Advanced Collision Repair, Inc. is a Maple Grove auto body repair shop that provides frame-straightening, hail damage correction, paintless dent removal, and custom painting. Technicians at the company have earned certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, as well as the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair.
Apple Valley Collision has repaired St. Paul Metro cars since it opened, in 1979. The qualified technicians can fix a variety of auto body problems, from paint scratches and dents to major collision damage. Notably, Apple Valley Collision is a Honda Certified Collision Repair Center and a member of the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair. It contributes to local schools and nonprofits, including Susan G. Komen, Law Enforcement United, the Fraternal Order of Police, and Crossroads Church.
Bon Auto Body is a Richfield collision repair center, providing frame and unibody straightening, dent removal, and paint matching, among other auto body maintenance options. The Better Business Bureau accredited business has a team of technicians certified by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair. The company’s employees have extensive experience, with all of them having worked in the profession for at least three years.
Heppner’s Auto Body is a Saint Paul business providing auto body repair services to people in the Twin Cities area. The staff consists of highly-trained technicians, using computer-assisted machines to measure and realign frames, remove dents, apply paint, and replace glass. The company is a member of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota and the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair.
Established in 1974, Jerry’s Auto Body is an automotive services center that performs an array of repairs. Options range from glass replacement, auto painting, frame straightening, and auto detailing to dent removal and classic vehicle restoration. The business is Better Business Bureau accredited, and it is a member of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers. All technicians have undergone training with the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair.
Kremer Services opened in Inver Grove Heights in 1898 as a repair shop for horse-drawn wagons and carriages. Now, the business remedies collision damage and other issues for drivers of cars, trucks, buses, RVs, and trailers. The business is a member of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
Latuff Brothers Auto Body is a St. Paul auto repair center that has been servicing automobiles in the area since 1933. The team of mechanics performs auto body repair and painting, as well as vehicle frame straightening, using a computerized frame straightening system. Latuff Brothers Auto Body has won the Minnesota Family Business Awards and the Better Business Bureau Integrity Award, as well as the Super Service Award from Angie’s List.
Legend Auto Body, LLC is a Bloomington auto body shop serving drivers from all over the Twin Cities area. Founder and owner Tim Leland has worked in the industry since he was 12 years old, gradually working his way up until he could open his own shop. Services range from small dent repair, collision repair, frame straightening, rust repair, and custom painting. All customers are provided with 24/7 digital photo updates of their vehicles during the repair process.
O’Keeffe’s Collision, based in Saint Paul for more than two decades, performs automotive repairs for drivers from the city and its suburbs. Crew members have certifications from the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair as well as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. They can repair and replace bumpers, windshields, and mirrors.
Oakdale Collision Center is an auto body shop in Oakdale, working on behalf of clients from St. Paul and other nearby cities. The business is licensed, bonded, and insured, with technicians who have received certification from the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair as well as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Services include complete detailing, glass replacement, and dent removal, with rental cars and a towing service also available, for clients’ convenience.
Raymond Auto Body, in St. Paul, has been fixing and restoring locals’ cars since its inception, shortly after WWII. The shop is recommended and/or certified to service cars from Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Nissan, and Honda. Drivers gush about Raymond Auto Body’s high-quality work as well as their top-notch customer service.
Since it was founded in Saint Paul over three decades ago, Roering Auto Body has been helping drivers from the city and the surrounding areas. The Better Business Bureau accredited company is a member of the National Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, the St. Paul Cathedral Hill Association, and the Ramsey Hill Association.
Since opening in Shoreview in 1938, Schoonover Bodyworks & Glass has performed collision repair, automotive refinishing, car detailing, and glass repair on behalf of its St. Paul Metro clients. The collision repair center can handle scratches, scrapes, and dents, as well as more severe collision damage. The Better Business Bureau accredited business allows clients to quickly check their order status online.
Suburban Auto Body is an auto body shop with offices in Little Canada, White Bear Lake, and Roseville that has been serving the St. Paul Metro for over 40 years. The Little Canada facility has three paint booths that quickly and precisely apply custom paint jobs. The Suburban Auto Body team works to be as eco-friendly as possible, recycling batteries, aluminum, glass, cardboard, paper, fluorescent tubes, and printer cartridges, among other materials.
