Ohio auto repair estimate rules

Source: Ohio Admin. Code 109:4-3-13 (Motor vehicle repairs or services), promulgated under the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, R.C. 1345

Ohio administrative rules under the Consumer Sales Practices Act give consumers a choice-based right: no estimate is required; if the expected cost of a repair exceeds $50, the customer has the right to a written estimate, an oral estimate, or no estimate, and must be offered a form to choose a written estimate, an oral estimate, or no estimate at all, initialing their choice. Once an estimate exists (written or oral), the final bill may not exceed it by more than 10% unless the consumer approves a larger amount before repairs finish. A companion, related rule (OAC 109:4-3-05, applicable at a lower $25 threshold and specifically for at-home repairs) requires the supplier to orally inform the consumer of the same rights at first face-to-face contact, and to obtain authorization for unforeseen additional repairs when their cost reaches 10% or more of the original estimate (or, for very small original jobs under $25 with no estimate given, when additional repairs would push the total over $25). One older AG publication describes a slightly different formula - 'estimate plus $5 or 10%, whichever is greater' - suggesting the exact dollar/percentage combination may have been revised across different code versions; the currently codified rule (accessed directly) uses the flat 10% figure described above without an accompanying dollar alternative.