Estimating Fundamentals and Collision Repair Terminology
What this domain tests
Estimating fundamentals is the vocabulary and structure layer of the whole exam. You are tested on how a collision repair estimate is assembled - parts, labor, refinish materials, sublet and fees - and on the terminology used to describe operations, parts and damage. Expect items on labor categories (body, paint/refinish, frame/structural, mechanical, electrical/diagnostic), on the difference between R&R, R&I, repair, overhaul and sectioning, and on not-included operations.
Core rules
- Every line needs a part number or an operation code, a quantity, a price or hours, and a source. An estimate without a source is a quote, not an estimate.
- Labor databases list what an operation includes and, in the procedure pages (P-pages, maintained through DEG), what it excludes. Excluded work must be written as separate lines.
- Common not-included items: adjacent moldings and emblems, blending, tint/decolor, seam sealer, weld-through primer, corrosion protection, hazardous waste, pre/post scan and calibration.
- Part categories are not interchangeable: OEM new, OEM remanufactured, OEM recycled (LKQ), aftermarket, reconditioned.
- Betterment applies when a replacement leaves the vehicle better than before (tires, batteries).
Worked example
A 2021 sedan needs a rear bumper cover. The database replace cover operation includes unbolting and refitting the cover and does not include the park sensors, the blind-spot modules in the corners, or the rear scan. So the correct structure is: cover (part), R&R cover (body labor), R&I two sensors and two modules (electrical labor), pre- and post-repair scan, refinish the cover plus a blend into both quarter panels, and materials. Reasoning: read the footnote first, then add whatever the footnote excludes - that ordering prevents both double-billing and omissions.
Traps
Assuming replace includes transferring components; forgetting blend and materials on a painted part; using labor times for a different trim or powertrain; omitting betterment; writing an operation freehand when a code exists, which breaks the audit trail.