# Do You Pay the Body Shop or Does Insurance? | DG > On a covered claim DG bills your insurer directly — your out-of-pocket is typically your deductible, once, at pickup. Two-party checks and supplements, explained. - Canonical page: https://dgcollision.com/answers/who-pays-the-body-shop-insurance-or-me/ - 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 --- # DO YOU PAY THE BODY SHOP, OR DOES INSURANCE? Quick Answer On a covered claim at DG, the insurer’s money comes to the shop and your money is typically your deductible, once, at pickup. We bill the carrier directly, supplements go straight from our documentation to their desk, and you never front repair costs and wait for reimbursement. The two wrinkles worth knowing: some carriers cut the first check to you (you endorse it over — normal), and on financed cars checks often name the lienholder too, which adds a signature, not a problem. By [Shah Jiwani](https://dgcollision.com/about/shah-jiwani/) · Owner, DG Collision Center Updated September 24, 2026 3 min read I-CAR Gold Class · PPG Certified The Longer Answer ## WHERE THE MONEY ACTUALLY MOVES IN A CLAIM Follow one covered repair and the confusion dissolves. The claim opens, the estimate gets approved, and from there DG bills the carrier directly — parts, labor, materials, the whole line-itemed job. When teardown finds more damage, the supplement goes from our photographs to their adjuster and, once approved, onto the same direct bill; your out-of-pocket doesn’t move. At pickup you pay your deductible — your policy’s fixed share, once per claim — and drive off. That’s the whole customer-side transaction on most claims: one number, known before work starts, hedged only by the honest phrase we use everywhere — your out-of-pocket is typically your deductible, once. The variations people mistake for problems: the check made out to you. Some carriers issue the first payment to the policyholder rather than the shop — you simply endorse it over when the repair is done; it’s a payment route, not a windfall (and the number on it reflects the first estimate, with supplements arriving separately). The two-party check: financed and leased cars produce checks naming you and the lienholder, because the lender’s collateral is what’s being repaired — the bank endorses, sometimes after proof of repair, and our documentation is exactly that proof. The third-party claim: when the at-fault driver’s carrier pays, there’s no deductible at all — their money, our bill, your zero. What you should never experience: paying a shop the full repair cost up front and chasing your own insurer for reimbursement, or being surprised at pickup by charges no one showed you in writing. Texas law leaves the shop choice with you (Tex. Ins. Code §1952.301) precisely so billing arrangements can’t be used as leverage — a shop that bills your carrier directly works for you, whatever logo is on the check. If a deductible is the thing standing between you and starting the repair, that conversation has its own honest page: [the can’t-pay-the-deductible answer](https://dgcollision.com/answers/cant-pay-car-insurance-deductible/) walks the four legitimate paths. Related Questions ## ASKED ALONGSIDE THIS ONE When do I actually pay my deductible? + A: At pickup, to the shop — it’s your share of the repair bill, so it settles when the bill does. Not at filing, not to the insurance company, and not twice: one claim, one deductible, however many supplements the repair needed along the way. Insurance sent me a check. Should I cash it before repairing? + A: You can — but know that it reflects the first estimate, usually the smallest number in the claim, and supplements only get documented once a shop tears down. Cash it and skip the repair and you’ve locked in the low number; the trade-offs live in [the keep-the-check guide](https://dgcollision.com/guides/keep-insurance-check-without-repair/). Why is the bank’s name on my insurance check? + A: Because the car secures their loan — the lender has a legal interest in the repair actually happening. They endorse the check, sometimes after seeing repair documentation, which our photographed file provides. An extra step, routine daily, not a red flag. What if insurance approves less than the repair costs? + A: That gap is what supplements exist to close — the first approval prices visible damage, and documented teardown findings get billed to the carrier, not to you. A shop asking you to cover the difference between its bill and the insurer’s number is describing its documentation problem, not your obligation. Go Deeper [Why the first estimate isn’t final](https://dgcollision.com/guides/insurance-estimate-final/) · [Can’t pay the deductible?](https://dgcollision.com/answers/cant-pay-car-insurance-deductible/) · [Financed-car claims](https://dgcollision.com/guides/leased-or-financed-car-accident/)