# Should You Get an Estimate Before Filing a Claim? | DG > Usually yes when only your car is involved: compare the repair with your deductible. When to tell your insurer right away, and why an estimate locks in nothing. - Canonical page: https://dgcollision.com/answers/should-i-get-an-estimate-before-filing-a-claim/ - This file: Markdown twin of the page above (clean text for AI assistants and crawlers) - Business: DG Collision Center, 693 Metro Park Cir #20, Lewisville, TX 75057 — (972) 219-0864 (text: 817-907-2822) — since 1978 - Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–1pm, closed Sunday · 24/7 towing · 4.9/5 on 500+ Google reviews - Full site index for assistants: https://dgcollision.com/llms.txt - Last generated: 2026-08-14 --- # SHOULD YOU GET AN ESTIMATE BEFORE FILING A CLAIM? Quick Answer Usually yes, when only your car is involved. A free written estimate tells you whether the repair is clearly more than your deductible. If it isn’t, the insurer pays nothing and a cash repair is often simpler; if it is, you file knowing what’s actually damaged. The exception: if another driver, property owner or anyone injured is involved, notify your insurer promptly anyway, because policies require prompt notice and telling your insurer about an incident isn’t the same as filing a damage claim on your own car. An estimate also doesn’t lock you into a shop: Texas Insurance Code §1952.301 lets you choose any shop. Get a Free Written Estimate By [Shah Jiwani](https://dgcollision.com/about/shah-jiwani/) · Owner, DG Collision Center Updated November 12, 2026 3 min read I-CAR Gold Class · PPG Certified The Longer Answer ## WHY THE ESTIMATE COMES FIRST The deductible math. Insurers pay the covered repair minus your deductible. A few dings or a scuffed bumper can land under it, and filing those gains you nothing. Our published cash rates help you guess before anyone looks: paintless dent repair runs $75–$200 per dent for dents up to about half-dollar size, with larger ones priced after inspection. The full ladder is in [file a claim or pay out of pocket](https://dgcollision.com/guides/file-claim-or-pay-out-of-pocket/). Knowing what you’re claiming. Hail and minor collisions are easy to misjudge from the driveway. A written estimate lists the real damage, including what sits behind a bumper cover or under a headliner, so the claim starts from the right picture. When not to wait. If someone else was involved, report it to your insurer promptly, even before an estimate; policies require prompt notice, and the other side may file first. For hail, don’t let the estimate become an excuse to stall: many policies hold hail claims to about a year from the date of loss, sometimes less. What a useful estimate includes. Parts and labor line by line, dent counts by panel for hail, any remove-and-install work, paint and blend lines, and whether parts are factory (OEM). That’s the document an adjuster can work from, and it’s just as useful if you decide to pay cash. Your claims history. Insurers share claims through databases such as CLUE, and many offer claims-free discounts. That’s part of why a claim that pays little or nothing can still cost you, and why the estimate comes first. How we handle it. Estimates are free, by photo or in person, and written line by line. If you file, you open the claim and we send your adjuster the estimate, photos and any supplement. On qualifying hail claims we cover the first $1,000 of your deductible; above that, it’s case by case. See also [damage less than your deductible](https://dgcollision.com/answers/damage-less-than-my-deductible/). General information, not legal advice. Related Questions ## ASKED ALONGSIDE THIS ONE Does getting an estimate count as filing a claim? + A: No. A shop’s estimate is between you and the shop. A claim starts when you report the loss to your insurer. Will an estimate lock me into that body shop? + A: No. Texas Insurance Code §1952.301 lets you choose any shop, and you can take a written estimate anywhere. Should I call my insurer before getting an estimate? + A: If another driver, property or an injury is involved, yes, promptly. If it’s only your car, an estimate first helps you decide whether a claim makes sense. How much does an estimate cost at DG? + A: Nothing. Text photos to (817) 907-2822 for a starting read, or bring the car in for a written estimate. Go Deeper [File a claim or pay cash?](https://dgcollision.com/guides/file-claim-or-pay-out-of-pocket/) · [Damage less than your deductible](https://dgcollision.com/answers/damage-less-than-my-deductible/) · [Will a claim raise my rates?](https://dgcollision.com/answers/will-filing-a-claim-raise-my-insurance-rates/) · [Free written estimate](https://dgcollision.com/free-estimate/)