‘Who Pays for What?’ shows more shops recognize not-included replacement bumper procedure
More collision repair businesses recognize that additional repair work sometimes needed before refinishing new replacement bumpers is a not-included procedure in estimating systems’ labor times, according to a press release about the most recent “Who Pays for What?” survey.
The survey asked shops about billing for labor to repair molding or manufacturing defects on new replacement bumpers, such as casting lines or shipping braces that need to be trimmed. Forty-nine percent of shops said they had never included a charge for such work on an estimate. However, the release notes that not including that charge was down 10 percentage points from last year.
Among those billing for the work, 13% said the eight largest national insurers “always” pay for it, or “most of the time,” up from 10% in 2025.
“Manufacturing casting lines and surface panel defects may need to be repaired or corrected to bring some new bumpers to ‘new undamaged condition’ before refinish times begin,” wrote Mike Anderson of Collision Advice, who conducts the surveys with CRASH Network, in the survey results. “It’s important to identify these issues during the initial mirror-matching process of the parts to determine if additional labor is necessary. All three information providers acknowledge their published times are based on new undamaged parts, with correcting manufacturing defects excluded from their published times.”
The survey also covers inspection procedures, including steering columns and airbag/SRS components.
Safety inspections were a hot topic at the 2025 SEMA Show, with hours of discussion across four Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) panels.
During the annual OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, Anderson and a panel of speakers worked their way through the complex world of steering column, airbag, and seatbelt inspections. The conversation continued the following day with an SCRS panel held on the Collision Repair and Refinish Stage.
In the latest “Who Pays for What?” survey, 35% of shops that negotiate for steering column inspection and measurement said they’re paid “always” or “most of the time,” down 6.1 percentage points from last year.
“Many automakers have very specific ‘safety inspections’ required after a vehicle has been in a collision,” Anderson wrote in the survey results. “These inspections (including for many GM, Nissan, Subaru and other vehicles) may require the removal and measurement of the steering column. We are finding that about 26% to 30% of steering columns getting inspected are collapsed. There are also instances in which columns are longer than they should be. It’s also important to keep in mind that it’s not just about measuring, but also inspecting mounting locations.”
The survey also found that, of those that negotiate for airbag/SRS component inspections, 43% are paid “always” or “most of the time,” down 5.5 percentage points since last year.
The latest quarterly survey is open through the end of October. It focuses on scanning and calibrations, aluminum repair, and shop supplies. Shops can take the survey here. The survey takes about 15 minutes and can be completed by anyone familiar with their shop’s billing practices and the payment practices of at least some of the largest national insurers. Each shop’s individual responses are held in the strictest confidence; only aggregated data is released.
Survey participants receive a free report with complete survey findings, along with analysis and resources to help shops better understand and use the information presented.
Previous survey results are also available here.
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