# Collision estimating software that keeps the estimate, the supplement and the authorization in one file

> Collision estimating is the written pricing of an auto body repair, line by line, before the work starts and again every time the job grows. California puts the format in statute: Business and Professions Code 9884.9 requires an itemized written estimate for all parts and labor on body work, with each crash part identified as an original equipment manufacturer part or a non original equipment manufacturer aftermarket part. Neurobird holds the estimate, every supplement and the authorization behind each one.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/estimating/
- Product: Neurobird Collision Estimating Operations Platform
- Niche: collision estimating
- Buyer: collision repair shops
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-22

## What Neurobird Collision Estimating does

- Keep the original estimate intact and stack supplements on top of it rather than overwriting the number
- Record each authorization with the time, the person and how you reached them
- Carry the OEM or aftermarket status of each crash part from estimate through to invoice
- Hold the total loss timeline so the decision date and the teardown date are not in dispute

## How it works

1. **Write the estimate** Parts and labor listed separately, each part described as new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned, and each crash part marked OEM or non-OEM aftermarket the way the statute asks.
2. **Authorize the growth** Every supplement records the date and time, the person who approved it and the number or address you reached them on, which is exactly what the invoice rule wants written down.
3. **Close it clean** The invoice is built from the estimate and its supplements, so the parts description on the final document matches the one the customer agreed to.

## From the source material

> An auto body or collision repair estimate must be itemized and contain the same information that is required in a standard estimate.

Source: bar.ca.gov, https://www.bar.ca.gov/wir

## Industry context

- **9884.9** The California section requiring an itemized written estimate for auto body work, with labor and parts described separately and each crash part identified as OEM or non-OEM aftermarket. (source: California Business and Professions Code 9884.9, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=9884.9)
- **3356(c)** The invoice rule. Each part must be described as new, used, reconditioned, rebuilt, an OEM crash part or a non-OEM aftermarket crash part, with subtotals for labor and parts shown separately. (source: 16 CCR 3356, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-3356)
- **3303** Where the vocabulary is defined: crash part, OEM crash part, non-OEM aftermarket crash part, sectioning, structure and corrosion protection all have regulatory meanings. (source: 16 CCR 3303, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-3303)
- **35 calendar days** Window a California insured gets after a first party total loss payment or final offer to say they cannot buy a comparable vehicle for that amount, which the insurer must notify them of. (source: 10 CCR 2695.8, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/10-CCR-2695.8)
- **2695.8** The claims rule that makes an insurer specifying non-OEM crash parts warrant they are at least equal to OEM in kind, quality, safety, fit and performance, and disclose that in writing in the estimate. (source: 10 CCR 2695.8, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/10-CCR-2695.8)
- **3356(e)** Additional authorization obtained orally or electronically must be recorded on the invoice with its date and time, the name of the person who approved it and the number or address contacted. (source: 16 CCR 3356, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-3356)

## Pricing

- Single shop: $179 per month
- Body shop group: $549 per month
- MSO: $1,290 per month

## Questions

### What is a collision estimate?

It is the itemized written price of a body repair, produced before work begins. California Business and Professions Code 9884.9 requires labor and parts to be described separately, each part identified as new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned, and each crash part marked as an OEM part or a non-OEM aftermarket part.

### What are the rules on aftermarket crash parts?

An insurer that specifies non-OEM replacement crash parts must warrant that they are at least equal to the original equipment parts in kind, quality, safety, fit and performance, disclose that warranty in writing in any estimate it prepares, and pay for any modifications needed to fit them.

### Does this replace our estimating platform?

No. The estimate is still written where you write it now. This is the file around it: the version history, the supplements, who authorized each one and when, and the parts type carried through to the invoice.

### How does it handle supplements?

Each supplement is stacked on the original rather than replacing it, and it carries the date and time of the authorization, the name of the person who gave it and the number or address you reached them on, which is what 16 CCR 3356 asks to see on the invoice.

### Can it help with a total loss?

It holds the timeline. When the decision was made, what the teardown had already found, and what the customer was told. California gives a first party insured 35 calendar days after a total loss payment or final offer to come back on the valuation.

## Sources

- [California Business and Professions Code 9884.9, written estimates](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=9884.9)
- [16 CCR 3356, invoice requirements](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-3356)
- [16 CCR 3303, definitions](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-3303)
- [10 CCR 2695.8, automobile claim settlement standards](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/10-CCR-2695.8)
- [California Bureau of Automotive Repair](https://www.bar.ca.gov/)
- [California Business and Professions Code 9884.8, invoice duty](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=9884.8)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/