Answers for Puyallup Drivers, Before You Even Have to Ask
Estimates, insurance claims, repair timelines, warranty coverage, and specialty repairs: the questions we hear most from drivers throughout the Puget Sound.
Before Your Repair Begins
A good estimate is the foundation of a smooth repair. Here's what to expect when you request one, whether you visit us in person or send photos first.
Yes, free estimates for any make or model. We'd suggest calling (253) 845-5665 first. Every call comes into our Puyallup shop, so one call confirms an estimator is free when you arrive instead of tied up on another vehicle. No appointment is required, though, so you're welcome to stop by 11403 Valley Ave E during business hours and we'll write your estimate while you wait. Can't make it in? We also offer a photo estimate option: just submit pictures of the damage through our online photo estimate form and we'll get you a ballpark without you ever leaving home. Every option comes with no obligation to book repairs.
No, an appointment isn't required, but calling first is the smarter move. All of our calls come into the Puyallup shop at (253) 845-5665, so a quick call confirms someone's available to write your estimate when you get here and saves you a wasted trip. Walk-ins are still welcome during business hours at 11403 Valley Avenue East, Puyallup, WA 98372, Monday through Thursday 8 AM–5 PM, Friday 9 AM–3 PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday. Every make and model is repaired here.
Use your judgment, and when you are not sure, do not risk it. If the vehicle starts, steers, brakes and tracks straight, no warning lights are on, and nothing is dragging, leaking or rubbing a tire, it is usually fine to drive it in and let us write the estimate here. Have it towed instead if any of this is true: fluid pooling under the car, a wheel or tire that is damaged or sitting at an angle, a hood or door that will not latch, steering that pulls or feels loose, a light out, smoke or a fuel smell, or airbags that deployed. Those are not cosmetic issues, and driving on them can turn a repairable vehicle into a worse one or put you back in an accident. Deployed airbags in particular mean the vehicle gets towed, not driven. Towing is covered under most policies, so it is usually not money out of your pocket, and we receive tows at the shop during business hours. If you are on the fence, call us at (253) 845-5665 and describe what you are looking at. Two minutes on the phone beats guessing in a parking lot.
Either one works, so do whatever is easier on your week. If the vehicle drives, bring it to our Puyallup shop at 11403 Valley Avenue East during business hours and we will write the estimate while you wait. If it does not drive, or you simply would rather not deal with it, have it towed to that same address. Most policies include towing, so check your coverage before you pay for it yourself, and if the car is coming off a scene or out of a storage lot, tell the tow driver to deliver it to Fix Auto Puyallup in Puyallup. A quick call to (253) 845-5665 first helps, because then we know a tow is inbound and have a place to put it. Either way your estimate is written here, and every make and model is repaired here too.
Collision repair cost depends on the extent of the damage, and we do not publish price ranges, because the same dent costs different amounts on different vehicles. What moves the number is whether a panel can be repaired or has to be replaced, how much refinishing and paint matching is involved, whether the structure was affected, and whether ADAS sensors need recalibration afterward. Paintless dent repair, where the factory paint is still intact, is typically the least expensive route. EVs, along with luxury and European imports, run higher than a comparable gas vehicle because of aluminum structures, manufacturer-only parts, and required calibration. That is why your estimate is free and written after an in-person inspection rather than quoted sight unseen. One important note: estimates often increase after disassembly, since hidden damage behind panels is commonly discovered once your vehicle is opened up. If you're going through insurance, your deductible is usually the main thing you pay, though what you owe depends on your policy and on what your insurer approves. We do our best to find all the hidden damage during disassembly so we can tell you up front what your share will be.
Yes, always, and nothing happens to your vehicle until you have it in hand and sign off. Your estimate is free and itemized line by line: every part with its part number and whether it is OE or otherwise, every labor operation with the time allotted to it, paint and refinish materials, and any sublet work such as ADAS calibration or glass. You can read it, take it home, ask us why a line is on there, or compare it against another shop's. We would rather answer the question than have you wonder. No work begins without your written authorization, and your insurance company receives the same document you do, not a different version. If hidden damage turns up once the claim area is disassembled, that goes on a supplement, which is also written up, documented and approved before any of it is repaired. The one thing we will not do is quote you a number sight unseen, because the same dent costs different amounts on different vehicles and a guess over the phone helps nobody.
Very often, yes, and it is the single most common surprise in a collision repair. A bumper cover can look lightly scuffed while the absorber, the reinforcement bar, a sensor bracket or the radiator support behind it took the real hit, and the same holds behind quarter panels and along the underbody. None of that shows up on a walkaround, which is why a first estimate is a starting point rather than a final number. Once you authorize the repair and we disassemble the claim area, we find everything associated with the claim, photograph and document it, and submit it to your insurance company as a supplement. That is a normal part of the process rather than a sign something went wrong, and it is why estimates commonly increase after teardown. Our blog on why a repair estimate goes up walks through how that works.
