An empty, brightly lit paint booth with a car under a protective cover on the floor grates

A paint booth with the lights up and the car wrapped before spraying. Photographs on this page are stock images.

Had a wreck? Start here.

Collision repair on East Washington Street in Winchester. If you are sorting out the car and the insurance at the same time, this page covers the next few days.

Call (859) 744-6644 What to do first

The first two days after a wreck

Get safe, then take photos.All four corners, the damage up close, the other car and its plate, and the road. Take more than you think you need.
Swap details at the scene.Names, phone numbers, insurers and policy numbers. Write down the time and where it happened.
Report it to your insurer.You will get a claim number. Keep it on your phone; every call about the car starts with it.
Decide where the car goes.Most policies let you choose the repair shop, even if the adjuster suggests another. If you are unsure, ask your adjuster to confirm.
If it will not drive,the tow driver can bring it to 424 E Washington St. Call first so we know it is coming.

Close view of a car's crushed hood and broken headlight after a front-end collision — A front hit rarely stops at the bumper. Lights, brackets and the radiator sit right behind it.

White hatchback with its front corner torn open and the bumper on the ground — Photograph the car where it stopped, before anyone moves it.

Red car with a crumpled rear quarter strapped to a flatbed tow truck — A car that cannot be driven goes on a flatbed, strapped at the wheels.

Deep crease across a dark green car door reflecting trees and flowers — A crease across a door can hide bent metal behind it.

Older blue car with a dented front fender and peeling paint — Mention old damage too. It gets separated from the new claim at the estimate.

What to bring to the estimate

Your claim number and the name of your insurer
The adjuster's name and phone number, if you have one
Driver's license and registration
Your photos from the scene
The police report number, if police came
Every key, if the car is staying

Missing something? Come anyway. Most of it can be added later.

How an insurance estimate works

The first estimate covers what can be seen. It lists each part, the labor hours and the paint.

Once damaged panels come off, hidden damage often turns up: brackets, sensors, inner metal. That gets written up and sent to your insurer as a supplement.

Waiting on the adjuster to approve a supplement is the most common reason a car sits. Answering their calls quickly helps.

Ask your insurer how they pay. Some pay the shop directly; some send the check to you.

Silver coupe in a workshop with the front bumper, lights and fenders removed — With the bumper and lights off, the full extent of a front hit shows.

View into a car's front end with the bumper removed, showing the radiator support and engine bay — The inner structure gets checked before new panels go on.

How a collision repair goes

Every job is different, but the order rarely changes. The stock photographs below show each stage; they are not this shop or its customers' cars.

Structure first

Bent or kinked metal is straightened or replaced, then welded, before anything cosmetic happens.

Spot welder tip pressed against a car body panel next to a headlight — Spot welding a replacement panel to the body.

Person lying under a car grinding metal, sparks flying — Grinding back old welds from underneath.

Panels and bumpers

Dents are pulled, filled and sanded smooth. Plastic bumper covers can often be reshaped with heat instead of replaced.

Person kneeling to sand body filler on the rear quarter of a grey car — Body filler sanded flat over a repaired rear quarter.

Technician using a heat gun on a front bumper cover — Heat softens a bumper cover so it can be reshaped.

Car raised on stands with a wheel and body panels removed — Wheels and panels off, the car up on stands for access.

Masking

Everything not being painted gets covered. Thin tape marks the exact edge where new paint stops.

Bare metal front fender surrounded by tan masking paper — A bare fender with masking paper around it.

Hands laying a roll of thin masking tape along a purple car panel — Fine-line tape follows the body line.

Classic white car with its front wrapped in clear plastic sheeting — Plastic sheeting keeps overspray off the rest of the car.

Paint

Primer, color, then clear coat. It is sprayed in a booth with filtered air so dust does not settle in the finish.

Painter standing at the rear of a covered car with a spray gun and air hose — The air hose stays clear of wet paint.

Masked car parked in the center of an enclosed, lit paint booth — Doors closed, the booth filters and moves the air.

Matching the color

A factory paint code is a starting point. Paint shifts with age and sun, so the mix gets checked against your car and blended into the panels beside the repair.

Fanned deck of printed color swatches from yellow through blue and purple — Swatch decks narrow a color down before the mix.

Color sample cards spread in a circle on a grey surface — Close shades only separate side by side.

Glossy dark brown car hood reflecting overhead light — Dark and metallic colors show a mismatch in direct light.

Finish

New clear coat is sanded and buffed so its texture matches the paint around it.

Rotary polisher with a yellow foam pad buffing a white car panel — Buffing out the new clear coat.

Gloved hand polishing a headlight lens with a foam pad — Lenses get cleaned up before the car goes back.

Find the shop

On East Washington Street in Winchester, Clark County. Call before you come so someone is ready for you.

Call (859) 744-6644

Address: 424 E Washington St
Winchester, KY 40391Address from a directory listing; confirm by phone.
Phone: (859) 744-6644
Fax: (859) 744-6647, for insurers and adjusters
Hours: Call for current hours
Directions: Open in Google Maps

Ask about your car

Leave your number and a short note about what happened. For anything urgent, call (859) 744-6644.