EVERY QUESTION WE GET, ANSWERED STRAIGHT
How This Page Works
Thirty-six questions, six categories, verdict-first answers — insurance and claims, hail, costs and estimates, the repair itself, loaners and logistics, and your rights under Texas law. Every answer here is the short, honest version, and almost every one links to a full page that goes deeper, with the statutes cited by section and the prices quoted from our published rates. Can’t find yours? The quick-answer library holds sixty-plus single-question pages, the guides go deeper still — or skip the reading: the written estimate is free, walk-ins welcome.
Category One
INSURANCE & CLAIMS
Do I have to use the shop my insurance company recommends?
No — Texas Insurance Code §1952.301 bars any carrier from conditioning claim payment on using a particular shop. Their network shop is a suggestion; “I’m using my own shop” is a complete answer. The full answer →
Who files the claim — me or the shop?
You file it — that’s how Texas structures claims. What we do is everything that makes it work: the documented estimate, photographs, supplement paperwork, and adjuster correspondence handled directly. The full answer →
Is the insurance company’s first estimate the final number?
Almost never — the first estimate prices what a quick look could see, and whatever the teardown finds rides the ordinary supplement process. The number moves on documentation, not arguments. The full answer →
How long can the adjuster legally take in Texas?
Your own carrier runs on real clocks: acknowledge your claim within 15 days, decide within 15 business days of your complete paperwork, pay within 5 — and late payment owes 18% annual interest (Chapter 542). The full answer →
What if my claim is denied or the payout is tiny?
Sort which “no” you got: a coverage denial is fought in writing and with TDI’s complaint line; a lowball isn’t a denial at all — it moves through the documented count, supplements, and the binding appraisal right in policies renewed since January 1, 2026. The full answer →
Do you bill my insurance directly, or do I pay and get reimbursed?
On a covered claim we bill your insurer directly — your out-of-pocket is typically your deductible, once, at pickup. Two-party checks and supplements are routine and handled with the carrier. The full answer →
Category Two
HAIL DAMAGE
How much does hail damage repair cost?
Published tiers: light hail $750–$1,500, a typical full-vehicle claim $2,500–$8,000, severe storms up to $15,000+, and single dents at $50–$150 each in cash plus R&I where access requires it. The full answer →
Will filing a hail claim raise my insurance rates?
Usually not by itself — Texas rule 28 TAC §5.7016 bars nonrenewal over weather claims, and hail rides comprehensive, not collision. Area-wide storm losses move everyone’s rates whether you file or not. The full answer →
How long do I have to file a hail claim?
No Texas statute sets the deadline — your policy does, and most carriers hold hail claims to about one year from the date of loss, sometimes less. Late discovery is normal; past the window, approval is the rare exception. The full answer →
Will hail damage total my car?
Only when the honest repair cost approaches the car’s market value — and Texas has a quirk worth knowing: the salvage-title definition excludes hail, so a hail total typically keeps a clean title. The full answer →
Can hail dents be buffed or suction-cupped out at home?
No — buffing fixes clear-coat scratches, not bent metal, and the DIY tricks (dry ice, hair dryers, plungers) mostly crack paint. Real paintless dent repair works the metal from behind, dent by dent. The full answer →
Do you really cover part of my hail deductible?
Yes — we cover the first $1,000 of the deductible on qualifying hail repairs, from our own margin with the invoice kept 100% honest (that honesty is what makes it legal in Texas). Above $1,000 is case by case, in writing. The full answer →
Category Three
COSTS & ESTIMATES
Is the estimate really free? What’s the catch?
Free, written, itemized, and yours to take anywhere — including to a competitor or an adjuster. Walk-ins welcome Monday–Friday 8:30–5:30 and Saturday 10–1, no appointment needed. The full answer →
What does bumper repair cost?
Published rows: scuff and scratch refinish $300–$800, replacement with paint $1,000–$2,500, sensor calibration quoted per vehicle — and the honest number comes after the cover is off, not from the curb. The full answer →
What does paint work cost?
Published rows: spot repair $200–$500, single panel $500–$1,000, multi-panel blend $1,200–$2,500, full repaint $3,500–$7,500 — with the blend being what makes metallics disappear instead of reading two-tone. The full answer →
What does frame straightening cost?
Published rows: minor unibody pulls $1,800–$3,500, moderate structural work $3,500–$7,000, severe rebuilds $7,000–$18,000+ — and the computerized measurement that says which one you need is free. The full answer →
Should I get three estimates like my dad taught me?
On an insurance claim, no — no law requires it, and one documented estimate plus supplements decides the number. Paying cash? Comparing is smart; just compare line by line, never total to total. The full answer →
Should I file a claim or just pay cash?
