Overview
Auto body work outside the insurance system is a different conversation about money
Auto body repair outside the insurance market is a different trade to the bodyshop that lives off claim work. The customer is paying out of their own pocket: an older car that's not worth a claim excess, a project car the owner is restoring slowly, a kerbed bumper before a private sale, a rust repair on a vehicle that doesn't have comprehensive cover. The customer wants to know exactly what the work costs because nobody else is paying it. A quote that uses bodyshop shorthand and assessor-grade pricing reads as inflated to a customer who knows the parts cost; the right quote breaks out the labour, the materials, the prep, and the paint at the customer's level.
QuoteGenio gives independent auto body repairers a quoting shape that fits cash-pay work. Strip and assess as the first line, panel work by area or hour, dent removal and shaping, primer and paint hours with the paint mix or code named, materials at the customer-friendly rate, and a separate option list for upgrades (clear coat tier, ceramic top coat) the customer can choose or skip. Send via WhatsApp from the shop with photos, take a deposit on parts and paint orders, and the final invoice closes against the actual hours, not a body-time-guide estimate the customer can't read.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for body repair shops handling collision, scratches, dents, and small accident work.
The problem
The quoting headaches every body repair shop knows
Customers want a price now and assessors want it itemised. A slow or messy quote loses jobs to the shop down the road.
Quotes take half a day
Pricing every panel and paint litre by hand eats time you should be in the spray booth.
Quotes assessors reject
If the panels and labour times aren't broken out the right way, the assessor sends it back and the job stalls.
Customers walk to shops with PDFs
A scribbled estimate loses every time against a clean, branded quote on the customer's phone.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean workflow for body repair quoting. Itemise panels, paint, prep, and labour, and send a quote that customers and assessors approve fast.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for body repair
Line items for panels, paint, materials, parts, and labour hours. Every panel quoted exactly the way assessors expect.
Works from your phone
Walk around the car, photograph the damage, and quote each panel from your phone before the customer leaves the yard.
Quote in under 10 minutes
Templates for common damage (bumper scuff, door ding, fender bender) get you from photo to sent quote fast.
Track insurance and excess
See which insurance authorisations are still pending and which excesses are still outstanding from the customer.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how auto body repair actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Auto Body Repair choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Auto Body Repair build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Auto Body Repair job pricing
A rough guide to what auto body repair shops charge for common damage. Pricing varies by paint colour difficulty, panel access, and whether the job is insurance or private. Use these as a baseline when you build your own per-panel rate card.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Bumper scuff repair (no respray) | R2,975 - R6,280 |
| Door ding (paintless dent removal) | R1,983 - R5,289 |
| Door scratch respray (single panel) | R4,628 - R11,238 |
| Wing or fender repair and respray | R7,933 - R19,832 |
| Bumper replace and respray | R10,743 - R29,749 |
| Multi-panel collision repair | R57,845 - R206,588 |
| Hail damage repair (whole vehicle) | R29,749 - R140,480 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Body repair is quoted per panel with labour hours, paint litres, and materials broken out separately. Most shops charge R1,074 to R1,818 per workshop hour and R1,570 to R2,975 per spray hour. Quote each panel as its own section so the customer can see exactly what each piece of work costs.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use hourly pricing for repair labour and spray hours, and fixed pricing for materials by litre and per-panel work. On insurance jobs, follow the assessor's preferred format. On private work, fixed-price per panel often wins customers who want certainty before they commit.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, panel-by-panel body repair quote looks like. Notice how each panel has its own line, paint materials are split out, and the final detail is included. Customers approve clear quotes faster because every line answers a question before they have to ask.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Door scratch and bumper scuff repair, single side
RH front door, repair and respray
Front bumper scuff, plastic repair and blend
Paint and materials (2K base, clear, blender)
Workshop labour (prep, mask, spray, polish)
Wash, polish, and finish detail
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| RH front door, repair and respray | 1 | R9,586 | R9,586 |
| Front bumper scuff, plastic repair and blend | 1 | R5,289 | R5,289 |
| Paint and materials (2K base, clear, blender) | 1 | R3,636 | R3,636 |
| Workshop labour (prep, mask, spray, polish) | 5 | R1,405 / hr | R7,024 |
| Wash, polish, and finish detail | 1 | R1,570 | R1,570 |
| Subtotal | R27,104 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R2,710 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R29,815 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Paint blender into adjacent panels, masking materials, sundries, the final wash and polish, and the second visit if the colour match needs a tweak. Add these to your templates once and stop absorbing them on every job.
Peer snapshot
How Auto Body Repair actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Auto Body Repair on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
32
Quotes sent per month
48%
Average quote acceptance
4 min
Median time to send quote
R29,815
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Auto Body Repair jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of body repair shop owners. The same per-panel and paint mistakes come up again and again. Fix these and your quotes will get approved faster, with fewer back-and-forths.
