Principles of estimating

The part name “quarter panel” comes from traditional vehicle construction methods developed during the early days of the automotive industry. A quarter panel was literally about one-quarter of a vehicle’s body, before attaching the frame, doors and front sheet metal parts. That name has not changed, still describing a vehicle’s rear side portion through different vehicle designs over the years.

Quarter panels have been welded parts, bolted parts and stamped as an entire body side. Replacement of them always has been a big job because they are integral with the entire vehicle. For the same reason, estimating a quarter panel replacement also is a big job.

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Estimating labor amounts for full quarter panel replacement include basic operations on each estimating system, including R&I back glass, R&I rear bumper and seam sealing. However, the details involved in each estimating system and each vehicle model can make a big difference. For example, R&I of the antenna, fuel tank and body insulation are generally not included and need to be added when necessary. Check your estimating system for specific included and not-included operations because they do vary among the information providers.

Also remember to check your system’s general exclusions, including repairs to adjacent panels for any unavoidable weld damage, fabrication of inserts, and application of weld-through primer. These also vary with each information provider. Feather, prime and block is a necessary step between metal finishing and paint refinishing and is not included on any system. Add as a judgement item for any welded joints as needed.

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Inner quarter panel parts also may be damaged. Sitting behind a welded panel, their damage may not be determined before some disassembly. Estimating repair or replacement of these parts usually assumes replacement of their outer panels.

Partial replacement, or sectioning, of the quarter panel with a new part might be another choice that requires less labor, is more economical and is a less-intrusive repair for the vehicle. Economies are gained by removing fewer parts. For example, a belt-cut section does not need the back window removed, saving R&I labor and the risk of glass breakage. However, newer vehicle designs are reducing this opportunity. Cutting an upper joint through the back window opening may be the only choice or simply a better repair. Reflecting this, a belt-cut replacement may not be available for a particular model on your estimating system. Additional section choices may be available for some vehicles on some estimating systems.

Salvage section replacement is another choice that can be economical but comes with some challenges. First, can it be done? With new advanced steels and multiple internal reinforcements, can all joints be properly welded? How much of the salvage section needs to be disassembled? Sometimes an outer panel needs to be removed or “windows” need to be cut for access to properly weld the reinforcements. This increases vehicle intrusion and decreases labor savings.

Other questions include: If it can be done, should it be done? Does the vehicle manufacturer approve sectioning a quarter panel with a salvage part? Some manufacturers have policies against salvage parts or sectioning of salvage parts as the following statement from Honda illustrates.

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“Honda strongly recommends against the process of joining cut pieces from separate vehicles — commonly referred to as clipping. This is not an authorized Honda repair method.”

If you do select salvage section replacement, consider the time involved in cleaning, cutting and trimming the part to make it recyclable. Some additional modifications also may be necessary, including the labor to fill unneeded holes or drill new ones. There also may be a need for some disassembly, either for proper attachment, parts transfer or refinishing. These are not-included items and are added as needed.

This might be a good time to take a few minutes and check your estimating system’s procedure pages for quarter panel replacement. Read what is and what is not included. Review your quarter panel estimating policies and consider new ideas. Make sure your estimate accurately reflects your repairs and your reimbursement is adequate and fair for all involved. Even though the name “quarter panel” has not changed for a long time, your quarter panel estimating policies might need some updating.

Bruce Burrow, AAM started writing estimates more than 30 years ago, has worked for most of the information providers, and, as an independent instructor for the last 10 years, has trained estimators across North America. He is ASE Master certified and an instructor for the Automotive Management Institute. Send questions, ideas and comments that you would like to see addressed here to [email protected] and stay tuned.

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