If you need body work done on your car, the first thing you have to do is pick a good shop to do that work. When choosing a body shop, often it comes down to cost. If you're shopping around for the right body shop you might find that estimates vary up to thousands of dollars. So how do you know which shop is right for what you need?

Here are some of his tips for choosing the right shop to work on your car - particularly when you're the one paying the bills.

1. Word-of-Mouth

It's easy for a business to advertise and say whatever they want, but you will have better luck finding a business that you will feel comfortable using when they come highly recommended from your family and friends. If the body shop has a multitude of satisfied customers, they will usually show their appreciation for a job well done by spreading the word about the quality of service they received.

Don't assume that just because the shop is big it is best - sometimes the highest recommended body shops are smaller ones where the owner works on cars himself and is invested in the work done personally.

2. Consider the Operation's Location and Overhead

The price of auto body work goes up and up the longer it takes to work on your car because of the cost of labor. Body shops charge per the hour labor fees for the work they are doing on your car and you will have to pay that on top of the cost of the parts you need. Labor can range anywhere from $30-$90 per hour, make sure you know how much the shop is charging per hour before they start doing work.

Large body shops with a lot of front-office workers probably have to charge higher rates to pay their staff. While service delivered by front-desk folks, managers and foremen gives some people a feeling of confidence in the business, it can result in estimates that are padded with non-essential work. When they're charging more labor hours at a higher rate, your bill can add up quickly.

Most reputable body shops and garages use reference guides that estimate the number of hours required to perform common repairs, ask what the recommended time for your required service is before they start.

3. Seek out Multiple Estimates

When you take your car to a number of different auto body shops to get an estimate on how much it will cost to have your car repaired you can easily avoid overcharges by one overzealous shop. By having different estimates you can get a reasonable idea of what the actual service required is and use it to help you negotiate with shops and understand what you need.

Although it is important to protect against being overcharged, you shouldn't simply take the lowest quote. The old moniker that you get what you pay for is true when it comes to body work - don't just go for the cheapest option, be sure you're getting the most quality work.

4. Come Prepared with Questions

When choosing a body shop make sure that you know how to ask the right questions. Do your research and find out what you need to know and take a list of key questions into each body shop you check out. For example, does the shop provide a written warranty? If so, for how long? What does the warranty cover? A one-year warranty is a standard minimum.

You should also ask questions about whether the shop has insurance to protect you against damage and theft. If something happens to your car while it is at the body shop, you want to be sure that it is covered by them. It is smart to ask about the history of the body shop's business and to ask to see their business license.

You will also want to know about the materials the shop intends to use. Are new, used or aftermarket body parts going to be used? New parts are obviously the best and used parts are fine, though they don't offer the savings people imagine. Depending on the damage to your vehicle, aftermarket parts can save a lot of money and can be just as good as the ones that come from the original manufacturer. If paint work is involved, ask how many coats of paint and clear coat the shop intends to use.

5. Listen to your gut

Finally, it's important to trust your intuition about the shop you're considering. If a shop isn't busy, maybe that's because customers are avoiding it because of shoddy repairs. If the place is really dirty, cluttered or disorganized, this might reflect the kind of work you could expect the shop to do with your car. Is the shop owner or manager a grouch who seems to resent answering your questions? You'll be happier with a shop where the owner communicates well and is straightforward with customers and mostly where you are most comfortable.