empty personal items from the vehicle before signing. Should you retain salvage, the insurance company pays a lesser amount (vehicle value minus salvage value). Note: if you decide not to repair the vehicle, the body shop can charge for storage and any teardown costs.

Young’s works with all insurance companies. Colorado state law allows you to have your vehicle repaired at the repair facility of your choice. If you like us — bring us the vehicle and let our experts in the front office negotiate and work with your insurance company. Young’s offers a lifetime warranty on all workmanship.

First you’ll receive a copy of the estimate describing all the work to be done. If you need help understanding it, call the insurance company or the body shop and review it together. Next is the Authorization to begin work — the shop needs this signed before repairs can start, so sign it as soon as possible. Many shops, including Young’s, include a Limited Power of Attorney that lets us negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to repair the vehicle properly.

When you pick up the vehicle you’ll receive the final bill, receipt, warranty paperwork, and possibly a satisfaction survey. Give yourself some time at pickup — your car is possibly the second most expensive investment you’ve made, just behind your home. Treat it accordingly.

Yes. Young’s offers a limited lifetime guarantee on all of its work — labor is guaranteed for the lifetime of the vehicle as long as you own it. The paint manufacturer matches this guarantee on paint, with the exception of road hazard (in Colorado, rock chips). Parts are guaranteed by the manufacturer, most for at least 30 days.

No. Skipping repairs to pocket the payout is a bad practice. Example: hail damages your hood, you take the check but never repair it, and a year later an accident requires hood replacement and paint. Since the insurance company already paid for the hood once, they are not liable to pay again. Costs always go up, and the first estimate is generally not enough to cover the full repair — waiting can cost you far more than you were paid.

Some items on a vehicle have a limited lifetime. If a tire that’s half worn is damaged in an accident, the insurance company will only pay 50% of the replacement cost, since it was half worn out. You pay the other half — that’s betterment: you’re improving the car with a new tire where a half-worn tire once was.

The deductible is the first payment on any claim through your own insurance company (if another party’s insurance is paying, there’s no deductible). It’s collected when you pick up your vehicle. You’ll also sign over any payments the insurance company already sent you for the repairs, pay for any additional services you requested, and cover any betterment charges.

The repair process is complicated, with a lot going on behind the scenes. Here is what happens in a typical repair:

1. A written estimate is prepared for the customer and/or insurance company (the final cost is almost always higher than the first estimate due to hidden damage)
2. Drop-off and estimated completion dates are set (roughly 4–5 labor-hours per working day)
3. You sign the repair authorization
4. The insurance company reviews and approves the estimate
5. Parts are ordered and received
6. The vehicle arrives and is disassembled and re-inspected
7. A supplement estimate is written if additional damage is found, and approved by the insurer
8. Additional parts are ordered and received; the completion date is recomputed
9. Structural, unibody, mechanical and suspension repairs are completed as needed
10. New parts are installed; priming, sealing and corrosion protection are applied
11. The vehicle is prepped, color-matched, painted, clear-coated and bake-dried for an OEM factory finish
12. Paint work is inspected and any imperfections are nibbed and buffed out
13. Alignment, A/C recharge, lamps, fluids and dash indicators are checked and reset
14. The vehicle is test driven, final-billed, approved by the insurer, washed, and scheduled for delivery