Repairs & body shops

Should the body shop deal with the insurance adjuster directly?

Why shop-to-adjuster is the normal workflow

The conversation between a shop and an adjuster is a technical one. Estimating systems, repair procedures, teardown photos, parts categories — adjusters and estimators work in that language every day, and a repair moves fastest when they talk directly instead of through the car's owner acting as a go-between for terms neither side expects the owner to know.

Supplements are that conversation, documented. When teardown reveals hidden damage, the shop photographs it, writes it up, and sends it to the adjuster; the adjuster approves, trims, or denies it. That back-and-forth is not the shop going around you — it is the repair being priced honestly, in the open, on paper you can ask to see.

What should never bypass you

Direct dealing has a boundary, and it is worth drawing before the work starts. These stay with you, always:

• Authorizing the repair — your signature is what starts the work. The shop works from your authorization, not the adjuster's.
• Agreeing to pay any difference out of pocket — if the approved scope and the shop's price do not meet, the decision about who covers the gap is yours, made knowingly, in advance.
• Accepting a parts downgrade on a part you care about — a cheaper category of part may be a reasonable trade or may not be, but it is your car and your call.
• Any settlement or release decision — signing away part of your claim is never a technical conversation. That one is yours alone.

The three-way pattern that works

The split that works is simple, and it is agreed up front with the shop, before teardown:

• The shop handles the scope conversation with the adjuster directly.
• You are copied on every supplement and every approval — the full paper trail, as it happens.
• You get a short update on a set cadence, so you always know what the car is waiting on.
• Nothing beyond the approved scope gets authorized without your explicit OK.

That pattern keeps the technical work fast and the decisions yours. For how the negotiation itself usually runs, see How do auto body shops negotiate with insurance companies? →

When to step in yourself

There is a point where the conversation stops being technical and becomes your claim — and at that point you should be in it directly. Denials are that point: when work the damage requires is refused, that is no longer an estimating discussion. Stalls are that point: when approvals stop moving and nobody can say why. And pressure to sign anything — a settlement, a release, an agreement to cover a difference — is that point most of all.

When you step in, go direct to the adjuster, and do it in writing. State what was denied or delayed, attach the supplement and its date, and ask for the answer in writing too. The paper you built by being copied on everything is what makes that letter short and hard to argue with.

Frequently asked questions

Can the shop authorize repairs without asking me?

The shop works from the authorization you signed, and work beyond that authorization should come back to you first. That is why the authorization itself deserves a careful read before you sign it — it defines what the shop can start without checking with you.

Should I be on the call when the shop and adjuster negotiate?

Usually not for the technical rounds — those conversations are about procedures, parts, and photos, and they move faster without a relay. Ask for the outcome in writing instead. The supplements and approvals are the record that matters, and they are what you review.

What if the shop and adjuster agree on something I do not want?

You are the customer on both sides of that table, so say so promptly and in writing. Parts choices and scope decisions can usually be revisited before the work is done. After the work is done is a much harder argument, which is why being copied on approvals matters.

Who do I call when it is stalled — the shop or the insurer?

Start with the shop and ask what it is waiting on. If the wait is an approval, call the insurer and reference the supplement and the date it was sent. Keep both answers in writing, because a stall with dates attached is far easier to escalate than a stall described from memory.