Worrying whether or not you were overcharged for your car repair is an awful feeling. There's tons of advice on how to avoid getting ripped-off, but few discuss the actual car repair prices. We really need to look at the charges on a car repair estimate or auto repair invoice to determine if we're paying too much.

Walking into a body shop without a handle on how to read a repair estimate can be pretty daunting. We want you to know exactly what's involved in the repair process, so we've compiled a few common elements of repair estimates to build your knowledge - before you step into a body shop. How Estimates Are Determined An estimate is just that - an estimate of the cost involved to safely repair your vehicle to pre-accident condition. Repair estimates vary depending on several factors including labor rates, parts prices and the amount of time necessary to perform certain repairs, but the main elements are the initial estimate, the supplemental estimate and an agreed price.