Planning the day around the drop off
The part of a collision repair that people underestimate is the logistics. You need a way to get the car to the shop, a way home afterward, and a way to pick the car up when it is finished.
Decide first whether the car is safe to drive. A loose bumper or a wheel that pulls to one side are reasons to arrange a tow. If the car is drivable, book an appointment so someone is ready to look at it when you arrive. Slots are forty five minutes long, and you can pick one online. Our weekday hours run 8 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM, and we are closed Sunday.
Then think about your ride home. A family member, a ride share or a rental can all work. If your policy includes rental coverage, ask your insurer how it works and we can explain the repair timeline you will be working against. Our rental car assistance page covers the questions to ask.
Why drivers from Cranford choose the neighboring Garwood shop
Because it is a short trip on a road you may already know, and because the shop on the other end is independent. We are not owned by an insurer, and no insurance company tells us which parts to use or how many hours a repair should take. We write the estimate from what we find on your car.
We are I-CAR Gold Class and an AAA Approved Auto Repair facility. AAA members receive 10 percent off labor, up to $75, when they show their card; the offer cannot be combined with other offers. Paint work we perform carries a lifetime warranty on paint work only. That warranty does not extend to mechanical parts or to other repairs, and we say so up front.
Insurance and your right to choose
New Jersey lets you choose a licensed repair shop for your vehicle. Your insurer may suggest a shop and you can try to agree on a price with them, but a suggestion is not a requirement, and nobody can promise blanket payment before the car has been inspected. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has consumer information on auto claims.
We are an independent shop and work with all insurance companies, billing them directly, so your choice of Proline does not change who you file with. You will still talk to your adjuster. We can send photos and the estimate to them, and if hidden damage turns up once panels come off, we document it and send a supplement rather than asking you to pay out of pocket for something your policy covers.
What to bring and what to photograph
Bring your license, registration and insurance card, plus your claim number if you have one. Take photos of the damage in daylight before you move the car. If the other party gave you information, keep it with the police report number.
Getting to Garwood from Cranford
Our only location is 74 North Ave, Garwood, NJ 07027. We are not a branch of anything in Cranford, and there is no drop box or satellite office there. Every estimate, repair and delivery happens at the Garwood shop.
From Cranford, the straightforward approach is North Ave, which is also Route 28, heading west toward Garwood. Keep following it and our address is on that same road. Open the map below before you leave so you see current routing, construction and closures rather than relying on written directions alone.
Park in front of the building or ask at the desk if you are unsure where to leave the car. If the vehicle cannot be driven safely, call us and we will help coordinate a tow instead of having you risk the trip.