Repair vs. Replace Decision Making and Labor Operations
The decision framework
Repair vs. replace is a judgment grounded in safety, OEM procedure, cost, and appearance. Candidates must know the factors: material type (high-strength steel, aluminum, plastic), damage severity and location, OEM position statements, corrosion and structural concerns, and customer expectations. Cost alone is not the deciding factor - a cheaper repair that compromises a crush zone is wrong.
Labor operations
Know the labor categories: R&I, repair, replace, refinish, structural, mechanical, and sublet. Understand labor time sources (OEM procedures, estimating databases) and that overlap and included operations reduce double-charging. Understand panel repair time vs. panel replacement time, and that replacement includes R&I of attached parts plus refinish. Understand sectioning and used/aftermarket part implications on labor.
Traps
Questions often set up a "cheaper" repair that violates OEM procedure. Another trap is comparing repair time to replacement time without including R&I and refinish. Watch for plastic repair vs. replacement and for bumper covers that are repairable but need adhesion promoter.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Rule of thumb: compare total operations, not headline labor. Example: a repairable door skin vs. a door shell - repair includes R&I trim, repair time, and full refinish; replacement includes R&I trim, shell R&I, and refinish. If OEM prohibits skin repair on that material, replacement wins regardless of price.