Repair authorizations, signed at the counter or while the car is on the lift
A repair order lives or dies on the customer's authorization: the estimate they approved at drop-off, and every extra they approved once the wheels came off. A phone call at 2 p.m. is easy to forget by pickup. SignMaster puts the estimate on the counter iPad, sends added work to the customer's phone with an approve button, and keeps a signed, timed record of every yes.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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What a shop gets signed
- Estimate and repair authorizationThe work, the parts, the estimated total and the customer's OK to start, signed at drop-off.
- Additional work approvalThe brake pads were fine, the rotors weren't. A new line item, a new total, approved before the tech touches it.
- After-hours drop-offCustomers who leave the keys in the drop box sign the authorization from a QR code on the box.
- Loaner or courtesy car agreementMileage, fuel, who pays for tickets and damage, and a photo of the customer's license.
- Fleet service agreementLabor rates, approval limits and invoicing terms with a business that sends you its vans.
- Storage and pickup notice acknowledgmentYour daily storage charge after a set number of days, initialed when the car is dropped off.
Written estimates and the rules behind them
Many states require shops to give a written estimate and get the customer's authorization before work starts, and again before going over the estimate by more than a set amount. Some also require you to offer back the replaced parts. The details differ by state, so put the wording your state requires into your estimate template once, with an initials box beside each notice.
When the tech finds more
- 1
Write the add-on
The service advisor fills the additional work template with the line items, the parts and the new total, and adds a photo of the worn part with Scan with your phone.
- 2
Send it to the customer's phone
Send it by link with an approve field and a decline field. The customer opens it at work, without an account, and taps one.
- 3
Act on the answer
You get an email the moment they sign. If they decline, they can give a reason, like “I'll do it next month”, and it's on the envelope for the advisor to see.
Call the customer too; the signed approval is the record of the call. Each send is an envelope, SignMaster's word for one or more documents going to one or more signers, and its certificate of completion shows the time, the email and the IP address the approval came from.
At the counter and the key drop
At drop-off, the advisor fills the estimate and chooses Sign in person on the counter iPad. The customer checks their phone number, initials the storage notice and signs. In the iPhone and iPad app, the advisor's Face ID or passcode takes the iPad back.
For the key drop box, turn a short drop-off authorization into a public signing link and print its QR code on the box. The customer fills in their name, vehicle and the problem, signs on their phone and gets their own copy. Ask for an emailed code if you want proof the address is real.
Condition photos
Add an Attachment field to the drop-off form so the customer or the advisor can attach photos of existing dents and scratches before the car goes in the bay.
Customers can read the signing page, emails and e-signature consent in 6 languages, Spanish and Vietnamese among them. The estimate itself stays as you wrote it.
Pricing for a shop
Crew is $49 a month for 5 people, so every service advisor and the shop owner can send. A one-advisor shop can use Solo at $15 a month. Every paid plan sends unlimited envelopes, so a busy Monday never costs extra. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. See every plan.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It isn't shop management software. It doesn't write repair orders, order parts or invoice.
- It doesn't take payments at pickup.
- It emails approval links. To reach a customer by text, copy their link and send it yourself.
Questions? Answers.
Can customers approve extra repairs from their phone?
Yes. Send the additional work as an envelope with approve and decline fields. The customer opens the email link, chooses and signs, and you're notified by email.
Do I need a signed estimate before starting repairs?
Many states require a written estimate and the customer's authorization, plus approval before you exceed it. Check your state's auto repair rules and put the required notices in your template.
Can customers sign at the key drop box after hours?
Yes. A public signing link with a QR code on the box lets them fill in and sign a drop-off authorization on their own phone.
Can I attach photos to the estimate?
Yes. Scan photos into the envelope with your phone as extra pages, or use an Attachment field so the customer or advisor attaches pictures while signing.