I went to Capital City Collision the week of September 1st (either the 2nd or 3rd) for my first…read morequote after an accident. Over the next few days, I also got quotes from Maaco, Advantage Auto Body, Competitive Auto Body, and Gerber. The prices ranged from $4,900 to $3,400. Capital City Collision gave me the lowest quote ($3,400) while also treating me with the most respect and understanding.
I dropped off my car on Monday of that week. By Tuesday/Wednesday, they had already disassembled what was needed. They were upfront that there was some visible internal damage and that they wouldn't know the full picture until everything was apart. Unlike other shops that wanted to replace everything, they explained where repairs were possible (like reshaping my radiator rather than automatically replacing it). This saved me significant money.
They were also flexible in ways other shops weren't: their aftermarket parts prices matched what I found myself, and they had no problem with me sourcing parts if needed. Several shops refused this outright or insisted on OEM only. Their labor was $55/hour and very fairly priced.
I called them a week later for an update, they were still waiting on parts. The following week, they let me know the part they first ordered was broken, so they ordered a new one but they expected the car to be ready the next day. The only hiccup was with one headlight: the part was originally quoted at $600, but since it wasn't available at that price, they adjusted the labor so the difference was only $200 instead of the full increase. That kind of effort to keep the price as close to the original quote as possible is rare in this industry.
On September 26th, they called me to say the car was basically ready but had two issues: (1) the PCS light was on (a sensor that helps with braking safety) and (2) the battery had died while they were test driving. Here's where I really appreciated their transparency, they could have easily claimed I needed a new PCS sensor (a very expensive part) or a new battery. Instead, they explained exactly what they were seeing, test-drove the car four times, and told me it might just be a calibration or placement issue. Within an hour, they found the sensor was simply out of place, and the battery worked fine after a jump. They even suggested I go to AutoZone (where I originally bought the battery) to test it, and AutoZone confirmed the battery was perfectly healthy. They could have charged me thousands more, but they didn't. That honesty means everything.
The finished work looks fantastic. The hood was completely destroyed in the accident, and part of the side body wasn't great, but I chose not to replace that panel to save money. Because of that, the hood alignment is a little wider on one side, but they respected my choice and explained the tradeoff. It's not noticeable unless you're looking for it. The car looks great, drives great, and was finished efficiently.
For comparison: at Advantage Auto Body, they insisted on sawing off my hood just to give me a quote, then left the saw inside my car until Maaco found it and removed it. Other shops were hundreds to over a thousand dollars more expensive without offering more transparency. As a young woman handling this process on my own, it was discouraging at times to see the price differences, but Capital City Collision never made me feel taken advantage of.
Overall, they were professional, fair, and incredibly honest. I wish I could tip them on top of what I paid. I'll attach before/after photos to show the difference, but I can say with confidence: this is the shop I would recommend to anyone.
Lessons learned: If you're in this situation, I recommend going to multiple shops for quotes and seeing where they overlap on what really needs to be replaced. After that, check aftermarket prices for those parts so you know whether the quote is fair. It takes extra time, but it gives you a solid baseline, and for me, Capital City Collision matched those fair prices while giving me honest, quality work.
Pictures with information blacked out
