The longest part of most collision repairs isn’t the repair itself. It’s waiting for approvals and parts, and that’s why a few quiet days after an accident usually don’t mean anything has gone wrong. Collision repair follows a set order, and much of the early work happens on paper and with suppliers, not on your car. Here’s each stage at Camco Collision Centre on Carling Avenue, what’s happening during it, and what to ask if you want an update.
Longest wait
Parts. A back-order delay comes from the supplier, not from the work on your car.
Most common delay
A supplement for hidden damage, which needs approval before the work goes ahead.
Quiet for 3 days?
Usually normal. Early on, your file is often waiting on insurance approval or parts delivery dates.
Jump to a stage
How Body Shops Handle Collision Repair, Step by Step
Most body shops follow the same basic order on every job. How long each stage takes depends on the damage, your insurer and parts availability. At Camco Collision Centre, a repair moves through eight stages:
- Damage assessment and written estimate
- Approval from you or your insurer, then parts ordered
- Repair date booked once parts arrive
- Drop-off and pre-repair scan
- Body repair, plus a supplement if hidden damage turns up
- Paint prep, colour matching and curing
- Reassembly and post-repair scan
- Pickup
Whether you were rear-ended on the Queensway or scraped a post in a parking lot on Carling, the path is the same.
Who Are We Waiting On? A Quick Reference
When a repair feels stalled, it helps to know who has the next move. This table shows what’s happening at each stage and a good question to ask.
| Stage | What’s happening | Waiting on | What to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Damage inspected, photographed and written up | The shop | “When will the estimate be sent?” |
| Approval | Estimate under review | Your insurer, or you if you’re paying | “Has the estimate been approved?” |
| Parts | Parts ordered, delivery dates confirmed | Parts suppliers | “Is anything on back order?” |
| Booking | Repair date set once parts arrive | The shop’s schedule | “When can I drop the car off?” |
| Body repair | Damage repaired or parts replaced | The shop | “Was any hidden damage found?” |
| Supplement | Extra damage sent for approval | Your insurer, or you | “Has the supplement been approved?” |
| Paint and reassembly | Panels painted, cured and refitted | The shop | “Is the car out of the paint booth?” |
| Post-scan and pickup | Final checks, then the ready-for-pickup call | The shop | “When can I pick it up?” |
Stage 1: Damage Assessment and the Estimate
Every repair starts with a written estimate. A member of the team inspects the damage, photographs it and lists the parts and labour needed. In Ontario, a repair shop must give you a written estimate before it can charge you.
If the repair goes through insurance, the estimate goes to your insurer for review. The Insurance Bureau of Canada advises drivers not to authorize repairs until their insurer has inspected the damage or agreed to the work, apart from repairs needed to prevent further damage. That review is often the first wait, and nothing happens to your car while it’s underway.
If you want an update
Waiting on: The shop → Ask: “When will the estimate be sent?”
Stage 2: Approval and Ordering Parts
Once the estimate is approved, the Camco team contacts you before ordering anything. If you’re paying for the repair yourself, this is when you pay a parts deposit. If insurance is paying, the team confirms they’ve received the approved estimate, asks your permission to order parts and answers any questions you have about the estimate.
Your file then goes to the parts associate, who orders the parts and gets a delivery date for each one. If any part is on back order, the team will let you know.
Parts are usually the longest wait in the whole process. A bumper cover might arrive quickly while a sensor bracket or headlight takes much longer, and the repair can’t be finished until every part is in. A back-order delay comes from the supplier, not from the work on your car.
If you want an update
Approval · Waiting on: Your insurer, or you if you’re paying → Ask: “Has the estimate been approved?”
Parts · Waiting on: Parts suppliers → Ask: “Is anything on back order?”
Stage 3: Booking Your Repair Date
Camco Collision Centre books your car in only after the parts arrive. That can feel slow, but it means your car isn’t sitting half-apart in the shop waiting on one missing part. If your car is safe to drive, you keep using it in the meantime. Once it’s in the shop, the work moves steadily.
When your parts are in, the team calls to schedule your drop-off. Repair dates usually land within a few weeks of the parts arriving, and sooner when the schedule allows.
If you want an update
Waiting on: The shop’s schedule → Ask: “When can I drop the car off?”
If Your Car Can’t Be Driven
If the damage leaves your car undrivable, it can be towed directly to Camco Collision Centre. Call the team at (613) 439-2010 to let them know it’s coming.
Two insurance points are worth knowing early. Direct Compensation–Property Damage (DC-PD) coverage is part of a standard Ontario auto policy, and it applies when another insured driver was at least partly at fault. Depending on how much you were at fault, your DC-PD coverage may pay for a temporary rental, so ask your adjuster. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario also notes that your insurer won’t pay more to repair a car than its actual cash value. If repairs would cost more than the car is worth, your insurer may decide on a write-off instead of a repair.
Stage 4: Drop-Off and the Pre-Repair Scan
When you drop the car off, the first step, if it’s listed on your estimate, is a pre-repair scan. A technician plugs a scan tool into the car’s computer and reads any trouble codes, the error messages your car stores when a system isn’t working right. Many modern cars use sensors and cameras for features like automatic emergency braking and lane keeping, and a collision can affect them even when the damage looks cosmetic.
