Hmmm, so someone hit my driver side door....

according to the repair shop only the door skin needs to be replaced...

and they say it's going to cost $857.69.

Geez... is that uhm, reasonable?

Also, what should I expect? What should I look out for?

 

My landlady backed in to my passenger side door three days after I moved in. Sucked.

The estimates were close to $1,200 to replace the door. That may have been padded by paint and labor costs, and I recall the door itself was around $800. I'm not sure how you'd look for a good vs bad job, my door closed and the aesthetic lines lined up. S'all was good.

 

But did they replace the ENTIRE door for that, or just the exterior panel?

In my case, as far as I understand it... they're replacing JUST the skin.. or exterior panel... I DO feel like I should be able to get a whole new door for that.

 

Check around to see if your local junkyards have any fits in your color. That could save you a lot. You could pick up a whole door and swap over your door panels and all the glass/window regulators so you know your stuff works...

 

Wole Fit (GD) doors at yards local to me are going for $350- $400... So I'm assiming GEs are running for around $600ish

***Edit*** Just called a local yard to ask for some other parts for myself and checked on your door as well and they're asking $550 excluding the interior panel and the mirror. They are not willing to sell only the skin

 

When I had an 06 Civic, someone opened their door into my driver door and put a very small dent in. You could hardly see it unless you really looked. Her insurance company happily paid $1k+ to the repair shop. Most of that price was labor. Apparently it's a lot of work just to take the door apart, and then the painting and such also takes a fair amount of time.

 

Just dug up the estimate, the part of the door itself (just the skin, not the entire door) shows only over $200. The rest is labor ($450) plus paint and supplies ($400).

I had my landlady's insurance cover everything. Pretty sure the labor rate of $45 an hour for some paint and installation is too much but hey, it's not my money.

 

You could pocket a couple hundred $$ if you disassembled and reassembled the door yourself. Its pretty straight forward, unscrew around the window activator and door handle. Then one small screw under the arm rest. After that you simply "pop" the plastic cover off. There is a DIY on the forum.

You'll need a grinder to get the skin off (it's glued and tacked down)...but i would leave the grinding to the body shop.

 

In my case, it is.. We have a $500 deductible.. and nobody witnessed it or left a note as far as I know.

Anyways thanks for the info. (And to everybody, thanks for the comments, info, feedback...)

Keep it coming, even if I don't have an option at this point, its a lesson for others and information for the future.

Maybe we can get together and compare doors later, Andrew. :P

 

A skin replacment is a lot less exspencive than the whole door being replaced. If the shop is a reputable one they'er doing it on the inexspensive side. what to look for, bodylines match up the skin is sealed all the way around. Ask them how they will take the skin off and replace it in a "what to learn" attitude. Most people love to explain the work they do for a living, and if they'er mean about it thank them and go to another shop. Your $ spends anywhere. Listen a good job will out last a cheap fix quality is what your looking for.
GL
Mike

 

I work at a honda body shop in ohio and that sounds like a really fair price to me. Paint work is expensive. When they do your door skin they will cut it off take apart your door and when they put the door skin on they will seam seal around the door to put the skin on which means they have to paint the jams on your door to. alot of work goes into something so simple. We did a maserati a few months ago that had a dented door and quarter and his estimate was 22 grand haha.

 

Considering what two minor accidents cost (fender and lower molding replaced from hitting a rock in the road and a hood replacement from a deer hit) cost me, I'd say that the estimate is about what I'd expect for that kind of work. Labor and paint isn't cheap.