Blog · Estimates
Three Photos, One Text: A Body Shop Estimate by Phone
Which three photos to send, how to take them, and what you get back. The fastest way to find out where you stand without driving a damaged vehicle.
You do not need to drive a damaged truck across town to find out what the damage costs. Most estimates now start on a phone, and the ones that go well start with the right three photos. Here is exactly what to send to (432) 220-3243, how to take each shot, and what you will hear back.
Why three photos and not thirty
An estimator needs to answer three questions before anything else: what vehicle is it, what got hit, and how bad is it. Each question has a photo. A pile of blurry close-ups answers none of them. Three good shots answer all three, and if we need a fourth we will ask for it.
Photo 1: the whole vehicle
Stand back far enough to get the entire car or truck in the frame, with the damaged side facing you. Take it in daylight, not under a carport at night.
This shot tells us the year and body style, and, more importantly, how the panels line up. A hood that sits high on one corner or a door gap that is wider at the top than the bottom tells us the hit may have moved more than the panel we can see. You cannot see that in a close-up.
Photo 2: the damage, close up
Two to three feet away, straight on, at the height of the damage. Not from above, not at an angle. If the damage runs across two panels, take one shot that shows both and the seam between them.
We are looking for three things: whether the paint is broken, whether the metal is creased or just pushed, and whether anything behind the panel is showing. A cracked paint edge means a refinish. A sharp crease means metal work or a replacement. A gap where a bumper has pulled away from a fender means there is something bent behind it.
Photo 3: the VIN plate
The VIN is on a small plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side, visible from outside, and it is also on the sticker in the driver's door jamb. Either one works. Get it in focus.
The VIN gives us the exact build: trim, paint code, and which parts the vehicle actually left the factory with. Two trucks that look identical from twenty feet can take different bumpers, different headlights and different sensors. The VIN is how we quote the right part instead of guessing.
What you get back
A range, not a single number, because an estimate written from the outside is always a starting point. Along with the range you get a rough timeline, and an honest opinion on whether the damage is worth putting through insurance or better paid out of pocket. If the photos show something that changes the picture, like a bent frame rail or an airbag light, we will tell you that too.
What a photo estimate cannot do is see behind the panels. When the vehicle comes in, the in-person look confirms the range, and teardown firms it up. Nothing gets ordered off a photo.
Tips that make the photos better
- Daylight beats everything. Shade is fine. Direct sun makes glare on the paint.
- Wipe the mud off the damaged area first, if you can.
- If there is fluid on the ground under the vehicle, photograph that too.
- If a warning light is on the dash, photograph the dash.
- Landscape orientation for the whole-vehicle shot, portrait for the VIN.
If it does not drive
Say so in the text. If the vehicle is at a crash site or in your driveway and cannot be driven, we cover the tow to the shop. Tell us where it is and we take it from there. Do not pay a tow company to move it to a storage yard first; that is money you will not get back.
What happens with your photos
They stay with your estimate file. Our privacy policy spells out who we share information with, including your insurance carrier when you ask us to handle a claim.
Prefer a form?
If you would rather type than text, there is an estimate request form that asks the same questions and lets you attach the photos. It goes to the same people.
FAQ
Can I send a video instead?
Photos are better. A slow walk-around video is fine as a supplement, but the three stills are what we write from.
How fast will I hear back?
During shop hours, usually the same day. We are open 7 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 8 to 6 Saturday. Sunday texts get answered Monday morning.
Is the photo estimate free?
Yes, like every estimate we write. There is no charge and no obligation.
What if I do not know where the VIN is?
Photograph the sticker on the driver's door jamb. If you cannot find that either, send the year, make and model and we will work from there.