What "Not-Included" Means in Estimating
Every labor time in CCC ONE, Mitchell, and Audatex is built around a set of assumptions. The database providers define which operations are factored into the listed time and which operations are outside the scope of that time entirely. Operations outside the scope are called not-included operations.
Not-included operations are not gray areas. They are explicitly defined in the P-pages of each estimating platform. When an operation appears on the not-included list, the shop has every right to bill it as a separate line item. The insurer cannot legitimately deny it by citing the database, because the database itself says the operation is excluded from the base time.
Refinish and Paint Operations
The refinish category has the largest concentration of not-included operations and generates the most frequent supplement disputes.
Blend time on adjacent panels is not included in any refinish allowance on any platform. Feather, prime, and block is not included in the refinish labor time for repaired panels. Color sand and buff is not included in refinish times for any panel. Tinting is not included and is required on many vehicles. Masking beyond the standard perimeter is not included. Flash and wait times (the idle time between coats required by paint manufacturer specifications) are not included in refinish labor.
Structural and Body Operations
Corrosion protection application is not included in any panel replacement labor time. Seam sealer application is not included in structural repair times. Weld-through primer is not included in any welding operation time. Media blasting or abrasive cleaning is not included in structural damage repair times.
Frame and structural setup time (the time required to set up measuring equipment and fixtures for structural alignment) is not included in damage repair times. Additional R&I operations required to access damage not identified in the initial estimate are not included in any standard repair time; these are documented during teardown and billed as a supplement.
Mechanical and Electrical Operations
ADAS calibration (both pre-repair scanning and post-repair calibration) is not included in any labor time for sensors, cameras, radar modules, or any component affected by a structural or suspension repair. This is one of the most consistently disputed categories as vehicles with ADAS systems have become the majority of claims.
Battery disconnect and reconnect is not included in any labor time that requires it. Harness re-routing during a bumper or fender overhaul is not included in the R&I time for that component. Air conditioning evacuate and recharge is not included in any repair time. Torque retorque procedures, required after certain suspension or structural repairs, are not included and must be billed separately.
Administrative and Procedural Operations
OEM research and retrieval costs are not included in any labor time. When a repair requires research into OEM repair procedures, retrieval of position statements, or access to OEM repair information systems, these costs are billable.
Weld testing, including destructive weld testing on structural repairs, is not included in structural repair times. Template fabrication for emblem installation or trim fitting is not included in the standard installation time. Second and subsequent fitment of components is not included in the initial R&I time.
Why Most Shops Leave This Money on the Table
The operations on this list are not unusual or aggressive billings. They are defined as not-included in writing by the database providers whose platforms the insurers use to write their own estimates. The legal foundation for billing them exists before a single supplement note is written.
Most shops leave them uncollected for two reasons. First, estimators do not capture every not-included operation during the initial estimate. Second, when the insurer denies them on supplement, shops do not have the citations ready to fight the denial efficiently. A shop that correctly bills and supplements not-included operations on every claim routinely recovers $500 to $3,000 more per vehicle than one that does not.
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