Van work splits into two very different jobs: collision repair on a stock cargo van, and collision repair on a finished conversion where the shell damage is the cheap part. A conversion carries cabinetry, solar, lithium, and plumbing that has to come out, be preserved, and go back in.
What this covers
Almost every shop can quote a dented Sprinter panel. Very few can tell an adjuster what it costs to reskin a sidewall on a van that has a lithium bank, a 400 watt array, a shower, and a full cabinet run bonded to the inside of that same wall.
That gap is why conversion owners get underpaid on claims. The carrier pays for the chassis and ignores the build.
The work in this category
Each of these is its own repair with its own failure modes, its own parts, and its own price band. Follow any one of them for the detail, or call (714) 909-1444 and describe what the vehicle is doing.
Sprinter van: Mercedes, Dodge, and RAM Sprinter, gas and diesel, all roof heights and wheelbases.
Camper van conversion: Finished conversions where the build out has to be documented, removed, and reinstalled.
Cargo van: Fleet cargo vans, including shelving, racking, and bulkhead work.
High cube van: High roof cargo configurations and the roof structure work they need.
Extended cargo van: Long wheelbase vans where rear structure damage affects the whole body.
Low roof van: Standard roof commercial vans, typically fleet units.
Electric delivery van: Rivian EDV and comparable electric fleet vans, including high voltage safe handling.
Armored van: Armored cargo vans where added mass changes both the damage pattern and the repair.
Modular van: Vans with modular interior systems for medical, workshop, and service use.
Why owners bring this work to us
We document the build. On a conversion we photograph and itemize the build out before anything comes apart, which is the only way a carrier ever pays for reinstalling it.
We do the build work too. Electrical, solar, plumbing, and cabinetry are in house, so nothing gets removed by us and reinstalled by somebody else with no accountability.
We scan and recalibrate. Modern Sprinters have ADAS that must be recalibrated after body work, and skipping that leaves active safety systems aimed wrong.
What it costs and how we quote it
Our labor rates are posted publicly: $210 per hour for body and paint, $260 for mechanical and electrical, $285 for diagnostics with a one hour minimum, and $95 for detail. Paint supplies bill at $55 per paint hour and body supplies at $5 per body hour, both calculated automatically on every estimate.
Almost no shop in Orange County publishes an hourly rate. We do, because it is the fastest way to prove an estimate is honest. If you know the rate and you know the hours, you can audit every line we write. A shop that will not tell you its rate is asking you to trust a number you have no way to check.
Where your specific job lands inside a published range is decided at teardown rather than over the phone. On these vehicles the visible damage is consistently smaller than the actual damage, which is why we photograph what is behind the panel and submit it as a documented supplement before proceeding.
Working with your insurance carrier
We bill every major carrier direct, so you cover your deductible and nothing else up front. On a repair that runs into five figures that is not a convenience, it decides whether the repair happens at all.
Under California Insurance Code section 758.5 your insurer cannot require you to use a particular shop. They may recommend one, and they have to tell you the choice is yours. That protection matters more here than on a car, because the pool of shops that can physically handle this work is small and a network shop with no relevant experience will underwrite the claim on the wrong assumptions.
Serving Buena Park and the surrounding Orange County cities
We are at 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, about 13 miles and 20 minutes from Buena Park by way of the 91 and the 5. The shop runs 35,000 square feet under one roof, which is what lets us keep collision, structural, paint, interior, and systems work in house instead of subletting pieces of your repair to three other vendors.
All work is performed in shop. We do not run route service. A written estimate is $150, credited against the repair when you authorize it.
What this work typically costs
Real ranges from our posted catalog, not a marketing number. The spread is wide because the scope is wide, and where your job falls is determined at teardown rather than guessed at over the phone.
| Work | Typical range | Shop hours |
|---|---|---|
| ADAS scan and recalibration | $275 to $1,800 | 1 to 7 |
| Collision repair and refinish, all carriers | $1,500 to $40,000 plus | 10 to 200 |
| Custom build out, camper, mobile office, or mobile medical | $5,000 to $80,000 plus | 40 to 400 |
| 12V electrical, auxiliary battery, and inverter system | $750 to $7,500 | 4 to 30 |
| Solar install, roof panels with MPPT and lithium bank | $1,500 to $12,000 | 8 to 40 |
| ADAS scan and recalibration after collision | $285 to $1,800 | 1 to 7 |
Sales tax of 7.75 percent applies to parts and materials. Labor is not taxed. See the full posted rate card.
Frequently asked questions
My camper van conversion was hit. Will insurance pay to put the build back?
It should, but only if it is documented. Carriers pay for what is proven, and an adjuster looking at a Sprinter sees a cargo van. We photograph and itemize the entire build out at intake, with receipts where you have them, and submit it as part of the claim rather than discovering it at reassembly.
Do you repair the van and the interior build, or just the shell?
Both. The shell work is body and paint. The build out is cabinetry, 12 volt and shore power, solar, and plumbing, all of which is in house. On a conversion those are one repair, and splitting them across two vendors is how owners end up covering the gap themselves.
Do you handle ADAS recalibration after a Sprinter repair?
Yes. Post collision scan and recalibration runs $285 to $1,800 depending on the systems involved. It is not optional on a modern van. Camera and radar aiming changes when a bumper, windshield, or mirror housing is disturbed, and an uncalibrated system is worse than none.
Do you work directly with my insurance company?
Yes. We bill every major carrier direct, including Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, AAA SoCal, Mercury, Allstate, Wawanesa, National General, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, Good Sam, and The Hartford. We write the estimate, photograph the damage, submit supplements when hidden damage turns up, and deal with the adjuster so you do not have to.
What does an estimate cost?
A written estimate is $150 and it is credited back against the repair once you authorize the work. An in depth diagnostic is $285 for the first hour and is credited the same way. We charge for estimates because a proper one takes real shop time, and that keeps our schedule filled with actual repairs.
Do you come out to Buena Park, or does the vehicle need to come to you?
The vehicle comes to us. Everything happens in shop at 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, about 13 miles from Buena Park on the 91 and the 5. We do not run route service. Frame work, structural repair, and refinishing need the equipment and the booth, and nobody can do that job correctly in a parking lot.
What are your posted labor rates?
Body and paint is $210 per hour, mechanical and electrical is $260 per hour, diagnostics and programming is $285 per hour with a one hour minimum, and detail is $95 per hour. Paint supplies bill at $55 per paint hour and body supplies at $5 per body hour. Sales tax of 7.75 percent applies to parts and materials. Labor is not taxed.
Related pages
Last reviewed by the OCRV Center shop team.