Short answer
A customer can reply “yes” to a repair estimate by text, but whether that reply is enough depends on where your shop is and on what you are approving. In California, the shop must give a written estimated price before any work and get consent before exceeding it; the statute names email and fax for written consent to an increase and requires a detailed note for oral consent, and it does not name text messages. In Quebec, a written estimate is required before any repair, and added work needs the customer’s express authorization, recorded with the date, time, name and number called. The safe pattern everywhere: your advisor writes the estimate, the text carries the full estimate, the reply is stored with a timestamp, and any added work goes back to a person. Below: the rules, a workflow, the texting rules and where an AI receptionist fits.
The short answer, by jurisdiction
| California | Quebec | |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate before work | Written estimated price for labor and parts; no work or charges before authorization | Written estimate before any repair, unless the consumer signs a full written waiver |
| Estimate fee | — | Only if its amount was disclosed before the estimate |
| Going over / added work | Oral or written consent before the extra work; written consent may be by email or fax | Express authorization; oral authorization recorded with date, time, name and number called |
| Text messages | Not named in s. 9884.9: check BAR rules and counsel | Not addressed in the articles cited: check with counsel |
| Warranty on repairs | — | 3 months or 5,000 km, whichever comes first |
California Business and Professions Code s. 9884.9; Quebec Consumer Protection Act, s. 168, 171, 172 and 176. Other states and provinces have their own rules. General information, not legal advice.
California: written estimate, authorization, and consent to go over
Under section 9884.9 of the Business and Professions Code, the automotive repair dealer must give the customer a written estimated price for labor and parts for a specific job. No work may be done and no charges may accrue before authorization to proceed is obtained from the customer.
No charge may be made above the estimated price without the customer’s oral or written consent, obtained after it is determined that the estimate is insufficient and before the extra work is done. Written consent to an increase may be provided by email or fax, and the Bureau may specify procedures for those. If consent is oral, the dealer notes on the work order the date, time, name of the person authorizing, the number called, the added parts and labor and the total additional cost.
Text messages are not named in the section. If you want to rely on a text reply to authorize an increase, check the Bureau of Automotive Repair regulations and your counsel first; until then, treat a text as a prompt for the customer to call or to approve through a channel the rules name.
California Business and Professions Code s. 9884.9, amended by Stats. 2018, ch. 503, effective January 1, 2019.
Quebec: the Consumer Protection Act rules for car repairs
- Written estimate before any repair; the shop can only be released from this by a full written waiver signed by the consumer. No estimate is needed when the repair is free for the consumer (s. 168).
- An estimate fee may be charged only if its amount was disclosed to the consumer before the estimate (s. 168). If dismantling is needed to estimate, the fee must include reassembly if the consumer declines the repair (s. 169).
- The estimate states, among other things, the nature and total price of the repair, the part to be installed and whether it is new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned, and the date and period of validity (s. 170).
- An accepted estimate binds the shop: no extra charges for the repair it covers (s. 171). Repairs not in the accepted estimate need the consumer’s express authorization; oral authorization is recorded in the estimate with the date, time, name of the person and the number called (s. 172).
- Repairs are warranted for three months or 5,000 kilometres, whichever comes first, from delivery (s. 176). Without a prior estimate, or above the estimated price once the consumer pays that price, the shop cannot hold the car (s. 179).
LégisQuébec, Consumer Protection Act (CQLR, c. P-40.1), French text current to August 12, 2026.
A workflow that holds up
- The advisor writes the estimate; no tool generates a price on its own.
- The text carries the full estimate, or a link to it, with the shop’s name, so the customer approves the document and not just a number.
- The reply is stored with the date, time, phone number and estimate version, and the conversation stays with the work order.
- Added work always goes back to a person, who obtains and records the authorization the way your jurisdiction requires.
- The invoice matches the approved work, and the “car ready” text goes out when the work is done.
Texting rules: CASL in Canada, TCPA in the US
Canada: under Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, consent is not required for a message that solely provides a quote or estimate the recipient requested (s. 6(6)(a)), facilitates, completes or confirms a transaction they agreed to, such as “your car is ready” (s. 6(6)(b)), or provides warranty, product recall or safety information about a product or service they used or purchased (s. 6(6)(c)). Promotions, such as a seasonal maintenance offer, need express consent, or implied consent when the customer bought from you in the previous two years (s. 10(9)(a) and 10(10)(a)). Every commercial message identifies the shop and includes an unsubscribe mechanism (s. 6(2)).
