Blog · Insurance
Your Deductible, Explained by a Body Shop
What the deductible is, when you pay it, when you do not, and the questions about it we answer at the counter in Odessa every week.
The deductible is the part of an insurance repair that people understand least and worry about most. It is actually simple, but the details, like when you pay it, who you pay it to, and when you do not owe it at all, trip people up. Here is the version we give at the counter.
What it is
Your deductible is the amount you agreed to pay out of your own pocket on a claim before your insurance company pays the rest. If your collision deductible is a set amount and the repair costs more than that, you pay the deductible and the carrier pays the difference. If the repair costs less than the deductible, there is nothing for the carrier to pay and no reason to file.
You picked the number when you bought the policy. A higher deductible means a lower premium, and the trade shows up on the day you need the repair.
When you pay it and to whom
You pay the deductible to the shop, at pickup, not to the insurance company. The carrier pays the shop the repair total minus your deductible. So on a repair that comes to a certain amount, the invoice you see at pickup is your deductible, and the rest was settled between us and the carrier. We handle that side directly so you are not in the middle of it.
When you do not owe it
- The other driver was at fault and you filed with their insurance. A third-party claim against the at-fault driver's carrier has no deductible for you. Their carrier pays the whole repair.
- You filed with your own carrier but the other driver was at fault. You pay your deductible up front, and your carrier tries to recover the money from the other carrier. If they do, you get the deductible back. This is called subrogation, and it can take a while.
- Some comprehensive claims. Glass claims on some policies carry no deductible. Hail usually does carry one, though it is often different from your collision deductible.
Collision versus comprehensive
Most policies have two deductibles. Collision covers hitting something or being hit. Comprehensive covers everything else: hail, a deer, a falling tree limb, theft, vandalism. They can be different amounts. When you call us about hail, we will ask which deductible applies, because it changes the math on whether the claim is worth filing. See hail damage repair: what to expect.
The deductible and the supplement
A common worry: the estimate was one number, then the shop found more damage at teardown and the total went up. Does the deductible go up? No. The deductible is fixed. The supplement raises what the carrier pays the shop, not what you pay. There is a full explanation in what an insurance supplement is.
When the repair is close to the deductible
If the repair is only a little over your deductible, filing a claim gets you a small check from the carrier and a claim on your record. Whether that is worth it is your call, and it depends on your carrier and your history. We are not an insurance agency and will not tell you what a claim does to your premium, but we will give you the repair number, free, so you can make the decision with real figures. See file a claim or pay out of pocket.
Things we will not do
People occasionally ask a body shop to "waive" or "absorb" the deductible by inflating the estimate so the carrier covers the whole thing. That is insurance fraud. We do not do it, and a shop that offers to is a shop that is comfortable lying on paperwork with your name on it. We have been in the Permian Basin for over 40 years and we plan to keep the phone number.
Fleet and company vehicles
Company policies often carry a high deductible, or the company self-insures small repairs entirely. Tell us at drop-off which it is: if the company is paying, we invoice the company and skip the carrier; if a claim is being filed, we work it like any other. Fleet work gets the same process either way.
FAQ
Can I pay the deductible by card?
Ask when you drop the vehicle off and we will tell you what we take. The deductible is due at pickup.
What if I cannot afford the deductible right now?
Talk to us before the repair starts, not at pickup. We would rather know up front and plan the timing than have a finished vehicle sitting in the lot.
The other driver's insurance is being slow. Can I use my own and get the deductible back?
Yes, that is exactly what subrogation is for. You pay your deductible, your carrier pays the repair, and they pursue the other carrier. When they recover it, your deductible comes back to you.
Does the deductible apply to the free tow?
No. The tow from the crash site is on us and is not part of the claim. Call (432) 220-3243 if the vehicle cannot be driven.