Document the authorized work actually completed, review each proposed charge under the shop’s applicable policies and law, and assemble an itemized request with supporting evidence. Record who is reviewing it, the amount in question, and the next follow-up. A total loss designation alone does not establish entitlement to a fee or insurer payment.
Capture work as it happens
CCC’s 2026 Crash Course report places claims flagged total loss at 23.1% across all loss categories in 2025. That makes a repeatable closeout process useful even when the shop expected to perform a repair.
Begin the record during intake and assessment. Keep the repair order, claim reference, vehicle identification, customer contact, estimate versions, photos, authorization, and dated work notes connected. When the outcome changes, preserve what had already happened and identify any work that remains authorized.
A note such as “teardown complete” is less useful than a dated description of the area disassembled, the person who performed it, supporting photos, and the estimate or authorization it relates to. Record facts while they are available. Reconstructed recollections are harder for someone else to review.
Separate permission and payment
Keep two questions visible: what did the customer authorize, and what payment has the insurer confirmed? Record the scope, price, date, person, and supporting communication for each authorization. Separately record insurer discussions about coverage, disputed lines, payment amounts, and recipients. An adjuster’s inspection or acknowledgment should not be recorded as approval of the entire invoice.
California provides a specific example: BAR’s Write It Right guide requires customer authorization before repairs and describes the information required for teardown estimates. Its third-party payment guidance distinguishes the customer’s authorization from approval of payment. These are California requirements, not a national template.
When the customer asks whether everything will be covered, identify what has been confirmed and what remains unresolved. Keep that explanation with the file so the next employee can continue the conversation accurately.
Give every line a basis
Review proposed charges individually. A familiar fee label does not establish that it is allowed, authorized, performed, or covered. Use descriptions that explain the activity and a calculation that another person can reproduce.
| Proposed item | Supporting record | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Completed diagnostic or teardown work | Applicable authorization, work notes, photos, and calculation. | Does the invoice describe only the work actually completed? |
| Outside service or supplier cost | Vendor invoice and the related approval or order. | Is this cost supported and properly assigned to this file? |
| Storage | Applicable rate, eligible dates, notices, and retrieval record. | Which periods and charges are permitted in these circumstances? |
Avoid overlapping charges. If an operation is already included in another line, resolve that overlap before submission. Apply credits and adjustments visibly. Preserve the original documents and show why the revised amount changed.
Reconcile open costs
A part ordered before the total loss decision may still be in transit, returnable, subject to supplier terms, or awaiting a credit. Review the actual order and return history before treating the full purchase amount as a final cost. The parts management guide explains how to follow receipts, returns, and credits separately.
Review storage through the storage documentation guide. Keep arrival, work completion, notice, billing start, and retrieval dates distinct. A daily rate multiplied by all days on the property is not a substitute for determining the eligible period.
Make the request easy to review
Send a concise cover note with the file identifiers, itemized amount requested, attachments, and the specific response needed. Label documents consistently, such as authorization, work record, vendor invoice, and storage timeline. Keep the sent version and date, recipient, delivery method, and any acknowledgment.
For example, a reviewer may accept one completed-work line and ask for support for another. Record the accepted amount separately from the disputed amount and send the missing document with a reference to that line. “Invoice under review” loses the detail needed to move the remaining question forward.
Close the payment loop
Assign one person to follow up with a date and a defined next action. Ask whether the reviewer needs a missing document, disputes the calculation, or is questioning coverage. Record the answer precisely and route legal or coverage disagreements to the appropriate qualified adviser.
A payment promise is not a receipt. Match money actually received to the relevant invoice and retain remittance details. Record any approved adjustment and reconcile the remaining balance. Track vehicle release and financial closeout as separate events, following the shop’s applicable release obligations.
Keep the file connected
AutoHound’s total loss workflow keeps the storage rate, start date, billable days, fee lines, follow-up, and release tasks organized. The repair order provides the surrounding job record. Staff still review charge eligibility, supporting evidence, and payment status.
Sources and scope
Sources: CCC Crash Course 2026 for the claims statistic; California BAR Write It Right for California authorization and documentation requirements.
This is a national educational workflow, not legal advice. Have qualified local counsel review the shop’s state-specific authorization, fee, notice, and release policies before adopting a billing procedure.
Shop checklist
- Identify the repair order, vehicle, customer, claim, and reviewer.
- Save the applicable estimate versions and customer authorization.
- Connect completed work to dated notes and supporting photos.
- Check every proposed charge against applicable law and shop policy.
- Resolve overlapping lines and show the calculation for each amount.
- Review supplier invoices, returns, expected credits, and adjustments.
- Verify any storage rate, eligible period, notices, and retrieval record.
- Save the itemized request, attachments, recipient, and sent date.
- Separate disputed amounts, agreed amounts, and payments received.
- Assign the next follow-up and reconcile the final balance.
This guide covers shop recordkeeping and workflow, not legal or accounting advice. Confirm applicable requirements with qualified local advisers. Any worked examples are illustrative, not customer results or industry benchmarks.