United States: automated calls and texts are governed by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state laws. The FCC ruled on February 8, 2024 that AI-generated voices are “artificial” under the TCPA, and telemarketing robocalls require prior express written consent. Collect the customer’s consent to receive texts when they book and keep proof.
Justice Canada, CASL (S.C. 2010, c. 23), current to September 21, 2026; FCC news release, February 8, 2024. General information, not legal advice.
Where an AI receptionist fits
An AI receptionist is good at the parts of this workflow that depend on speed and consistency, and should stay out of the parts that depend on judgment. Rex, ZeniTech’s AI agent for auto repair shops, does this according to its page: it books service by phone, text and online within the shop’s capacity, sends your advisor’s estimate by text and records the customer’s approval with the conversation before work starts, tells the customer when the car is ready, sends seasonal tire and maintenance reminders, and asks for a review after every visit. For dealerships, service and parts requests are routed to the right department.
Its guardrails are written: it never makes a mechanical diagnosis, never confirms a repair price without your estimate, and hands complaints and safety concerns to a person. It introduces itself as the shop’s assistant; California requires a clear disclosure when a bot communicates online to incentivize a sale (s. 17941). For reviews, the FTC’s rule bans fake reviews and Google’s policy bars incentives and selective solicitation, so the request goes to every customer.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 1–2 weeks; 3–4 weeks with CRM, calendar and follow-ups | Delivered remotely, in English or French |
Features from zenitech.dev/en/ai-agents/auto-repair-shops, checked October 2, 2026. Prices are published on zenitech.dev/en/pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can a customer approve a car repair estimate by text?
Often the customer can reply to approve, but whether that reply meets the law depends on your jurisdiction and on what is being approved. California requires a written estimated price and authorization before work, and names email and fax for written consent to increases; Quebec requires a written estimate and express authorization for added work. Store the reply with a timestamp and check the form with counsel.
Does a shop need a written estimate before repairs?
In California and Quebec, yes. California requires a written estimated price for labor and parts before work. Quebec requires a written estimate before any repair unless the consumer signs a full written waiver, and an estimate fee only if its amount was disclosed first.
What if the mechanic finds more work during the repair?
Stop and get the customer’s consent first. In California, consent to exceed the estimate must be obtained before the extra work, with a detailed note if it is oral. In Quebec, added work needs express authorization, and oral authorization is recorded with the date, time, name and number called.
How should a shop record an approval given by text?
Keep the full estimate that was sent, the reply, the date and time, the phone number and the estimate version together with the work order. Any added work goes back to a person who records the authorization the way the law requires.
Do we need consent to text customers estimates and “car ready” notices in Canada?
No prior consent is needed for an estimate the customer requested, a confirmation such as “your car is ready”, or warranty, recall or safety information about a service they obtained. Promotions need express or implied consent, and every commercial message identifies the shop and offers a way to unsubscribe. General information, not legal advice.
What about texting customers in the United States?
Automated calls and texts are governed by the TCPA and state laws, and the FCC has confirmed that AI-generated voices count as artificial under the TCPA. Collect the customer’s consent to receive texts when they book, keep proof, and check promotional texting with counsel.
Can an AI receptionist diagnose a car or quote a repair price?
It should not. ZeniTech’s Rex never makes a mechanical diagnosis and never confirms a repair price without your estimate; it books the inspection, sends the estimate your advisor wrote and records the customer’s approval.
How much does an AI receptionist for an auto repair shop cost?
With ZeniTech, Rex is billed as a one-time setup, then a monthly plan with reasonable usage included; the full price list is on zenitech.dev/en/pricing. It goes live in 1 to 2 weeks, or 3 to 4 weeks when connected to your CRM, calendar and follow-ups.
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- California Business and Professions Code s. 9884.9 (written estimates and consent)
- California Business and Professions Code s. 17941 (bot disclosure)
- LégisQuébec: Consumer Protection Act (CQLR, c. P-40.1), s. 168 to 176 and 179 (French version)
- Justice Canada: Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23), s. 6 and 10
- FCC: AI-generated voices in robocalls (February 8, 2024)
- FTC: final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024)
- Google: User-generated content policy, fake engagement
- ZeniTech: Rex, AI agent for auto repair shops
- ZeniTech: pricing (CAD)