# Deposits and Payment Terms

> OCRV Center collects a 50 percent deposit at authorization on jobs over $2,000, plus an additional 25 percent when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000. The balance is due at pickup and no vehicle leaves until the ticket is paid in full. Card payments over $1,000 carry a 3.5 percent surcharge.

**Type:** Pricing  
**Canonical:** https://ocrv.pro/rates/deposits-and-payment  
**Updated:** 2026-07-29

## Summary

Jobs over $2,000 take a 50 percent deposit at authorization. Jobs over $10,000 take another 25 percent when parts arrive. Balance is due at pickup. Cards over $1,000 carry 3.5 percent.

Nobody enjoys the deposit conversation, so here is the whole thing in writing before you ever walk in. Deposits exist because RV parts are expensive, largely non-returnable, and frequently ordered specifically for one vehicle. When we order a $9,000 front cap in your paint scheme, that money leaves this building the same day and it is not coming back if the job changes.

The structure is simple and it is the same for everyone. Half at authorization on anything over $2,000. Another quarter when parts land on anything over $10,000. The remainder at pickup. On a $40,000 job that is $20,000, then $10,000, then $10,000, and we tell you those numbers and their approximate dates at authorization rather than surprising you with a call.

Insurance work runs differently, because the carrier is paying most of it. On a direct-billed claim you generally owe your deductible and any owner-elected upgrades, not a percentage deposit. We will tell you which of these two structures applies to your job before you sign anything.

## The Deposit Schedule

Three thresholds govern everything. Under $2,000, no deposit, pay at pickup. Over $2,000, half at authorization. Over $10,000, half at authorization plus another quarter when the parts physically arrive at the shop, not when they are ordered.

That second draw is deliberately tied to parts arrival rather than a calendar date. You are not funding a schedule, you are funding materials that are in the building with your name on them. If parts are delayed, the second draw is delayed with them, and you will know because we call when parts land either way.

- **Jobs under $2,000:** No deposit. Full balance is due at pickup. Special order parts on a small job are still collected up front.
- **Jobs over $2,000:** 50 percent deposit at authorization. Work is scheduled once the deposit clears.
- **Jobs over $10,000:** An additional 25 percent when parts physically arrive at the shop, leaving 25 percent due at pickup.
- **Special order parts:** 100 percent non-refundable deposit at the time of order, on any job size, because most RV parts cannot be returned.

## Why We Take Deposits

Three reasons, all of them boring and all of them real. First, parts cost. A single molded fiberglass cap can be $9,000 landed and it ships non-returnable. Second, bay commitment. When we schedule a six week structural job we are turning away other work for that bay, and a job that walks away in week two leaves a hole that cannot be backfilled on short notice. Third, it is the industry standard on specialty work and any shop that does not take one is carrying risk somewhere else.

What deposits are not is a way to hold your vehicle hostage against a growing scope. Supplements are documented and approved by you before the work is done. Your deposit percentage does not change mid-job because we found more damage. If the total goes up, the additional amount is discussed and authorized like any other line.

- **Non-returnable parts:** Caps, molded panels, painted components and most RV-specific hardware cannot be returned to the manufacturer once shipped.
- **Reserved bay time:** A large structural job occupies a bay for weeks. That capacity is committed to you when the deposit clears.
- **No surprise increases:** Supplements are photographed, priced and authorized by you before the labor is performed.
- **Deposits are applied, not additional:** Every dollar deposited comes off the final invoice. Deposits are progress payments, not fees.

## How You Can Pay

We take cash, check, ACH and all major credit and debit cards. Card payments over $1,000 carry a 3.5 percent surcharge, which is a direct pass-through of the merchant processing fee and not a profit line. On a $20,000 job, paying by card costs an extra $700, which is why most large tickets settle by check or ACH.

The surcharge applies to the amount over the threshold as processed, and it is disclosed on the estimate before you authorize, not added at the counter. If you want to put a job on a card for points or for float, that is entirely your call, we just want you making it with the number in front of you.

- **Cash and check:** No surcharge. Checks on final balances over $5,000 may need to clear before release on a first-time customer.
- **ACH and wire:** No surcharge. The usual method on large tickets and on fleet accounts. Banking details are provided on the invoice.
- **Credit and debit cards:** All major cards accepted. A 3.5 percent surcharge applies to card payments over $1,000, disclosed on the estimate.
- **Third party payers:** Extended service contract administrators and carriers are invoiced directly once the claim is approved.

## Insurance and Third Party Billing

On a direct-billed claim, we invoice your carrier and you are responsible for your deductible plus anything outside the claim that you chose to add. There is no percentage deposit on the carrier portion. We bill direct with Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, AAA SoCal, AAA Enterprises, Mercury, Allstate, American Family, Wawanesa, National General, CSAA, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, Tesla Insurance, Cincinnati and AGWS.

Where owners get caught is the gap between the carrier estimate and the actual repair. That gap is normal and it is resolved through a supplement, but until the supplement is approved the difference is unfunded. We do not start the disputed portion of the work until it is approved, so nobody ends up holding a bill they did not agree to. Extended service contracts work the same way, though administrators generally take longer to authorize and frequently require an inspection.