The pre-scan records how the car’s systems look before any work begins. After the repair, a second scan is compared against it to confirm the problems related to the collision are gone.
Stage 5: Body Repair and Hidden Damage
Next, one of Camco’s shop technicians repairs or replaces parts according to the estimate. Any panel that needs paint also has its mouldings and accessories removed at this stage so the paint department can prep it properly.
This is also when hidden damage usually turns up. Once a bumper cover comes off, the technician might find a cracked bracket or a bent support that couldn’t be seen during the estimate. When that happens, the team photographs it and sends a supplement, an update to the original estimate, to whoever is paying. The extra work needs approval before it goes ahead, and any added parts have to be ordered, so a supplement is the most common reason a repair takes longer than first expected. It’s a normal part of collision repair, not a sign that something went wrong.
If you want an update
Body repair · Waiting on: The shop → Ask: “Was any hidden damage found?”
Supplement · Waiting on: Your insurer, or you → Ask: “Has the supplement been approved?”
Stage 6: Paint Prep, Colour Matching and Curing
When the body work is done, the car, or just the affected parts, moves to the paint department. Painters sand and prep each panel before it goes into the paint booth. A smooth, clean surface helps the new paint match the paint around it and last as long as the original.
Camco uses Glasurit water-based paint. After painting, the panels are baked in the booth to cure the paint so it hardens fully. Rushing or skipping this step is how paint fails early, so it isn’t something to cut short.
If you want an update
Waiting on: The shop → Ask: “Is the car out of the paint booth?”
Stage 7: Reassembly and the Post-Repair Scan
After the paint booth, the car goes back to the technician who did the body work. They reinstall every panel, trim piece, moulding and badge that came off for painting. Because the person who took the car apart is the one putting it back together, they know exactly how each piece came off.
Once the car is back together, the post-repair scan runs, if it’s on your estimate. The goal is a clean result showing that all collision-related codes have cleared. When the scan comes back clear, the team calls to tell you your car is ready.
If you want an update
Waiting on: The shop → Ask: “When can I pick it up?”
Stage 8: Pickup, Including After-Hours Options
You can pick up your car at Camco Collision Centre during its regular business hours. If those hours don’t fit around your job, you can pick it up after hours at the Camco Acura dealership.
If you have a balance to pay, such as a deductible or a customer-paid repair, the team can set you up to prepay or send you an email payment link so after-hours pickup goes smoothly. You can also pay in the office during business hours.
Is My Repair Delayed? How to Tell
Three days without a call is common, especially early in the process. At that point your file is often still waiting on insurance approval or parts delivery dates, and neither involves work on your car. These are signs things are on track:
✓ You’ve been told about a back order. The team lets you know when a part is delayed.
✓ You’ve heard about a supplement. Hidden damage was found and is waiting for approval, which is normal.
✓ You haven’t been booked in yet. If your car is still with you, the shop is likely waiting for parts to arrive.
If you’re unsure where things stand, call and ask three questions. What stage is my file at? Are we waiting on anyone, such as the insurer or a parts supplier? When do you expect the next step? Clear answers to those three will tell you whether your repair is moving.
Get a Straight Answer on Your Repair
Collision repair goes through the same stages every time: estimate, approval, parts, repair, paint, reassembly and pickup. Most waits happen at the approval and parts stages, not in the shop. Camco Collision Centre has been repairing vehicles in Ottawa for over 25 years. Whether you have a repair coming up or one already underway, the team can tell you exactly where things stand.
Camco Collision Centre
1475 Carling Avenue, Suite B, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7L9
Phone: (613) 439-2010
Hours and directions
FAQ: Collision Repair at Camco Collision Centre
How long does collision repair take?
It depends mostly on insurance approval and parts. The hands-on repair is often the shortest part of the process. Waiting for approvals, back-ordered parts or supplements is what usually adds time.
Is a collision centre the same as a body shop?
Yes, for the most part. “Collision centre” is a common name for a body shop that focuses on accident repair, including body work, painting and the scans modern cars need afterward.
Why isn’t my car at the collision centre yet?
Camco Collision Centre books your car in once all the parts have arrived, so it isn’t sitting in the shop waiting for one part.
What is a supplement in collision repair?
A supplement is an update to the original estimate when the technician finds hidden damage after taking the car apart. The extra work needs approval from you or your insurer before it goes ahead.
What are pre-repair and post-repair scans?
A pre-repair scan reads any trouble codes stored in your car’s computer before work starts. A post-repair scan checks that the codes related to the collision have cleared after the repair.
Do I need my insurer’s approval before repairs start?
For an insurance claim, yes, except for repairs needed to prevent further damage. The Insurance Bureau of Canada advises against authorizing repairs until your insurer has inspected the damage or agreed to the work.
Can I get a rental car while mine is being repaired?
You might. Depending on how much you were at fault, your Direct Compensation–Property Damage coverage may pay for a temporary rental. Ask your adjuster.
Can I pick up my car after hours?
Yes. After-hours pickup is available at the Camco Acura dealership, and you can prepay any balance or pay it through an email link.