Understanding Your Auto Estimate
After you’ve filed a claim as the result of an auto accident, you’ll need to have your vehicle’s damage assessed to determine how much repairs will cost. The resulting report is called an estimate.
Here are some common questions you may have regarding your estimate.
When you file a claim, Travelers will recommend the best option for getting an estimate. Our recommendations are intended to get your claim resolved as efficiently as possible.1
Repair times, part availability, rates and other factors may impact the cost to return your vehicle to pre-loss condition.
If this occurs, Travelers will work with the repair facility to address newly discovered damage and pay them directly if appropriate. There are few things to keep in mind:
- The full damage to your vehicle is not always accessible or visible during an initial estimate.
- Especially for complex damages, supplements to the original estimate you were provided are common.
- Supplements can include things like additional damage, part price changes, repair hours, labor rates, scans and electronic calibrations.
Travelers uses a variety of sources to get the parts needed to restore your vehicle to pre-loss condition. Parts are selected based on availability, cost and the specifics of your vehicle.
Any parts specified by Travelers will always meet or exceed industry standards.
In your estimate, you’ll see a column marked “Labor,” this column indicates the number of repair hours a facility will need to fix your vehicle. Factors such as parts availability, workload at the shop and additional supplements to the original estimate can impact this timeline.
Typically, you’ll want to contact the repair facility with questions about the status of your repair.
I’ve received a Travelers estimate. Can you provide tips for reading it?
Below you can find a guide to reading your estimate. The letters indicate the purpose of the section.
Your estimate cover sheet
The cover sheet of your estimate includes important information such as:
- (A) Your Travelers Claim professional's contact information.
- (B) Your claim number and other claim detail.
- (C) The inspection and repair facility location, if applicable.
- (D) Your vehicle information and options.

A sample image of an auto estimate cover sheet. Sections of the cover sheet would include:
(A) Your Travelers Claim professional's contact information. The address and phone number appear at the top, and your adjuster's name appears just below the "Preliminary Estimate" header.
(B) Your claim number and other claim detail can be found just below the adjuster.
(C) The inspection and repair facility location, if applicable, appears below the claim number and claim detail.
(D) Your vehicle information and options appears in the next section below, under the "Vehicle" header.
Your estimate detail
This page of your estimate provides additional details about the costs associated with repair or replacement. Each line item shows a needed replacement part or repair, with “Labor” indicating the time required for the work and “Paint” indicating the time required to match the repair to the existing color of your vehicle.

Your estimate summary
The estimate summary will show your deductible, as well as the subtotals and totals for your repair. The sample image of the estimate summary pictured below is an example of a table that breaks down estimate totals by category, as well as the total cost of repairs, the deductible, total adjustments and the net cost of repairs.

1 Customers have the right to choose where their vehicle will be appraised (depending on state) and/or repaired and are under no obligation to use a repair facility in our network.
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