7 Tips on Finding the Best Auto Body Paint Shop

Choosing the best auto body paint shop the first time can make a huge difference to the overall quality of your finished accident repair job. Although the overall quality of work provided by the trade has improved significantly in recent years, there are still many different ways of selecting an auto body paint shop. Here are some tips on finding the best auto body paint shop.

Tip 1 – Recommendations

Talk to family and friends about their previous experiences of auto body paint shops. Have they found a company in the past that delivers premium quality paint finishes, excellent customer service and guarantees on their work?

Additionally, read specialist trade magazines to find reputable auto body paint shops in your area. Companies advertising in trade publications are likely to operate at the higher end of the automotive repair sector and will usually have an established reputation for producing quality refinishing and repairs.

Tip 2 – Are they Industry Recognized?

Most skilled trades are now governed by organizations that are dedicated to maintaining high standards and only recognize businesses that have forged a reputation for producing top quality work on a regular basis. Make sure that your auto body paint shop of choice is recognized by a reputable trade organization or a guild of master craftsmen.

Tip 3 – Quality Materials

Always choose an auto body paint shop that uses the best specialist trade materials. The automotive repair sector only has a small handful of universally-recognized suppliers and your chosen paint shop should be using at least one of these particular paint schemes to complete their work.

Choose a company that uses safe, water-borne color materials instead of isocyanate-based paints. This type of paint is also safer for the environment. Reputable companies will also use top-end suppliers for consumables, tools and equipment.

Tip 4 – Inspect Premises

Ask to see the auto body paint shop where your vehicle will be repaired. Clean, tidy workplaces are a good indication of professionalism and commitment to quality. Avoid workshops that are littered with masking paper, tools and equipment. If employees are unconcerned about their work conditions, it’s highly likely that they’ll be unconcerned with the overall quality of your finished vehicle as well.

Tip 5 – Insurance Company Preferences

If the work being carried out is undertaken by your insurance company, ask which auto body paint shops they tend to use in the local area. Insurance companies are incredibly fussy about the companies they assign their work to and realize that the auto body paint shop is also representative of their own image.

Tip 6 – View Finished Work

When taking a vehicle for an estimate, ask to see a recently finished job and inspect the quality of the paintwork yourself. Check for examples of dust or grit in the finished paintwork and make sure that the company can produce an effective color match. Do they blend awkward colors into adjacent panels or simply work on an edge-to-edge basis?

Tip 7 – Work Guarantees

A reputable auto body paint shop should have no problems in guaranteeing their work. It is fairly common for competent companies to offer a guarantee of up to 5 years. Returned work costs them money and only the best workshops will offer such long-term deals on work quality.