GreaseGooseFree Diagnostic Fee & Repair Authorization Form
Written authorization is how you start a job with a clear yes: the concern, the diagnostic fee, and a do-not-exceed amount. California's Bureau of Automotive Repair is one example of a state that expects documented authorization before repairs. Your state may be different. Check the rules where you work.
GreaseGoose texts the estimate and keeps the customer's approval on the repair order.
Why get written authorization
A verbal "go ahead" is easy to forget and hard to prove. A signed form records the concern in the customer's words, the fee they agreed to, and who said yes. If the job grows, you have a place to log the next approval.
What's on the form
- Shop name and address
- Date and time in
- Customer name, phone, and email
- Vehicle year, make, model, VIN, plate, mileage, and fuel level
- Customer concern, in their words
- Work authorized now
- Diagnostic fee, and whether it is applied to the repair if approved
- Diagnostic time authorized, in hours
- Maximum authorized ("do not exceed") amount
- How to contact the customer before exceeding that amount (phone or text)
- Additional approvals log: date, time, name, method, amount
- Return old parts? Yes or no
- Storage terms placeholder: per state law
- Customer signature and date, plus advisor name
The footer on the file reads: "Laws vary by state; check your state's requirements." The filled sample uses Sample Auto Repair, Jane Doe, advisor John Smith, and VIN 1HGCM00000A000000.
Diagnostic fee: credited or not
Some shops credit the diagnostic fee toward the repair if the customer approves the work. Some keep it either way. Pick one rule and write it on the form before they sign. How to set a diagnostic fee walks through the pricing.
Recording phone and text approvals
If the customer is not at the counter, log the date, time, name, method, and amount on the extra-approvals grid. A text approval may count in some states and not in others. Keep the message. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state's rules (DMV / attorney general / consumer-affairs office) or ask a local attorney.
For the paper invoice after the work, use the auto repair invoice template.
Questions shops ask
Is a diagnostic fee refundable?
Only if you decide it is. Write the rule on the form: applied to the repair if approved, or not applied. Say it at the counter before you start.
Does a text approval count?
It varies by state. Record the date, time, name, and number, and keep the message. Check your state's rules or ask a local attorney.
Do I need a written estimate?
Some states, for example California, require a written estimate before repairs. Others are looser. Check your state's consumer-affairs or BAR rules. This form is not a substitute for whatever your state requires.
Is this free to use commercially?
Yes. Use it in your shop. Keep the footer line that says it is a free template from greasegoose.xyz.
More free tools
- Free VIN decoder
- Labor rate calculator
- Auto repair invoice template
- Multi-point inspection checklist
- Abandoned vehicle notice letter
- How to set a diagnostic fee
Skip the clipboard. GreaseGoose sends estimates by text from your registered toll-free number and saves the customer's approval with the repair order. Solo $39.99, Shop $89.99, Multi-Shop $179.99 a month. 14-day free trial, no card.