Do I Have to Use My Insurance Company's Preferred Body Shop?

In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, you have the legal right to choose your own collision repair shop. Your insurance company can recommend a Direct Repair Program (DRP) shop, but they can't require it, can't deny your claim because you used a different shop, and can't void your warranty for picking your own. Adjusters who tell you otherwise are either misinformed about their own company's playbook or steering you, which is illegal in both states.

A woman called us last March about a Subaru Outback that had been sideswiped on Route 24. Her insurance company told her she had to take it to a shop in Brockton. Forty-three miles from her house in Fall River. She asked why, and the adjuster said it was "policy."

It wasn't.

Carl's Collision has fielded that exact phone call thousands of times across our three locations in Fall River, Newport, and New Bedford. Here's what's actually going on, and what to say when the adjuster pushes back.

What Is a DRP Shop?

A DRP shop is a body shop that has signed an agreement with an insurance carrier. The shop accepts the carrier's labor rates, parts decisions, and repair-time estimates. In return, the carrier funnels claims to that shop.

That's the trade. Volume for margin.

The label "preferred" doesn't mean preferred-by-quality. It means contracted-with-the-insurer. There are good shops in DRP networks. There are bad ones too. Most customers don't know that. The phone call to the carrier is usually the first time anyone hears the term.

Can My Insurance Company Force Me to Use Their Shop in Massachusetts?

No. The Massachusetts Division of Insurance regulates how auto claims get handled, and the rules are direct. An insurer can't force you into a specific repair shop. They can't deny your claim because you used a non-DRP facility. They can't tell you the warranty on your repair will be void if you go somewhere else. The right to pick your shop is yours.

If an adjuster says, "We can only guarantee the work at our preferred shop," ask them to put it in writing. They won't. The reason they won't is that the statement is misleading. Any reputable body shop, DRP or not, guarantees its own work. We do. Most of our competitors do. The carrier doesn't guarantee any shop's repairs. The shop guarantees the shop's repairs.

Does Rhode Island Have the Same Anti-Steering Law?

Yes. Rhode Island's anti-steering protections sit inside the state's auto body and consumer protection statutes. The carrier can't pressure you, can't misrepresent what happens if you go elsewhere, and can't make false claims about a non-DRP shop's qualifications.

The conversation in Newport tends to go the same way as the conversation in Fall River. A polite adjuster names a shop. The customer says, "I'd like to use Carl's." The adjuster says some version of "we can't guarantee." Then, when pressed, processes the claim normally.

What Will the Adjuster Say to Steer Me?

After enough years of this, the script gets familiar:

• "We can't guarantee the work."

• "It'll take longer to process the claim."

• "We can't promise the rental coverage will extend."

• "Our preferred shops use OEM parts. Other shops might not."

• "If something goes wrong, you'd be on your own."

  
  

None of those statements are true the way an adjuster makes them sound. The claim processes the same. The rental works the same. Parts policy is governed by your insurance contract and the body shop's own standards, not the network. If something goes wrong, your shop's warranty covers it. Ours runs as long as you own the vehicle.

The hardest one to push back on is the implied delay. People who've just been in an accident want their car fixed. They don't want to argue. So they cave, end up at the shop the carrier picked, and don't know what they gave up.

What Actually Changes if I Pick My Own Shop?

For the customer, almost nothing. We deal with the carrier directly. We send the estimate, we negotiate the supplements when the car comes apart and we find more damage, we handle the parts ordering, we coordinate the rental. The customer drops the car off and picks it up.

The differences show up in the repair itself.

A non-DRP shop has no contractual incentive to use the carrier's preferred parts. We can push for OEM where it matters: structural panels, sensors, anything tied to ADAS calibration. Even when the insurer wants aftermarket. We can take an extra day if a panel needs longer cure time. We can refuse to cut a corner that the carrier's "time guide" assumes we'll cut.

That last one is the part most customers never see. Insurance estimating software writes a labor time for each operation, and those times are often optimistic. A DRP shop that consistently writes supplements over the carrier's estimate gets pushed out of the network. So the incentive runs in one direction: stay at or under the time guide, even when the actual repair takes longer.

We don't have that pressure. If a 2024 Outback's rear radar needs a dynamic recalibration after a quarter-panel replacement, we drive the car the full protocol and calibrate it correctly. If a DRP shop is told to skip the dynamic step to stay under the carrier's time guide, that's a different kind of shop than ours.

How Do I Tell My Insurance Company I'm Using My Own Shop?

If you're calling in a claim, here's what works.

Tell the adjuster the car's at Carl's Collision, whichever of our three locations is closest, and that's where it's being repaired. Don't ask. State it. If the adjuster pushes back with one of the scripts above, say: "I understand. I'm exercising my right to choose my own repair facility. Please process the claim accordingly." Then stop talking.

Adjusters are trained to fill silence. Don't fill it for them. The claim will process.

If you've already dropped the car at a DRP shop and want to move it, you can. The repair hasn't started yet. Call us before any disassembly. Once a shop tears into a car, moving it gets more difficult.

Why Choosing the Right Body Shop Matters More in 2026

Twenty years ago this was a smaller question. Cars were simpler. Today's vehicles have radar, cameras, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking. Systems that need to be calibrated correctly after almost any front-end or side-impact repair. A miscalibrated forward-collision sensor doesn't show up on a test drive. It shows up six months later when the car doesn't brake for the kid in the crosswalk.

The shop you choose matters more than it used to. The carrier's job is to pay the claim. Your job, and ours, is to make sure the car you drive away in is the car you had before the accident, and that every safety system on it works the way the manufacturer designed it to. Those two jobs don't always line up.

You picked the car. You should pick who fixes it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my insurance company pay less if I use a non-preferred body shop?

No. Your policy pays out based on the agreed estimate, regardless of which shop performs the repair. If our estimate exceeds the carrier's initial number, we negotiate a supplement directly with the adjuster. That's a normal part of every collision repair, DRP or not.

Can my insurance company refuse to cover repairs at my chosen shop?

No. Refusing coverage based on shop choice would violate Massachusetts and Rhode Island anti-steering laws. The carrier owes you the cost of repair under your policy. Where you have the work done is your decision, not theirs.

Do I have to pay extra out of pocket if I don't use a DRP shop?

In normal cases, no. The carrier's obligation is to restore the vehicle to pre-loss condition. If our shop's labor rate is higher than the carrier's "prevailing rate," we negotiate that gap directly with the adjuster, not with you. There are edge cases involving aftermarket-versus-OEM parts disputes, and we walk customers through those before any work starts.

What's the difference between OEM and aftermarket parts?

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts come from the same manufacturer that built your vehicle. Aftermarket parts are made by third parties to fit the same application. OEM parts are generally preferred for ADAS-equipped vehicles, structural panels, and safety-critical sensors, and some manufacturer warranties require them.

How long do collision repairs take at Carl's Collision?

It depends on the damage and parts availability. A bumper cover with minor paint can finish in three to five business days. A quarter-panel replacement with calibration on a late-model vehicle typically runs ten to fourteen business days. We give an honest cycle time during the estimate, and we update you when supplements get found mid-repair.

Which insurance companies does Carl's Collision work with?

All of them. We process claims with every major carrier serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We handle the supplement negotiation, parts authorization, and rental coordination directly with the adjuster, regardless of which company wrote your policy.

If you're in Fall River, Newport, or New Bedford and the carrier just told you where to take your car, call us before you commit. We'll handle the rest of the conversation.