If severe weather or a reckless driver damages the body of your vehicle, you may want to get it fixed as quickly as possible. However, if you need your vehicle for work or school, you might be hesitant to drop it off at the auto body shop. Luckily, most common body repairs can be completed in a short amount of time. Some of them can even be finished in one day. Check the list of repair types below to find out how long you'll need to part with your vehicle.

Damaged Door

Even if your door is completely smashed in, the repair process might not take very long. The repair time depends on several factors, including the make and model of your car and whether paint was removed during the damage. An auto body expert can typically hammer out a full dent in just a few hours, but it may take time for the shop to order the right shade of paint for the door.

Alternately, you can ask the shop to completely replace the door. This process is much faster, especially if you call in advance to order the door and wait to bring your vehicle in until the replacement piece arrives. If you schedule an appointment and the shop already has an extra door, you might be able to get your car back that same day.

Shattered Windshield

Basic windshield repairs can be completed in as quickly as 30 to 60 minutes. Your repair or replacement time may take longer if other parts of the windshield, like the frame and wipers, were damaged in the accident. Frame and wiper replacements are usually simple tasks for a skilled auto body expert, but the shop may have to order parts for the repairs or have other vehicles to work on before yours.

Bumper Repair

Repairing a bumper takes a bit more time than the aforementioned repairs. An experienced auto tech has to carefully unhook the battery cables and disable the airbag system before your bumper can be repaired. Depending on your vehicle, the tech may also need to disable other systems. 

After everything is safely disconnected, an auto body tech pounds out dents, sands your bumper, and paints the entire piece. If you order a new bumper, the auto body shop still has to order paint, as many bumpers arrive unpainted. This entire process may take anywhere from a few days to a week or two.

The length of time required for body work varies, but some jobs can be completed in just one day. An honest auto body expert can give you a repair-time estimate if you bring the vehicle to the shop.

To learn more, contact an auto body repair shop like Bowling Green Lincoln Auto Sales.