Start a closeout review when the total loss determination is confirmed. Reconcile authorized work performed, open parts orders, sublets, documents, belongings, and pickup. Then resolve the shop’s invoice, payments, adjustments, and vendor credits. The vehicle leaving the lot is a recorded milestone; it does not prove that every financial item is finished.
Confirm the new direction
Record who communicated the determination, when it was received, and the supporting message or document. Identify the shop employee coordinating closeout and the current customer, insurer, and salvage contacts. Replace vague notes such as “totaled” with the confirmed status and next action.
Review the work already underway before changing assignments. Tell the floor which planned operations are canceled or need further direction, and identify any remaining authorized work. Preserve the original estimate, authorizations, photos, and progress history so the final record explains what happened before the decision.
Reconcile the work performed
Compare the estimate with technician notes, time records, and completed operations. Identify what was authorized, what was actually performed, and what remains unperformed. A planned operation should not become a completed charge simply because it appeared on an earlier estimate.
Check outside services individually. A sublet may be booked, canceled, completed but not invoiced, or already paid. Retain the vendor’s confirmation and supporting invoice. Review any cancellation charge against the vendor agreement and applicable policy before including it in the accounting record.
Build the shop’s itemized invoice from supported entries. Keep questions about payment responsibility visible for resolution. The total loss billing documentation guide covers the evidence behind those entries.
Finish the parts trail
Pull every open purchase order tied to the repair. Contact the supplier about undelivered items and retain the cancellation response. For received parts, confirm their location, condition, return eligibility, deadline, and any restocking terms. Keep items awaiting return clearly identified so they do not leave with the vehicle by mistake.
| Status | Closeout action |
|---|---|
| Ordered, not received | Confirm cancellation or the remaining delivery obligation. |
| Received, not used | Record return instructions, pickup, and expected credit. |
| Used or nonreturnable | Retain the supporting cost and disposition decision. |
| Returned, awaiting credit | Assign follow-up until the vendor credit is reconciled. |
Match the actual credit to the returned quantity and expected amount. A pickup receipt proves the vendor collected the part; it does not establish the credit amount. Keep core deposits, partial credits, and unexplained deductions open for review even after the vehicle leaves.
Prepare the vehicle handoff
Confirm the authorized recipient and pickup arrangements under the shop’s locally reviewed release procedure. Gather the applicable signed documents, owner instructions, salvage assignment, and transport contact. Record where the keys and any loose components are located, plus handling information the transport provider needs.
Arrange for the customer’s belongings to be removed and document completion. Before pickup, reconcile the vehicle and loose components against the handoff record. At departure, record the date, time, recipient, transport reference, and receipt or signature required by the procedure. Retain relevant condition photos.
Keep physical release and financial close as separate statuses. Staff should follow the applicable release requirements and approved policy; an unresolved balance needs a named financial follow-up owner.
Reconcile the financial record
Review the final shop invoice against supporting work, fees, vendor documents, and any properly established storage period. Confirm who is being asked to pay each amount and record the current response. Separate amounts invoiced, payments received, agreed adjustments, and unresolved items.
Apply receipts to the correct balance and retain the payment reference. Check for a late sublet invoice, pending return credit, customer refund, or unapplied payment before marking the financial review complete. If an item remains open after pickup, assign an owner and date instead of relying on a general “follow up” note.
Use the total loss revenue reporting guide to review the resulting financial record consistently.
Keep closeout on the RO
AutoHound’s total loss workflow keeps the determination, contact, next follow-up, fee entries, and authorized storage rate and start date on the repair order. Its closeout tasks cover signed documents, belongings, salvage assignment, pickup, and settlement.
Repair order records keep photos, signed forms, invoices, and receipts together. Parts and purchase orders preserve receiving, returns, cores, and vendor credits. These records give the next employee a concrete starting point for any item still open.
Check the local requirements
California reference: BAR’s Write It Right addresses authorization, teardown, invoice, and sublet documentation for California automotive repair dealers. Its storage guidance describes conditions on storage charges and retrieval. These are California requirements, not nationwide rules. Have qualified local counsel review the shop’s authorizations, storage terms, and release procedure for its jurisdiction.
Shop checklist
- Record the confirmed determination, source, date, and closeout owner.
- Reconcile authorized work performed and remaining instructions.
- Confirm each sublet’s status and supporting cost.
- Cancel open parts orders and retain supplier responses.
- Document returns, cores, expected credits, and follow-up owners.
- Collect required documents and confirm belongings removal.
- Confirm the authorized recipient, transport contact, and pickup plan.
- Record physical release, condition, recipient, and handoff receipt.
- Reconcile invoices, receipts, adjustments, refunds, and vendor credits.
- Assign every unresolved financial item an owner and next date.
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.