Arithmetic, not philosophy: get the written number first, and if it sits near your deductible, cash usually wins — a $600 repair against a $500 deductible claims $100 of coverage and books a CLUE entry for the privilege. The full answer →
Category Four
THE REPAIR ITSELF
How long will my repair take?
Honestly: it depends on parts and scope, so you get a written timeline at the estimate, updates by text throughout, and immediate word if anything backorders. Full-vehicle hail PDR typically runs 3–7 days; collision work varies more. The full answer →
Will you use OEM or aftermarket parts?
Our ladder, in writing: OEM argued first with the carrier, price-matched through OEM vendors where possible, and aftermarket only with your sign-off — airbags are always genuine, no exceptions. The full answer →
Will the new paint actually match my car?
Done right, yes — the match is made to your car’s aged color with a spectrophotometer, not the factory code, and blended across panels until it disappears, checked across lighting conditions. The full answer →
Who calibrates my cameras and sensors after repair?
Our calibration specialists — ADAS calibration and wheel alignment run through vetted specialist partners, scheduled inside the repair timeline, with the printed report verified by us before delivery. Calibration runs $350–$450 per operation — several disturbed systems stack — and pre- and post-repair scans run $150–$200. The full answer →
What warranty comes with the repair?
A written lifetime warranty on everything except mechanical work, which carries 1 year/10,000 miles — fading covered, terms printed, not promised verbally. Texas law requires none of this, which is exactly why the paper matters. The full answer →
Is my car even safe to drive before the repair?
Three tiers: drive it, short daylight trips only, or tow it — decided by what’s damaged (lights, glass, wheels, anything dragging), not by how it looks. The triage guide walks the verdict cards. The full answer →
Category Five
LOANERS & LOGISTICS
Do you give loaner cars?
Yes — a 50+ vehicle fleet, free for the length of the repair: when your policy includes rental coverage we bill your insurer for the loaner, and when it doesn’t, you still pay nothing. No day limit ticking against your repair. The full answer →
What do I need to take a loaner?
Be 18 or older and bring your driver’s license and insurance card — that’s it. No deposit or card hold, no mileage limit, no damage-waiver upsell; return the fuel at the level you received it. The full answer →
Do you tow, and what does it cost me?
The tow is free to you on covered claims — billed to your insurance carrier, and Texas comp and collision policies generally cover reasonable towing. No coverage for the tow? Ask about discounted rates through our towing partners. The line runs 24/7. The full answer →
Can you pick my car up instead?
Yes — free pickup and dropoff of drivable cars within 75 miles of the shop, genuinely free and unconditional. If it isn’t drivable, that’s the flatbed’s job and the covered-claim billing above applies.
Are you open on Saturday?
Yes — Saturday 10am–1pm for walk-in estimates, drop-offs, pickups, and loaner handoffs (weekdays 8:30am–5:30pm, closed Sunday). The tow line runs around the clock even when the counter doesn’t. The full answer →
Where exactly are you?
693 Metro Park Circle #20, Lewisville, TX 75057 — minutes off I-35E, an easy run from the Sam Rayburn Tollway and FM 2499, serving the whole DFW metroplex. Call (972) 219-0864 or text (817) 907-2822. Map & directions →
Category Six
YOUR RIGHTS IN TEXAS
Can the insurance company steer me to their shop?
They can suggest; they can’t require — §1952.301 bars conditioning payment on a particular shop, and §1952.302 limits how hard they can push. The choice is yours on their claim or your own. The full answer →
What’s this new appraisal right I keep hearing about?
SB 458 created Insurance Code Chapter 1813: every personal auto policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must contain an appraisal provision — a binding dispute process for the amount of loss, your appeal button against lowballs. The full answer →
Can I claim my car’s lost value after a crash that wasn’t my fault?
Yes — diminished value is recoverable from the at-fault driver’s liability carrier in Texas, on top of the repair, with a two-year clock. Evidence beats formulas; the repair file we hand you is the evidence. The full answer →
Can I keep the insurance check and skip the repair?
If you own the car outright, generally yes on a first-party claim — a financed car’s two-party check runs through the lender’s rules. The fraud line is double-dipping, not keeping an honest payout. The full answer →
Can I keep my car if it’s declared a total loss?
Often yes — owner-retained salvage lets you keep the car with its salvage value deducted from the settlement, lienholder paid first. And repairing it afterward is a conversation we have routinely. The full answer →
The crash wasn’t my fault — do I get my deductible back?
If you repair through your own collision coverage, yes in most clear-fault cases: §542.204 requires your carrier to pursue the deductible from the at-fault side within one year of paying your claim, or refund it to you. The full answer →