Replace the single repair-cost number with a real plan.
"Estimated repair: £4,500" tells you nothing. CarMargin breaks the same cost down line by line (parts, labour, calibration) so you can argue with each entry.
Line-item parts list
Every part the AI thinks the lot needs, with severity (R&I, remove and install, vs R&R, remove and replace) and an estimated cost band. You see the assumption behind every pound, not a black-box total.
Labour hours per task
Hours per task with your regional shop rate applied. A panel that needs four hours of paint prep at £55/hr is £220: visible, not hidden.
ADAS calibration warnings
Cars from roughly 2017 onwards carry forward-facing radar, cameras behind the windscreen, and corner radars in the bumpers. Damage to any of them adds a calibration job that shops charge for separately. CarMargin flags these and adds them to the cost. They're the most common surprise in salvage repairs.
Repair complexity score
Frame jig required? Aluminium-body welding? EV high-voltage work? Each one rules out home repair and pushes the lot into specialist shops. The complexity score tells you which category you're in before you bid.
DIY-vs-shop split
Each line is tagged as "competent home mechanic" or "shop only". If you're a hands-on buyer, your true cost is the shop-only lines plus the parts. If you're flipping to a trade buyer, it's everything.
Parts-availability score
A qualitative pain rating per make/model: "rare Euro, six-week back-orders common", "abundant on eBay UK", "main-dealer-only with VIN-coded ECU". A cheap repair you can't get parts for is more expensive than an expensive one you can.
Feeds the max-bid number directly.
The repair plan total is one of the inputs to the deterministic max-bid solver. Change your target ROI, transport miles, or shop-rate setting, and the recommended max bid recalculates instantly without re-calling the AI. The repair plan is the slow, expensive part. The maths on top is fast.
Honest about what it doesn't know.
Photo-based estimates can't see engine internals, transmission wear, or the contents of an ECU fault log. The repair plan flags exactly that: a "what you can't see from photos" section calls out the costs that could exist but aren't yet quantified. Use the chat to ask follow-ups, or take the printed plan to your inspector.
Upstream, the vision pass is what feeds the line items here, and the risk flags price the things this plan can't see.