Mistake: Quoting a flat 'whole car' price
Better: Always split by panel. Customers and assessors process panel-by-panel and trust quotes that show each piece of work.
Mistake: No paint blending allowance
Better: Blending into adjacent panels is real labour and paint. Quote a 'paint blend' line on every adjacent panel so the colour match is right and you get paid for the work.
Mistake: Forgetting masking and consumables
Better: Masking tape, paper, mixing cups, sundries. List a 'spray consumables' line at 8 to 12 percent of paint material so it stops eating your margin.
Mistake: Bundling labour and paint hours
Better: Workshop labour and spray labour are different rates. List them separately so customers see the work involved.
Mistake: Skipping the final detail
Better: A fresh respray needs polishing and a final clean. Quote it as a 'finish detail' line so the customer expects the car back looking right and you're paid for the time.
Mistake: No specification on parts brand
Better: Write 'OEM bumper' or 'aftermarket bumper'. The customer signs off on the spec, and you're protected from cheap-comparison disputes.
Mistake: No expiry on insurance quotes
Better: Set a 21 or 30 day validity. Paint, plastics, and OEM parts move in price. If the assessor takes six weeks, requote at current pricing.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote auto body repair jobs
Photograph the car from every angle before you price. Note the colour code from the VIN plate, check each panel for access constraints (stone chips, bonded clips, rust behind the damage), and assess whether dents qualify for paintless dent removal or need filler and paint. For bumper scuffs, confirm whether the plastic is bonded or bolted and whether a blend into the fender is required. For hail damage, count dents per panel, categorise them by size (under 25 mm, 25 to 50 mm, over 50 mm), and photograph each panel under raking light so your per-dent count is defensible. These observations at the walk-around stop the quote being a guess and turn it into a line-by-line proposal the customer or assessor can approve without question.
Itemise each panel as its own line, then add paint materials, workshop labour, spray labour, and finishing as separate lines. Specify OEM versus aftermarket parts ('OEM bumper cover' or 'aftermarket bumper cover') on every line so the customer signs off on the spec. Add a paint blend line on every adjacent panel, a spray consumables line at 8 to 12 percent of paint material, and a final detail line for wash, polish, and sealant after the respray. For paintless dent removal, use your published rate per dent size with a multi-dent discount per panel. Workshop labour at $ 65 to $ 110 per hour and spray labour at $ 95 to $ 180 per hour live on separate lines so the customer sees the work involved.
Set a 21 to 30 day validity on body repair quotes. Paint, plastics, and OEM parts move with the rand and supplier stock, and private customers often take a week or two to decide between three shop quotes. State whether the price is VAT inclusive or exclusive and show VAT as its own line. On private work, take a 50 percent deposit on parts when the customer accepts so imported bumpers and headlights are on order the same day. Quote your workmanship and paint warranty (usually 12 to 24 months) on the PDF, and note that the warranty does not cover stone chips or further accident damage. Spell out that colour match tolerance is within industry norms to avoid arguments on a metallic blend.
Send the quote to the customer's phone before they leave the yard. Body repair customers shop three or four quotes and the first clean, branded PDF in their inbox usually wins, even if it is not the cheapest. Share the link on WhatsApp while they are still on the forecourt, explain the lines face to face, and wait for the accept click. Follow up after two days with a short message and a photo of a similar completed job. For insurance work, copy the assessor on the quote email so the claim moves faster. When the customer adds a scratch on collection ('while you're at it'), send a short variation quote via WhatsApp before the panel goes back in the booth.
FAQ
Common questions from auto body repair shops
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add each panel as its own line item with description, labour hours, and price. Build a template once and reuse it across every quote.
Yes. Every quote can be sent as a branded PDF or a public link by email or WhatsApp, whichever the assessor prefers.
Yes. Add workshop labour at one rate and spray labour at another. Each line shows its own hours and price.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. The customer opens it on their phone and clicks accept. No app needed.
Yes. One click converts an accepted quote to an invoice. Every panel, labour, paint, and parts line carries over.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Insurance quotes follow the assessor's preferred format with each panel itemised, labour hours shown, and paint materials broken out. Private quotes can be simpler and grouped by area, but customers still respond best to clear itemisation. Build two templates in QuoteGenio so you can switch fast depending on who's paying.
Yes. Show the full quote total, the insurance contribution, and the excess as separate lines so the customer sees exactly what they're paying. This avoids the 'I thought insurance covered it' argument when the car is ready for collection.
PDR is quoted per panel based on dent size and accessibility. Most shops have a published rate for small (under 25mm), medium, and large dents, and a multi-dent discount per panel. Quote each panel as its own line with the dent count and rate so the customer sees exactly what they're paying for.
If you are VAT registered, yes. Show VAT as its own line on every quote. Insurers process VAT separately from the repair amount and your quote needs to make that clear. If you are under the VAT threshold, state clearly on the quote that prices are VAT exempt.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Auto Body Repair
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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