If you've owned an independent collision repair shop for any length of time, you've learned that insurance companies rarely make sweeping changes overnight. Instead, they introduce small policy changes, one at a time. Individually, they may not seem like much. But together, they slowly chip away at a shop's profitability.

Lately, I've noticed a trend that should concern every independent shop owner. It isn't about labor rates or repair procedures this time. It's about shifting more of the financial burden of repairs onto the repair facility while making it appear as though they're simply "following policy."

One of the biggest examples I've seen recently involves OEM parts pricing.

For years, the process was relatively straightforward. We ordered the OEM part, received the invoice from the dealership, and if there was a price increase from the original estimate, we submitted documentation and were reimbursed for the difference. That made sense because repair costs should reflect the actual cost of repairing the vehicle.

Now we're seeing something different.

Insurance companies are increasingly paying what their estimating software says the OEM list price should be instead of reimbursing the actual invoice amount. When we submit the dealer invoice showing a higher price, many are denying the supplement. The explanation? They've already paid "true list price."

Do manufacturers and dealerships update pricing? Absolutely. Inflation, supply chain disruptions, transportation costs, and market conditions continue to affect parts pricing. An estimating database simply can't reflect every change in real time.

Estimating systems are valuable tools, but they aren't real-time pricing systems. If an authorized OEM dealer invoice reflects the actual cost of a required part, shops shouldn't be expected to absorb the difference simply because software hasn't caught up.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happening.

Another area where we're seeing the same philosophy is shipping charges.

Increasingly, insurers are denying shipping costs altogether, calling them "the cost of doing business."

That phrase has become one of my least favorite responses.

Ordering parts isn't free. Distribution costs, oversized components, hazardous materials, expedited freight, and special handling create legitimate expenses that are often necessary to complete a proper repair.

Imagine telling an insurance company that paying adjusters is simply "the cost of doing business" and refusing to include those expenses in premiums. It wouldn't happen because operating costs are built into their business model.

Yet somehow repair facilities are expected to absorb ours.

The troubling part isn't just these individual denials. It's the larger pattern they represent.

Every year, insurers seem to identify another expense that becomes the shop's responsibility — administrative procedures, calibration negotiations, parts pricing discrepancies, or shipping charges.

None of these changes alone are enough to put a shop out of business, but together they steadily erode profitability while increasing the amount of uncompensated work shops perform every day.

Independent collision repair facilities already operate on relatively tight margins. We invest heavily in training, equipment, certifications, repair information, wages, and evolving vehicle technology. Every additional unreimbursed expense comes directly out of the resources we use to keep our businesses healthy and repair vehicles safely.

What concerns me most is that many of these practices become accepted simply because shops get tired of fighting.

A denied freight charge. Another hour spent arguing over documentation.

Eventually, some shops decide it's easier to absorb the loss than spend more time chasing reimbursement.

That's exactly what insurance companies depend on.

As independent shop owners, we have to continue documenting everything —save invoices, keep shipping records, provide repair procedures, submit supplements, and appeal denials. The more evidence we provide, the harder legitimate costs become to dismiss.

Equally important, we need to talk with one another. When independent shops share experiences, patterns begin to emerge. What initially appears to be an isolated issue often turns out to be happening across multiple markets and with multiple insurance companies. Those conversations help all of us recognize changing trends before they become the industry standard.

Insurers have every right to manage claims responsibly and control unnecessary costs. We should all support accurate estimating and responsible repair planning. But there is a significant difference between controlling costs and shifting legitimate repair expenses onto repair facilities.

Our responsibility is to restore vehicles safely and according to manufacturer specifications. We shouldn't be expected to subsidize repairs because a pricing database hasn't caught up or shipping has been labeled "the cost of doing business."

If we don't continue pushing back on these small changes today, they'll become tomorrow's accepted standard. And once that happens, getting those dollars back becomes far more difficult than protecting them in the first place.