Estimating tools and tariff shock

OEC has linked its RepairLogic repair research platform directly to CCC ONE, letting estimators click a section of an estimate and jump straight to the matching OEM procedure instead of hunting through two systems. Autobody News reported on an early adopter, Davis Paint and Collision, a three-location MSO handling roughly 250 repair orders a month, where more than 15 estimators and techs now use it daily.

The part that caught the operator's attention was money he was leaving on the table. Regional director Brian Davis said digging deeper into the procedures regularly turned up two or three billable operations his shops had not been catching, mostly calibrations and relearns, because the two systems had not talked to each other well. By his math, two extra calibrations a month covered the cost of the software. OEC says early beta users reported saving 10 to 15 minutes per repair order.

Why it matters: This may signal how much documented calibration work is going unbilled at shops that know research matters but do not always have time to do it thoroughly. Davis also said the shared documents improved communication between the front counter and the back of the shop, since estimators and techs were finally looking at the same page. For some shops, it is worth considering whether your current process is catching every operation you could reasonably document and charge for.

President Trump said the U.S. will raise tariffs on cars, trucks, and auto parts from Canada to 50% starting January 1, 2027, doubling the current 25% rate. The announcement followed the collapse of trade negotiations, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada will retaliate in kind. Tariffs on Canadian steel imports already sit at 50%.

The direct volume is modest. Vehicles built in Canada made up about 5.4% of U.S. sales last year, according to GlobalData. The bigger issue is parts. Automotive components often cross the border several times in different forms before ending up in a finished vehicle, which means a single part can pick up tariff charges more than once along the way.

Why it matters: This could reinforce upward pressure on parts prices well beyond the handful of vehicles actually assembled in Canada. Supply chains built around free movement across the border do not reconfigure quickly, and cost increases tend to show up at the counter before anyone announces them. For some shops, it is worth weighing how much of your parts spend traces back to cross-border suppliers, and whether it makes sense to talk with your distributors now about what they expect.

Collision repair acquisitions hit their lowest first-half total in three years, according to Focus Advisors' mid-year review. Setting aside Gerber's purchase of Joe Hudson's, the major consolidators and newer platforms added a combined 81 locations in the first half, compared with more than 300 in the same stretch of 2024. Focus Advisors sees this as a pause rather than a lasting shift and expects activity to pick back up heading into 2027.

Money has not left the sector, it is just moving differently. The firm counts more than 130 private equity firms evaluating collision deals, with mid-sized PE-backed platforms growing at five to seven times the pace of the four biggest consolidators. On valuations, the report pushes back on the usual explanation, arguing prices have fallen mainly because target companies' trailing earnings dropped, not because buyers lowered their multiples.

Why it matters: This may signal a tougher moment for owners thinking about selling, since a revenue dip can cut enterprise value by a larger percentage than the revenue decline itself. The report also notes the average vehicle age reached a record 12.95 years, and that more collision operators are moving into mechanical and maintenance work as a result. For some shops, that crossover is worth watching, since it may mean new competition for the general repair work you already do.

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