Turn Estimating into a Profit-Driving Skill
At AC Auto Consulting, we offer specialist estimating training designed for bodyshops who want to stop leaving money on the table. With years of industry experience in both Vehicle Damage Assessment and profitability consulting, we know that accurate, strategic estimating is one of the biggest levers for improving margin, especially in today’s climate of tight insurer contracts and rising overheads.
Our estimating training is tailored to your shop’s structure, insurer mix, and commercial pressures. We’ll help you and your team:
We break down the contractual differences between insurance providers, helping you identify:
What’s included or excluded in each insurer’s terms
Where labour rates, repair methods, and parts sourcing rules differ
What impact “repair vs replace” clauses and fixed pricing models have on your bottom line
How to interpret and push back on automated auditing systems (Audatex, GT Motive, etc.)
We teach you how to write estimates that:
Maximise recoverable labour time
Justify repair decisions with OEM methods
Include all legitimate operations (blend, feather & edge, vehicle resets, EV isolation, etc.)
Leverage documentation and evidence to reduce insurer pushbacks
You'll also learn how to:
Streamline internal VDA workflows
Communicate more effectively with insurers and engineers
Use repair analytics to spot margin leaks
Train staff to think commercially, not just technically
Most bodyshops are leaking hundreds—if not thousands—per month due to:
Missed or underwritten operations
Accepting insurer restrictions at face value
Underestimating their negotiation power
Failing to link estimates with real workshop performance
When you align estimating with contractual awareness, commercial strategy, and technical justification, you take control of your profitability — not the insurer.
Bodyshop owners and managers
In-house VDAs and estimators
Apprentice or junior assessors
Front-of-house staff involved in job costing
Whether you’re a large operation with multiple insurer contracts or an independent shop dealing with fleet and retail, this training is customised to you.
1:1 or team-based training (on-site or remote)
Review of your current estimating approach and insurer terms
Real-world case studies
Estimate walkthroughs (live or mock)
Post-training feedback and reference pack
Optional monthly coaching or estimate review support
“AC Auto Consulting showed us how to turn our estimating into a strength instead of a stress. We recovered over £5,000 in missed operations in the first month alone.”
— Midlands Bodyshop Director
If you're tired of insurer restrictions eating into your margins — and you’re ready to train your team to estimate for profitability, not just accuracy — let’s talk.