- **Deductible:** Due at pickup, same as any balance. We cannot waive, discount or absorb a deductible. Nobody legitimate can.
- **Supplement approval:** Disputed scope is not performed until the carrier approves it, so you are never billed for unapproved work.
- **Betterment and owner upgrades:** Anything you elect beyond the claim scope, such as a full repaint when only a panel was covered, is quoted and paid separately.
- **Extended service contracts:** We invoice the administrator directly after authorization. Expect a longer approval cycle and often a third party inspection.

## Pickup, Release and Storage

The balance is due at pickup and no vehicle leaves the property until the ticket is paid in full. That is not negotiable and it is not personal. It is how a shop stays solvent enough to still be here when you need something in three years.

We call you when the vehicle is ready and we hold it without charge for a reasonable window while you arrange pickup. Storage charges only begin on vehicles left well past completion, and we will always call before that starts rather than presenting it on the invoice. Come in during posted hours, Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or Saturday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and plan for twenty minutes to walk the vehicle with us.

- **Payment before release:** Balance in full before the vehicle leaves. Cleared funds required on checks from first-time customers over $5,000.
- **Walkthrough at delivery:** We walk the completed work with you, cycle the systems that were touched, and hand over the documentation package.
- **Storage:** A reasonable grace period after completion at no charge. Charges begin only after a call, never as a surprise line.
- **Documentation you keep:** Line-item invoice, photographs, part numbers and any structural repair procedures used, which matters at resale.

## Pricing

| Line item | Range | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Deposit on jobs over $2,000 | $50 to $50 |  |
| Second draw on jobs over $10,000 | $25 to $25 |  |
| Special order parts deposit | $100 to $100 |  |
| Card payment surcharge over $1,000 | $3.5 to $3.5 |  |
| Cash, check and ACH surcharge | $0 to $0 |  |
| RV systems estimate, credited at authorization | $150 to $150 |  |
| Diagnostic hour, credited at authorization | $285 to $285 |  |

## Process

1. **Written estimate and terms** (Day 1). You receive a line-item estimate with the deposit schedule and payment terms printed on it before you commit to anything.
2. **Authorization and first deposit** (At authorization). 50 percent on jobs over $2,000, plus 100 percent of any special order parts. Scheduling starts once funds clear.
3. **Parts arrival and second draw** (1 to 10 weeks in). On jobs over $10,000 we call when parts physically land and collect the additional 25 percent at that point.
4. **Supplements as needed** (As discovered). Hidden damage is photographed, priced and sent to you or your carrier for approval before any additional labor is performed.
5. **Completion call** (2 to 3 days before pickup). We call with the final balance and a pickup window. You know the exact number before you drive up.
6. **Payment and release** (Pickup day). Balance settled, walkthrough performed, documentation handed over, keys returned.

## What is included

- Full deposit schedule disclosed in writing at authorization
- No deposit on jobs under $2,000
- 50 percent at authorization on jobs over $2,000
- Additional 25 percent tied to physical parts arrival on jobs over $10,000
- Every deposit dollar applied to the final invoice
- Supplements photographed, priced and authorized by you before work proceeds
- Cash, check, ACH and all major cards accepted
- 3.5 percent card surcharge over $1,000, disclosed up front
- Direct carrier billing with sixteen major insurers
- A documentation package handed over at delivery

## Questions

### How much deposit do you require for RV repair?

Nothing under $2,000. Fifty percent at authorization on jobs over $2,000. On jobs over $10,000 we collect an additional 25 percent when the parts physically arrive, leaving 25 percent due at pickup. Special order parts require a 100 percent non-refundable deposit at the time of order regardless of job size.

### Why is the special order parts deposit non-refundable?

Because the part is non-returnable to us. Molded caps, painted panels and most RV-specific components are built or finished to order and cannot go back once they ship. If you cancel, that money is already spent at the vendor. We collect it up front so the loss is not discovered after the fact by either of us.

### Do you charge a fee for paying by credit card?

A 3.5 percent surcharge applies to card payments over $1,000. It is a direct pass-through of the merchant processing fee, not a markup, and it is disclosed on the estimate rather than added at the counter. Cash, check and ACH carry no surcharge, which is why most large tickets settle that way.

### Do I pay a deposit on an insurance claim?

Generally no. On a direct-billed claim we invoice the carrier and you are responsible for your deductible plus any owner-elected work outside the claim. Deposits apply to customer-pay work. If your job is partly claim and partly customer-pay, the deposit is calculated only on the customer-pay portion, and we show you that math.

### Can I pick up my RV before paying the balance?

No. The balance is due in full before the vehicle leaves the property, without exception. We call two to three days ahead with the exact final number so there is no scramble at the counter. If a check over $5,000 is coming from a first-time customer, allow time for it to clear before your planned pickup date.

### What happens if the final bill is higher than the estimate?

It should not be, unless a supplement was approved. Hidden damage found during the job is photographed, priced and sent to you or your carrier for approval before any of that labor is performed. If you decline a supplement, we complete the authorized scope and note the declined items in writing on the invoice.

## Related

- https://ocrv.pro/rates/labor-rates
- https://ocrv.pro/rates/estimate-policy
- https://ocrv.pro/rates/collision-and-paint-pricing
- https://ocrv.pro/rates/van-and-fleet-pricing
- https://ocrv.pro/the-shop/our-process
- https://ocrv.pro/about