Mobile Estimate & Authorization: the full procedure

Give the customer a written estimate and obtain documented authorization before any repair begins, and re-authorize before any overage.

• Applies to: On-site technician, owner
• Frequency: Every repair, after diagnosis
• Scope: Covers the estimate and authorization workflow built around consumer-protection repair law. Confirm the specific written-estimate and overage rules for your operating states.

What you need

• Mobile estimate/invoice app
• Diagnostic findings
• Parts-pricing reference
• Labor-time guide
• E-signature capture
• Overage/change-order policy

The procedure, step by step

1. Base it on the diagnosis — Build the estimate from the documented root cause, not the symptom; list the specific repair.
2. Itemize parts and labor — Break out part numbers/prices and labor hours so the customer sees what they’re paying for.
3. Note odometer and vehicle — Record the odometer reading and vehicle details on the estimate as repair law commonly requires.
4. Present alternatives — Where they exist, offer the customer repair alternatives (e.g., OEM vs. quality aftermarket part).
5. Get documented authorization — Obtain a signature (or recorded oral approval where allowed) on the specific job before starting.
6. State the overage rule — Tell the customer the final bill won’t exceed the estimate beyond the legal/internal threshold (commonly 10%) without new approval.
7. Re-authorize any change — If diagnosis reveals more work, stop and get fresh authorization before exceeding the approved amount.
8. Retain the record — Save the signed estimate and any change approvals to the job record for the invoice and any dispute.

Quality check before you finish

• Estimate built from documented root cause and lists the specific repair.
• Parts and labor itemized with prices/hours.
• Odometer and vehicle details recorded.
• Repair alternatives presented where they exist.
• Documented authorization (signature or allowed oral) captured before work began.
• Overage threshold stated to the customer up front.
• Any scope change re-authorized before exceeding the approved amount; records retained.

This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Mobile Mechanic business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.

Sources

• Bureau of Automotive Repair — "Write It Right" (bar.ca.gov)
• Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)
• AAA (aaa.com)