Yes, and you should not have to ask for them. Documenting what we find is a standard step in how we write a supplement, not a favor we do on request. When the claim area comes apart and we find damage the first estimate could not see, we photograph the part in place before it is removed, note the operation and the part number, and send that package to your adjuster. You get the same thing at the same time: the photos, a plain explanation of what changed, what it does to your pickup date, and whether it moves what you owe. Nothing is repaired or replaced until your insurance company approves it, so there is no surprise waiting for you at pickup. Prefer to see it yourself? Come by while the vehicle is apart and we will walk you around it on the floor. It is your car, and you are entitled to see exactly what happened to it.
Working With Your Insurance Company
Insurance paperwork is often the most confusing part of a collision. Here's how claims, billing, and deductibles actually work. See our full Insurance page for more detail.
We work with all insurance companies, both inside our direct repair program network and outside it. Whoever you're insured with, we coordinate the claim directly with your adjuster and bill them for covered repairs.
No. In Washington, and in most states, the law gives you, not your insurer, the right to choose your own repair shop, even if your insurance company recommends a preferred vendor or “network” shop. Insurers can suggest a shop, but they can't require you to use one. We work with all insurance companies, in network and out, so choosing Fix Auto Puyallup doesn't complicate your claim even if we weren't the shop your insurer first suggested. See our Insurance page for more.
Almost certainly in the sense that matters, and it is worth saying why the question is harder to answer than it sounds. There is no public database of which shops sit in which carrier's network, so nobody can look it up for you online, and a carrier's own list is the only authoritative source. The practical answer is that it should not decide anything for you. We work with all insurance companies, both inside our direct repair program network and outside it, and we bill most major carriers directly either way. A direct repair program is an arrangement about claims handling and billing; it says nothing about repair quality, the parts used, or the warranty behind the work, all of which come from us rather than from your insurer. Washington law also gives you the right to choose your own repair shop regardless of what any list says. Call us at (253) 845-5665, tell us who you are insured with, and we will tell you exactly how your claim will run before you commit to anything.
Once your claim is approved, we bill your insurance company directly for the covered cost of repairs rather than asking you to pay and seek reimbursement yourself. We prepare the itemized estimate, submit it to your adjuster, and handle any supplemental requests if additional damage is found once the vehicle is disassembled. Your deductible, if one applies, is due at pickup. Anything your insurer declines to cover would be your responsibility as well, so we do our best to identify all hidden damage during disassembly and tell you up front what you will owe. Visit our Insurance page for more on how the claims process works.
Yes. Once you have a claim number we deal with your adjuster directly. We submit the estimate, negotiate any supplement if disassembly turns up damage nobody could see at the walk-around, and bill your insurer for the covered cost. You are not the go-between and you do not have to relay messages between us and them. We do this with all insurance companies, both inside our direct repair program network and outside it. See our Insurance page for the full claims process.
Your deductible is the portion of the repair cost your policy requires you to pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in for the rest. The amount is set by your policy, not by us, and it typically ranges from a few hundred to a thousand dollars or more depending on your plan. If your claim is a comprehensive claim (like theft or vandalism) or a collision claim where you're at fault, you'll usually owe your deductible. If another driver is found at fault and their insurer is paying, you typically won't owe a deductible at all. We collect the deductible at the time you pick up your vehicle.
A collision claim covers damage from an accident with another vehicle or object, while a comprehensive claim covers damage from causes other than a collision, like theft, vandalism, or an animal strike. Each is billed under a different part of your policy and may carry a different deductible. If the accident was another driver's fault, their insurance company (not yours) is typically responsible for the repair as a third-party liability claim. In every case, you still have the right to choose Fix Auto Puyallup as your repair shop, and we're happy to work directly with whichever insurance company is paying the claim.
What to Expect While Your Vehicle Is in the Shop
Every repair moves through the same basic stages. See our repair process page for the full step-by-step walkthrough. Here's how timing and communication typically work.
Most collision repairs at Fix Auto Puyallup take between 7–10 business days, depending on the severity of the damage and parts availability. Minor dents and cosmetic repairs are often completed in 3–5 days. Moderate panel damage typically takes 5–10 days. Major structural repairs can run 2–4 weeks, particularly when parts need to be sourced. Once our technicians fully disassemble and assess your vehicle, we'll give you a firm timeline, and we'll tell you right away if a parts delay changes it. For a full breakdown of what happens at each stage, see our repair process page.
Many repairs use manufacturer (OEM) parts that are ordered specifically for your vehicle's year, make, model, and trim, and those parts don't always ship immediately, especially for newer models, imported vehicles, or parts affected by broader supply chain delays. Popular parts may already be in regional stock and arrive within a day or two, while specialty or backordered parts can add a week or more to the timeline. We order parts as soon as your estimate is approved to minimize delay, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear about any backorder that affects your pickup date.