Windy’s Collision Center, Inc. has been servicing cars in the St. Paul Metro since 1971. The Better Business Bureau accredited team is certified and insured, and it performs collision repair and paintless dent removal. Additionally, Windy’s Collision Center, Inc. is a member of the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, and the Service Technicians Society.
If the vehicle's hood, roof, trunk, bumper, or any other exterior panel is dented, an auto body shop repairs the damage and repaints the car's exterior surface. Mechanical and electrical repairs, such as brakes, power steering, and broken tail lights, are handled through an auto repair shop.
Auto body shops handle the balance and aesthetics of a vehicle. Technicians repair the sheet metal dents. They replace the car's damaged body parts, including doors, fenders, bumpers, and glass. Auto body shops also refinish the vehicle's exterior surface, matching paint to factory colors. Some shops can also repair a vehicle's frame.
After a collision, your vehicle may require both mechanical and body repair. A body shop can fix dents, replace parts like fenders and doors, and repaint a vehicle. A collision repair center, however, offers more extensive services, often repairing the mechanical and body damage caused as the result of an accident.
Depending on the extent of damage, collision repair costs can range from as low as $50 to well into the thousands, according to insurance.com. Touching up minor scratches with paint may register on the low end of the cost spectrum, while repairing a bumper might incur a charge of $700, and repainting the entire vehicle could cost $7,000.
If you've been involved in an accident, you might first want to begin by contacting your insurance company. It will arrange for an adjuster to evaluate the damage, and its representatives can often provide their insured with a list of approved body shops. Armed with the adjuster's findings, it's recommended you get several quotes before choosing a shop.
Each shop determines its own payment policies. Some auto body shops accept payment plans through their partnerships with specific lending agencies. You also have the option of using a credit card with most establishments. Another alternative is to take out a personal loan with a lending institution. Paying cash, however, may afford you some leverage for negotiating a discount.
Depending on your skill set and setup, you may very well be able to repair your own vehicle after an accident. You can use your insurance company adjuster's estimate or evaluate the damage yourself. If you are determining the required parts, it's important to include replacement estimates for what's visible as well as any ancillary parts, such as new wiring.
If you document all communication and get a signed contract, it is possible to successfully sue an auto body shop for failing to complete competent work in the agreed time frame. However, recovering damages may prove more challenging. It might be in your best interest to try to reach a resolution with the business owner before threatening to sue.
The shop has the legal right to put a garageman's lien on the vehicle until the bill is paid in full. If repairs are covered by insurance, the usual practice is for the shop to require the insured to pay the deductible before beginning necessary work.
There are pros and cons to using a dealership or private auto body repair shop. While dealerships specialize in repairing specific vehicles, their technicians are required to meet strict deadlines that could jeopardize the quality of the final product. Private shops can be more cost-effective and detail-oriented than dealerships; however, it pays to research their trustworthiness and quality.
Since body shops build labor costs into their invoices, there's no need to include a tip. It is a nice gesture to add a little more if the shop did an exceptional job, or it provided a good deal.
An auto body technician's job description includes reviewing damage reports and preparing cost estimates. They inspect vehicles for structural damage and remove, repair, or replace body parts, including fenders, bumpers, doors, and hoods. Technicians prepare the repaired surface and apply the new finish.
A high school diploma or GED is required to become an auto body repair technician. Although technicians can find employment in several shops with a vocational school certificate, other auto body repair jobs require an associate's degree.
Auto body repair technicians can obtain certification through The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence by passing an exam in each of the five certification areas. They also need to complete either two years of formal training and one year of work experience or two years of work experience.
A certificate program through a vocational or trade school can be completed in approximately eight months. Community colleges and trade schools also offer an Auto Body Technology Associate Degree that consists of completing 63 to 70 credit hours of study and requires a two-year commitment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an auto body or collision repair technician in 2020 was $44,190 a year, or $21.24 per hour. The BLS estimates the lower 10% of those employed in the industry make approximately $13.51 an hour or $28,090 annually, while the upper 90% earn $37.12 hourly or $77,210 a year.
