Your frustration in addressing the not-included labor time issues around rusted and corroded fasteners, non-accessible collision damaged parts, undercoating, sound dampening material, and gravel guard/chip resistant coating removal is shared by many collision repairers. We feel your pain, Rosemarie.

To answer your question regarding when the information providers (Mitchell, CCC and Audatex) will include time for these not-included labor items in the time guides, I would have to say probably never. Sorry, Rosemarie, but my answer is based on logic. The guides only offer times for standard operations that happen each and every time they’re performed. The guides don’t include any variable operations because…they vary. A variable operation is one that takes an inconsistent amount of time to perform from one job to the next.  

For example, look at the old rusted bolt and nut syndrome. Its removal can play out in several different ways that have wildly varying labor times connected to them:

1. The Best Scenario: Penetrating oil is applied and, after waiting a reasonable amount of time for the oil to penetrate the corrosion, the bolt is removed, causing no damage.

2. It Happens...and It’s Okay: The penetrating oil doesn’t work, but I don’t want to force it, so I carefully use heat because this can take time. Finally, the bolt turns. Now, a little oil is applied and the bolt comes out but I need a new one and some corrosion protection in the area. This takes a lot more time than scenario No. 1.

3. The Worst Scenario...and We Don’t Like It: The rusted bolt breaks off in a nut cage that’s welded to the body. Now, the nut cage is removed from the body, usually by drilling and using a chisel. A new nut is then welded to a washer, and the washer is welded into the body. Careful, don’t ignite any undercoating or corrosion protection inside the body! Clean it all up and apply epoxy primer, seam sealer, paint and corrosion protection. This takes way more time than either scenarios No. 1 or No. 2, varying even more wildly for the very same operation of removing a bolt.

As you can see, setting a standard labor time for this would be arbitrary and wouldn’t work, and you would end up in the same place: busy with nothing to show for it.

Applying undercoating or protective coatings would work the same way. These procedures vary wildly, depending on if you’re working on a Beemer or a Chevy. So anything that’s variable by its very nature shouldn’t have a fixed and standard time attached to it. That can be a good thing, Rosemarie.

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P-page Not Included Items Audatex Additional labor: 1. Additional labor for removal of parts that have been impeded by crash damage (access labor). 2. Removal of debris, grease, corrosion, protective coatings or other materials impeding replacement. 3. Removal of part number labels. CCC/Motor Labor time does not include: 1. Cutting, pulling or pushing collision damaged parts for access. 2. Rusted, frozen, broken or corrosion damaged components or fasteners. 3. Undercoating, tar or grease removal. Mitchell Additions to labor times – not included posted labor times: 1. Access time – Remove extensively damaged parts by cutting, pushing, pulling, etc. 2. Free up parts – Time necessary to free up parts frozen by rust or corrosion. 3. Tar and grease – Removal of these or any other materials that would interfere with operation. 4. Removal of protective coatings.

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Look in the Mirror

I think the real question you’re asking is, “How can we get paid for these items?” Okay, let’s apply a little logic to the issue and work our way through this. It’s gonna get better, girl, work with me. I’ve owned a shop for 38 years and have been a technician for 47 years.

If we aren’t going to change the information providers on this issue – and in my opinion we’re not – then we don’t need to waste any more time waiting for that to happen. Knowing that is kind of liberating, isn’t it? So now we have to figure out what is the easiest thing to change that will actually have an effect on getting paid for what we do. It’s not coming to you? Okay…do this. Leave your estimating station. Walk into the restroom and look in the mirror. Yeah…that’s right! It’s you. You’re the easiest and quickest thing to change that will make a difference. How? This is where we work together, and it’s going to involve a little sweat on your part:

1. Gather the P-pages for the not-included items of rust, corrosion, access labor and protective coatings removal for the four major information providers (Audatex, Mitchell, CCC and Motor). If you don’t have this information, call the Automotive Service Association (ASA) at (800) 272-7467. ASA members can purchase this information online at the ASA Store under References. But for this article, I’ve included the pertinent P-page not-included items for you (see box on pg. 22). Place these pertinent P-page not-included items pages in a nice three-ring binder under tabs for Audatex, CCC/Motor and Mitchell. Now, when any adjuster questions your charge, you can quickly refer to your new binder and the appropriate information provider. You’re very organized, Rosemarie, and you’re a good estimator, too.

2. Get your digital camera out and trundle to the shop. Explain to your technician what you’re doing. For rusted bolts and fasteners, you’ll want a photo example of each of my three scenarios listed above. The technician will be enthused when you tell him you’re developing a plan to get paid for a lot of not-included operations. You now have photo examples of three different scenarios for rusted and corroded fasteners. Print them, punch them and place them in the binder behind a tab for Corroded Fasteners. Wow, this is getting good.

3. Let’s do access time next. Take some nice photos of fasteners that are inaccessible due to being covered by damaged parts. Then, snap some shots of the actual operation necessary to access those fasteners.  Pulling, pushing, cutting, etc., may be necessary to gain access. This takes time and it varies so…it’s all up to you. Get a few different examples. Be thorough. It might take examples from more than one car, but you can add as you go. After all, you’ve been fighting this issue for years. What’s another month or two? Plus, you’re now being proactive, and that’s a good thing. Print and punch the photos and place them in your binder under a tab for Access Time. Good work.

4. Okay, we’re ready for protective coatings, like sound deadeners, gravel/chip guard, undercoating, etc. If you’re repairing or replacing a trunk or floor pan, you’ll probably be faced with removing sound deadeners and undercoating. This takes time, and if you take photos and do your own time study, you’ll have documentation of what’s necessary. Document everything. Get photos of different coatings. Be creative…it’s yours. Punch them and put them in your three-ring binder under the tab for Protective Coatings.

5. You might want to add other examples of not-included items such as part number label removal, since almost every new part has a part number label that should be removed. Heat or a release agent must be employed. Remember, we don’t want anybody to know we repaired a car. We want it to be an invisible repair. That’s our job, and those part number labels can be a dead giveaway.

6. Your binder is assembled and it’s professionally done and thorough. You’ve affixed the necessary time to your repair estimate to do the jobs we’ve discussed. You’re like a lion in wait as you see the appraiser parking the car in your lot. You’re confident because you’re extremely well-prepared. Be calm, be self-assured and prove every point with your excellent documentation.

7. Go to the bank and make the deposit.

Best wishes and good luck.

Writer Mike West, a contributing editor to BodyShop Business, has been a shop owner for more than 30 years and a technician for more than 40 years. His shop in Seattle, Wash., has attained the I-CAR Gold Class distinction and the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence.