If you need to have auto body work done on your vehicle, here are three tips that will help you prepare to have auto body work done.

#1 Find Out How Long The Work Will Take

Even simple auto body work can take at least a week to complete, and more complex auto body work can take a couple of works to complete. When you take your vehicle in for auto body work, be sure to talk with the mechanic about the time frame it will take to get the parts that you need as well as the time that it will take to actually complete the auto body work. This will give you the most accurate time frame of how long you will not have your vehicle. Be sure to ask for a best and worst case scenario for repairing your vehicle, so you know any extra time that it may take to get your vehicle fixed if the auto body shop runs into issues repairing your vehicle.

#2 Rent A Vehicle

As stated above, auto body repair is not a fast process; it takes time. If you don't have multiple vehicles to drive, or if you can't be down an extra vehicle for a couple of weeks, you are going to want to make sure that you arrange to rent a vehicle while your vehicle is getting repaired.

Some auto body shops have loaner vehicles that you can drive for free or at a low cost, so be sure to check with your auto body shop to see if they offer this option. If your vehicle was damaged in an accident, and you have rental car coverage, your insurance will cover the cost of renting a car. If the damage was not accident related, you will have to cover the cost of the rental yourself. Oftentimes, you can get a better rate for long-term rentals, so coordinate with your rental company and auto body shop so you rent the vehicle for the correct time period.

Keep in mind that if your vehicle is fixed quicker than expected, the rental company should refund you any extra money you paid past the date that you return the vehicle.

#3 Clear Out Your Vehicle

Finally, you are going to want to clear out your vehicle before you take it in to have auto body work completed on your vehicle. You are not going to have access to your vehicle for a couple of weeks, so you don't want to leave important items inside of your vehicle. Additionally, a lot of people will be in and out of your vehicle, working on it, and that process will be smoother if you clean out your vehicle and have a nice, clean work environment for the auto body shop to work with. 

For more information, contact companies like Ron's Auto Refinishers.