You Have the Right to Choose Your Body Shop
If you've been in an accident in the Antelope Valley, your insurance company has probably referred you to a "preferred" body shop, often Caliber Collision or Fix Auto, the two largest collision repair chains operating in Lancaster and Palmdale. You may have been told you'd get faster service, a smoother claim, or a guaranteed warranty if you use one of their preferred shops.
Here's what your insurance adjuster won't volunteer:
- California Insurance Code Section 758.5 makes it illegal for an insurance company to require, direct, or steer you to any specific body shop.
- You have the legal right to choose any licensed body shop in California, including this one.
- Your claim is just as eligible at our shop as it is at a Direct Repair Program (DRP) partner shop.
- Your warranty rights, your rental car coverage, and your insurance payout are identical regardless of which licensed shop you choose.
The "preferred shop" language is marketing for a contractual relationship called a Direct Repair Program. We're not in one, and that's intentional. We're independent.
Why Independence Matters
A DRP is a contract between an insurance company and a body shop. The shop agrees to volume discounts (effectively, lower per-repair pricing) and faster cycle times. In return, the insurer steers customers to that shop.
The trade-off, from your seat as the customer, is that the DRP shop has a built-in incentive to keep the insurer happy. That means:
- Faster turnaround pressure, the DRP shop is contractually expected to release cars within a target cycle time. That's good for the insurer's metrics. Whether it's good for your repair depends on whether the right job took the right amount of time.
- Aftermarket parts pressure, DRP shops are often expected to use the insurer's preferred parts hierarchy, which usually means aftermarket or LKQ (used) parts on non-safety components. That can save the insurer money and may compromise fit and finish on your vehicle.
- Less supplement pushback, when teardown reveals hidden damage, a non-DRP shop pushes the insurer for additional authorization. A DRP shop may be more inclined to absorb the work to stay within the contracted price, or to scope the job to fit, neither outcome necessarily benefits you.
- Standardized process, less ability to spend extra time on judgment calls that genuinely matter (paint matching on hard pearl finishes, ADAS calibration on borderline cases, structural decisions on unusual damage).
None of this means DRP shops do bad work. Many do good work. But the conflict of interest is real, and you should know it exists before signing the paperwork.
We chose not to participate in DRPs so our loyalty stays where it belongs, with you, not with the insurance company writing the check.
What We Do Differently
Locally Owned and Operated
We're not a national chain. Our shop has been in Lancaster since 2015 and we live and work in the Antelope Valley. When you talk to us, you're talking to the people doing the work, not a call center. When something needs to be made right, we're the ones making it right, no escalation tickets, no regional manager loop, no corporate runaround.
OEM Repair Procedures, OEM and OEM-Equivalent Parts
We follow Original Equipment Manufacturer repair procedures for every job, from Toyota to Tesla to BMW. We use OEM or OEM-equivalent parts on safety and structural components whenever the customer or claim allows. If your insurance is pushing aftermarket on a safety component, we push back, in writing, with the OEM bulletin requiring the proper part. Read more about OEM vs. aftermarket parts →
Lifetime Warranty, Paint and Workmanship
Two parallel warranties for the life of your ownership. If the paint we sprayed ever lifts, peels, or fades unevenly, we redo it. If something we touched fails, structural, mechanical reassembly, panel alignment, body filler, we make it right. See the full warranty terms →
Personalized Service
One service advisor, start to finish. You don't get bounced between people. You don't repeat yourself. You don't get a "your file is being reviewed" form letter. You get a real human who knows your job and your timeline.
Financing Available
Through Sunbit and EasyPay Finance. Pay your deductible over time, cover an out-of-pocket repair without a lump sum, or finance a restoration project across phases. Apply in 30 seconds, no impact to your credit for prequalification. Read more about financing →
On-Site Rentals, On-Site Insurance Coordination
We have rentals on the lot, no Uber to a rental agency. We handle the claim end-to-end with every major carrier, no phone tag from you. We push back on under-scoped estimates so your car gets the repair it actually needs.
4.9★ on Google Across 142+ Reviews
The highest-rated body shop in the AV, by real customers, on the platform where it's hardest to game. Read the reviews →
If You've Been Referred to Caliber Collision or Fix Auto
Both are competent national chains with shops in Lancaster. If you're happy with their service, that's fine, they do thousands of cars per year and the process works.
But if you'd rather have:
- A locally owned shop where the owner walks through your repair personally
- A shop with no contractual incentive to please your insurer
- A lifetime warranty on paint and workmanship in writing
- Financing options that aren't tied to filing a claim
- A 4.9★ Google reputation built over a decade in Lancaster, not a corporate review average
then we'd love to talk. Tell your insurance adjuster you're using Executive Auto Body & Paint. They'll redirect the claim to us, the law requires it. The process is identical from your end.
How to Switch Your Repair to Us
- Get an estimate from us first. Bring the vehicle in, or use our free virtual estimate tool to send photos. We give you a written estimate.
- Tell your adjuster you'd like to use Executive Auto Body & Paint. They may ask if you're sure. Say yes. They're trained to ask, that's it.
- We take it from there. Claim handling, supplements, parts ordering, repair, paint, calibration, all coordinated directly with your carrier.
- You pick up your vehicle. You pay your deductible (or finance it). You drive away with a lifetime-warrantied repair.
Schedule a Free Estimate
Already at another shop? You can still switch, even after they've started disassembly, as long as no major repair work has been completed. We've done it many times.
Send photos for a free estimate →
Or call us at 661-951-6000 and we'll walk you through your options.