ICBC Vehicle Repair Process: Estimate, Repair Shop & Deductible
After a claim, ICBC may require a vehicle damage estimate. Drivers can generally choose a repair facility; ICBC Repair Network shops can estimate and repair the vehicle, bill ICBC directly for covered work and provide limited repair warranties.
The estimate is the bridge between the claim and repair
An estimator documents the damage and expected repair cost. ICBC says a Repair Network facility can estimate and repair the vehicle, although some claims may first require a visit to an ICBC Claim Centre. The estimate can also reveal that a vehicle is not economical to repair, which moves the claim into the total-loss process.
Network and non-network shops are not identical workflows
At an ICBC Repair Network facility, the shop can bill ICBC directly for covered repair work and provides limited warranties for crash-related repairs. A customer can choose a non-network shop, but should ask about its warranties and may have to pay the shop first and submit receipts to ICBC for reimbursement consideration.
The deductible can be collected by the repair shop
When repairs are complete, the customer may have to pay the applicable deductible to the shop. Some parts or labour subject to wear and tear can also involve depreciation. The claims representative or estimator is the right source for how those amounts apply to the specific claim.
Repair quality has its own escalation path
ICBC says Repair Network facilities guarantee qualifying repairs for as long as the customer owns the vehicle. A repair concern should first be raised with the facility. If it remains unresolved, ICBC can review concerns involving a Network repair or its damage assessment.
Keep responsibility, repairs and value separate
A responsibility assessment answers who is at fault and to what degree. A repair estimate answers how much the damage is expected to cost. A total-loss valuation answers what the vehicle is worth for settlement. Treating those as three different numbers makes an ICBC claim easier to interpret.
Open the ICBC Claims Hub →