Yes, Fix Auto Puyallup makes rental arrangements easy during your repair. We arrange rentals through Hertz and Enterprise, and our porters can collect your vehicle and bring it back when the repair is done. We also take vehicles early and late, outside normal business hours, when that suits your schedule better. Either way you stay mobile while your vehicle is being restored, with minimal disruption to your routine. Ask us when you book the repair and we'll have the rental lined up for the day you drop your vehicle off.
Standing Behind Every Repair
Our warranty is one of the most common things customers ask about: full written terms are on our Warranty page, and here are the basics.
Murrays Collision Group offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all repairs, for as long as you own your vehicle. Fix Auto locations additionally honor that warranty at all Fix Auto facilities. Parts and materials are covered per the manufacturer's or supplier's warranty terms. For details on coverage, call us at (253) 845-5665. Full written terms are available on our Warranty page.
See Full Warranty TermsIf you notice an issue with a past repair (a paint imperfection, a rattling panel, or anything that doesn't look or feel right), call us at (253) 845-5665 or stop by the shop with your original invoice. We'll schedule a time to inspect the vehicle, confirm the issue relates to the original repair, and correct it at no charge under the warranty terms. Keeping a copy of your final invoice speeds up the process, though we also keep repair records on file. Most warranty issues can be diagnosed the same day you bring the vehicle in.
We prioritize OE (original equipment) parts straight from the manufacturer to ensure proper fit, safety, and performance. Our centralized parts team works to price-match whenever possible, keeping repairs affordable without cutting corners. See our Warranty page for the complete written terms.
Dents, EVs, and Safety Systems
Some repairs need specialized equipment and training beyond standard bodywork. Here's what sets these apart.
Yes, we are certified to work on all makes and models. Our shop holds I-CAR Gold Class, the collision industry's highest training standard, which covers every make rather than a single badge and has to be re-earned every year as vehicle technology changes. The repair follows that manufacturer's published procedures, uses OE parts, includes the ADAS calibration the factory specifies, and is documented in your file before the vehicle goes back to you.
Yes. Structural work starts on the frame rack, where the vehicle is anchored and measured against the manufacturer's factory dimensions with a computerized measuring system before anyone touches it. That set-up-and-measure step is what tells us what actually moved, because structural damage is rarely visible from the outside and a vehicle can sit square in the bay while a rail sits several millimeters out. We pull it back to spec, then measure again after the repair and document both readings in your file. If a component is damaged past the point where the manufacturer allows it to be straightened, we replace it rather than pull it, because that is what the factory procedure calls for and it is what keeps the vehicle's crash structure working the way it was designed to.
Yes. Our technicians are ASE certified, the national standard for proving a technician's competence through testing rather than time served. Alongside that, the shop is I-CAR Gold Class, the collision repair industry's top training designation, held shop-wide and re-earned every year. The two cover different ground: ASE certifies the individual technician, I-CAR Gold Class certifies that the whole team trains continuously on current repair methods. Both matter on a modern vehicle, where a panel is bonded rather than welded and a bumper cover hides sensors that have to be recalibrated to factory tolerance.
Fix Auto Puyallup is based in Puyallup, WA, and serves drivers throughout the greater Puget Sound, including South Hill, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Edgewood, Milton, and Fife, along with customers from across Washington State. Many customers make the drive, or have their vehicle towed in, from well outside the immediate area to have their repair handled here.
Paintless dent repair removes minor dents without repainting, using techniques that preserve your factory finish. It's ideal for parking lot dings and small low-speed impacts, where the panel deforms but the paint stays intact. We perform PDR at our Puyallup shop on every make and model we repair. PDR works best on doors, hoods, fenders, roofs, and trunk lids, wherever the metal has room to flex evenly. It struggles near sharp body lines, edges, and areas with prior bodywork or filler. See our Paintless Dent Repair page for more detail.
Repairing an EV means safely handling high-voltage battery systems, following the manufacturer's own structural repair methods for aluminum and multi-material body panels, and recalibrating ADAS components such as forward-facing cameras, radar, and ultrasonic parking sensors, all steps a standard gas-car repair does not involve. Those procedures are what restore the vehicle to factory safety and performance standards rather than repairing it cosmetically.
ADAS calibration realigns the cameras, radar, and sensors that run your vehicle's driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Almost every vehicle built in the last several years has some version of this technology, whether it is a gas engine truck, a hybrid, or an EV.
Those sensors are aimed to exact factory tolerances. A collision, a bumper or grille replacement, a windshield replacement, a suspension or alignment change, even a mirror or headlight repair can move one by a fraction of a degree. That is enough for the system to misread lane position or following distance.
Every manufacturer publishes its own calibration requirements, and we follow the procedure for your specific make and model. Domestic, import, luxury, truck, hybrid, or EV, every one of them specifies when calibration is required and how it has to be performed. Some vehicles need a static calibration on a level floor with factory targets, others need a dynamic calibration driven on the road, and many need both. We complete the required calibration as part of the repair and document it in the file before your vehicle goes back to you.