Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Your shop is responsible for meeting the obligations and requirements under the Florida Motor Vehicle Repair Act.

The state of Florida requires that motor vehicle repair estimates and invoices follow certain guidelines. Check out the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service Division of Consumer Services Motor Vehicle Repair Estimate and Invoice Requirements for details.

The guidelines state that each shop must register with the state of Florida and provide proof that their estimates and invoices meet Florida’s requirements.

Locate the Program Resources and Motor Vehicle Repair Application links.

Shopmonkey’s Estimates/Invoices vs. FL State Requirements

Currently, Shopmonkey’s estimates/invoices include the following:

• Motor Vehicle Repair Shop Information:

  • Name

  • Address

  • Telephone number

• Customer Information:

  • Name

  • Address

  • Telephone number

• Motor Vehicle Information:

  • Year/Make/Model

  • Odometer reading

  • License tag number

• The proposed work completion date

  • Please Note: Estimates/Invoices in Shopmonkey have a “Due Date”, however, the language cannot be updated to reflect the FL recommended language of “Promised Date”

• A general description of the customer's problem or request for repair work or service relating to the motor vehicle

  • In the shop, you would add this under the customer comment section on the Summary tab, which is displayed on the estimates and invoices

• A statement as to whether the customer is being charged according to a flat rate, an hourly rate, or both

  • In the shop, you would add these details under the service on the Services tab of the order. Shopmonkey will show the labor cost for the service, but it will not distinguish if this is an hourly or a flat rate.

• Whether or not the estimate includes a separate charge for shop supplies or hazardous/other waste removal

  • If the estimate includes a separate charge for shop supplies or hazardous/other waste removal, the following statement should be added to any applicable services: Shop Supplies and any applicable removal fees are included in the breakdown of the estimate as well as any fees that are attached to it

• The customer’s intended method of payment

  • In the shop, you would add these details under the service on the Services tab of the order

• The name and telephone number of another person who may authorize repair work, if the customer desires to designate such person

  • In the shop, you would add this under the customer comment section on the Summary tab, which is displayed on the estimates and invoices

Presenting the Required Statement to the Customer

In order to include the required statement on an estimate or invoice, we recommended the following:

1. Create a new service group (after you add all of the actual services your shop will be performing)

2. Add the required text in the notes section of the service (Please check the requirements for the most up-to-date required language)

   1. Adding this to the text section will ensure that it appears on the estimate that is sent to the customer

This is what the customer will see when they receive their estimate or invoice authorization request.

Thanks for reading!