Start with materials used on the job at the shop’s selling prices. Check the estimate and supplements for amounts already covered. Send the supported difference with the repair details and track what the insurer actually pays.
Build the job record
In AutoHound, an owner or admin enables Materials. The office sets pack costs, item and paint markups, and kits. When an estimate is approved, matching kits put supplies on the job list panel by panel. Technicians log additional usage from My Work. For a PPG-connected shop, use the mixing record and the shop’s paint markup. Check exclusions so a recorded mix or an estimate line does not get counted twice.
A sample materials invoice
Illustrative repair order 2146, before sales tax. The supplies below are separate from the PPG mix. The shop has verified that the $200 estimate allowance applies to these charges.
| Invoice item | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Discs, tape and seam sealer | Recorded quantities at shop selling prices | $96 |
| PPG paint | $180 recorded mix cost plus 20% markup | $216 |
| Materials total | $96 + $216 | $312 |
| Already on estimate | Allowance for these materials | −$200 |
| Additional amount requested | $312 less $200 | $112 |
Create the PDF and check the shop’s tax settings before sending. The supplement, attached usage detail and mixing record give the adjuster a way to verify the request. The amount requested is subject to review.
Follow the insurer’s answer
Email the invoice to the adjuster, include it in an adjuster package, or record that it was sent through another channel. In AutoHound, sending puts the amount in insurer receivables. Creating the PDF alone leaves it unsent.
Suppose a supplement then adds $40 toward those same materials. That $40 comes off the separate invoice, leaving $72 requested there. If the insurer pays $50 against the remaining request, the outstanding materials invoice balance is $22. Keep the supplement line and its payment history on the repair so the bookkeeper can reconcile both.
Check recovery each week
Start with Materials not invoiced to find jobs where recorded usage exceeds the allowance and the invoice still needs to go out. Use Materials invoices for sent requests and their responses. If an insurer refuses part of a request, record the answer and check the supporting detail before following up. Materials recovery lets authorized staff compare requested and paid amounts by insurer and flags rates based on fewer than ten answered invoices.