                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WORK REQUIRED UPON REQUEST; CHARGE IN EXCESS OF
ESTIMATE; CONDITIONS; DISPLAY OF SIGN REQUIRED; LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY FOR
DELAY; EXCEPTION (§ 59.1-207.3)

A. Upon request by a customer, prior to the commencement of any repair work on a
motor vehicle for which a customer may be charged more than $25, every
automobile repair facility doing business in the Commonwealth shall provide the
customer a written statement of (i) the estimated cost of labor necessary to
complete the work, (ii) the estimated cost of parts necessary to complete work,
(iii) a description of the problem or work as described or authorized by the
customer, and (iv) the estimated completion time. An automobile repair facility
shall have no obligation to provide such written statements prior to 10:00 a.m.
or after 4:00 p.m. during a working day.

B. Where a written estimate is requested, no repair work on the motor vehicle
may be undertaken, other than such diagnostic work as may be necessary for the
preparation of an estimate, until the written estimate has been provided the
customer and the customer has authorized the work, either in writing or orally,
and no charge for repair work in excess of the written estimate by more than 10
percent or, in the case of any motor vehicle which is at least 25 model years
old, 20 percent or extension of the time for the work may be made unless the
additional work represented by such excess charge or the time extension has been
authorized, in writing or orally, by the customer.

C. An automobile repair facility may impose reasonable conditions for its
obligations to provide written estimates to a customer, including the imposition
of a reasonable fee for the preparation of a written estimate and related
diagnostic work; provided that any such conditions shall be disclosed to the
customer at the time of his request by writing or by sign conspicuously posted
at the entrance of the automobile repair facility.
			Each automobile repair facility shall display in a conspicuous place at any
point where vehicles are normally received for repairs, a sign which states
that:

   1. The customer may receive a written estimate on request;

   2. No repair work charge may exceed the written estimate by more than 10
   percent unless the additional work represented by the excess charge has been
   authorized by the customer;

   3. Any conditions imposed by the automobile repair facility in providing
   written estimates, such as the limited hours when written estimates will be
   prepared or the amount of the reasonable fee charged for preparing a written
   estimate and for related diagnostic work;

   4. The facility shall offer to return all replaced parts except warranty, core
   charge or trade-in parts required to be returned to a manufacturer or
   distributor; and

   5. Any complaints can be made to the Division of Consumer Counsel of the
   Department of Law.
   				The sign heading &#8220;Customer Rights&#8221; shall be in letters at
   least one and one-half inches high and the remaining print shall be in letters
   at least one-fourth inch high with spacing between letters, words and lines so
   as to be clearly legible.

D. An automobile repair facility shall not be liable for breach of the written
estimated completion date for a repair if the delay is occasioned by (i) an act
of God or (ii) an unexpected shortage of labor or parts or (iii) other causes
beyond the control of the automobile repair facility.

E. Nothing in this section shall require an automobile repair facility to give a
written estimate if the facility is unwilling to perform the requested repair
work.

F. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the repair of any motor
vehicle which is any car listed in the Official Judging Manual of the Antique
Automobile Club of America.

HISTORY: 1979, c. 506; 1995, c. 110; 2012, cc. 803, 835.