Priced the way Auto Body & Paint work is billed
A bumper scuff repair — sand, prime & color-blend and a rock chip touch-up — brush & pen session don't get quoted the same way, so why would every trade? SideWRK prices Auto Body & Paint the way the work is really billed: flat per repair, SMART-style (bumper scuff $375 · deep scratch $450 · wheel $150 each), plus one flat paint-and-materials line per spray job. Tap the work, put in the numbers, and the line prices itself — no napkin math, no undercharging a job because you rushed the quote.
What moves a Auto Body & Paint price
Two Auto Body & Paint jobs that look the same on paper can be a hundred dollars apart once you're on site. Here's what actually changes the number — the things to size up before you quote:
- Depth decides the job — a clear-coat scratch polishes out for $125, a scratch through the color coat is a $450 fill-prime-blend, and primer-deep damage past a panel is booth work you refer out.
- The paint itself — metallics, tri-coat pearls, and aged or faded paint all make the blend harder, and the color-match disclosure belongs on the estimate before you spray, not after.
- What you can legally do on-site — brush, pen, aerosol, and small-cup work is open to any mobile operator; spray-gun refinishing needs a filtered enclosure and HVLP, and many cities restrict it at residences entirely.
What a Auto Body & Paint job puts on the record
Every trade documents something different, and Auto Body & Paint is no exception. SideWRK captures year/make/model and the paint code off the door-jamb sticker — the color match starts there, not at the paint store and the rest of what your work needs on the record — the details that protect you and make the invoice stand up:
- year/make/model and the paint code off the door-jamb sticker — the color match starts there, not at the paint store
- damage depth — clear coat, base coat, or primer-deep — because it decides polish vs. respray vs. refer-out
- time-stamped pre-work photos of the damage and any prior bodywork
- the color-match disclosure on blended repairs over aged or faded paint
- the booth-referral note when damage runs past localized spot repair
Example note on a job: "SMART spot repair — damaged area refinished and blended only; color match on this aged paint is approximate."
How to price a Auto Body & Paint job in SideWRK
- 1
Start the job and add your work
Open a Auto Body & Paint job and tap a suggestion like "Bumper scuff repair — sand, prime & color-blend" or "Deep scratch repair — fill, prime, color match & blend" — the common work is already loaded, so you tap instead of type.
- 2
Price it flat per repair
Enter the numbers and the line prices itself, flat per repair, SMART-style (bumper scuff $375 · deep scratch $450 · wheel $150 each), plus one flat paint-and-materials line per spray job. Put parts on at your cost so what you clear is real profit, not just the Auto Body & Paint ticket total.
- 3
Note the details
Add a plain-English note — for example, "SMART spot repair — damaged area refinished and blended only; color match on this aged paint is approximate." — and a photo of the work.
- 4
Log what the job needs
Capture the Auto Body & Paint-specific records: year/make/model and the paint code off the door-jamb sticker — the color match starts there, not at the paint store, and damage depth — clear coat, base coat, or primer-deep — because it decides polish vs. respray vs. refer-out.
- 5
Send it and get paid
Send the Auto Body & Paint estimate for approval. Your customer approves from their phone, the invoice goes out, and you get paid — card, Apple Pay, or straight to Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App.
Staying on the right side of the rules
SideWRK documents your Auto Body & Paint work — it doesn't make you licensed, and it says so plainly. What to know: body and paint work for pay is regulated auto repair in several states — California requires BAR (ARD) registration and a written, authorized estimate before work starts — and spray-gun refinishing is federally legal only inside a filtered enclosure with HVLP equipment (EPA 6H); brush, pen, aerosol, and small-cup touch-up work sits outside the spray rule. The app flags the permit and license triggers so they never surprise you mid-job.
Auto Body & Paint pricing — common questions
How do I price a Auto Body & Paint job in SideWRK?
You bill flat per repair, SMART-style (bumper scuff $375 · deep scratch $450 · wheel $150 each), plus one flat paint-and-materials line per spray job. Add the work — Bumper scuff repair — sand, prime & color-blend, Deep scratch repair — fill, prime, color match & blend, Clear-coat scratch polish — wet-sand & buff — enter the numbers, and each line prices itself. Parts go on at your cost, so you see real profit and not just the total.
What does SideWRK document on a Auto Body & Paint job?
The records Auto Body & Paint work actually needs: year/make/model and the paint code off the door-jamb sticker — the color match starts there, not at the paint store; damage depth — clear coat, base coat, or primer-deep — because it decides polish vs. respray vs. refer-out; time-stamped pre-work photos of the damage and any prior bodywork. It rides on the estimate and invoice, so your paper trail is built as you work instead of reconstructed later.
Do I need a license to do Auto Body & Paint work?
That depends on your state and the job, but here's the shape of it: body and paint work for pay is regulated auto repair in several states — California requires BAR (ARD) registration and a written, authorized estimate before work starts — and spray-gun refinishing is federally legal only inside a filtered enclosure with HVLP equipment (EPA 6H); brush, pen, aerosol, and small-cup touch-up work sits outside the spray rule. SideWRK documents the work; it doesn't certify you, and it flags the permit and license triggers so nothing sneaks up on you.
Does SideWRK work for trades other than Auto Body & Paint?
Yes — it runs all 42 trades, each priced and documented its own way. If you run more than one, the Multi-Trade plan unlocks them all and switches between them in a tap.