72411 Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators

What this occupation covers

Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians repair and restore damaged motor vehicle body parts and interior finishing; repaint body surfaces; repair and/or replace automotive glass and repair defective automobile body parts and damage to the bodies of newly assembled cars. Damage repair estimators assess the degree of damage to a vehicle and estimate the cost of parts and labour. They are employed by automobile dealerships, automobile body repair shops, automobile appraisal centres and by motor vehicle manufacturers. This unit group also includes metal repairers. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 22 main duties for this code.

• Review damage report and estimates of repair cost and plan work to be performed
• Repair and replace front end components, body components, doors and frame and underbody components
• Hammer out dents, buckles and other defects using blocks and hammers
• Operate soldering equipment or use plastic filler to fill holes, dents and seams
• Remove damaged fenders, panels and grills using wrenches and cutting torch and bolt or weld replacement parts into place
• Straighten bent frames using frame and underbody pulling and anchoring equipment
• File, grind and sand repaired body surfaces using hand and power tools
• Mask and tape auto body surfaces in preparation for painting
• Mix paint, blend and match colours
• Apply primers and repaint surfaces using brush or spray guns
• Repair and replace glass components such as windshields, windows and sunroofs
• Repair or replace interior components, such as seat frame assembly, carpets and floorboard insulation
• Inspect repaired vehicles and test drive vehicles for proper handling.
• Inspect vehicle and estimate the costs and times for the repair and restoration of the vehicle
• Write report on damage and cost estimate
• Plan and coordinate work processes with the technicians
• Follow automobile industry safety norms and standards
• Provide customer service, such as answering all customer inquiries and explaining the complete repair process
• Follow up with insurance companies for claim related correspondence
• Order parts and material
• Maintain accurate documentation and obtain customer signatures
• Oversee final repairs for appearance and quality of work.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 4 of its 22 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72410 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
• 94213 Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
• 72020 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
• 92020 Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling

Excluded from this code

• Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (See 72410 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers)
• Car painter - manufacturing (See 94213 Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators)
• Motor vehicle body repairers foreman/woman (See 72020 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades)
• Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling (See 92020 Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

antique car body restorer · antique vehicle body restorer · apprentice painter - motor vehicle repair · auto body and collision technician · auto body appraiser · auto body damage estimator · auto body estimator · auto body mechanic · auto body repair planner · auto body repairer · auto body technician · auto body technician - collision · auto body technician - refinishing · auto body worker · auto glass installer · automobile body repairman/woman · automobile damage repair estimator · automobile polisher-sander - motor vehicle repair · automotive body mechanic · automotive body painter · automotive body repairer · automotive body repairer-painter · automotive body technician · automotive glass technician

Employment requirements

• Auto body and collision technicians
• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a three- to four-year auto body and collision damage technician apprenticeship program or a combination of over three years of work experience in the auto body and collision technician trade and completion of a professional or college automotive body repair program is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Trade certification for auto body and collision technician is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
• Auto body repairer certification is compulsory in Ontario and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified auto body and collision technician upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
• Automotive refinishing technicians
• Completion of a two- to three-year automotive painter apprenticeship program or a combination of one year of work experience in the automotive refinishing technicians trade and completion of a high school or college automotive painting program is usually required for automotive refinishing technicians trade certification.
• Automotive refinishing technicians certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified automotive refinishing technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
• Automotive glass technicians
• Auto glass industry certification is usually required.
• Apprenticeship training and trade certification for automotive glass technicians is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia.
• Automobile damage repair estimator
• A combination of two- to three-year of relevant automotive experience and education is usually required.
• Metal repairers, motor vehicle manufacturing
• One to two years of on-the-job training are provided.