Bus, Fleet and Specialty Vehicle Body Repair

Detail pages in this category

• School and Transit Buses

  Bus panel skins, emergency exit frames and wheelchair lift structure, plus skoolie conversion work. We repair body, paint and structure. We do not certify or inspect buses.

• Fire, Ambulance and Police

  Module body seams, compartment doors and graphics to written spec. Out-of-service cost drives the schedule. We do not certify pumps, aerials or emergency lighting.

• Public Works and Utility Trucks

  Service body corrosion, crane pedestal mounting, bed and boom cosmetic refinish. On agency work the real constraint is the purchase order ceiling, so scope gets written to it.

• Rivian and Electric Fleet

  Rivian EDV and EV fleet vans: bonded aluminum over a composite skate, high voltage isolation first, then body and paint. We are independent, not manufacturer authorized.

These variants come through the shop regularly. Each one fails in a slightly different place, so here is what we actually see on them.

Shuttle buses

Cutaway chassis shuttles fail at the seam between the factory cab and the upfitter body, because the two structures flex at different rates. Water enters that joint and rots the floor behind the driver. Entry door apertures round out from constant cycling. We rebuild the cab-to-body joint with new backing structure, correct the door opening geometry and repair the floor before it reaches the stepwell framing.

Paratransit vans

Lowered floors, wheelchair lifts and securement anchors mean original structure was removed and replaced with upfitter framing. The lift mounting takes cyclic load every trip and cracks at the floor attachment. We repair the conversion framing, rebuild lift and ramp mounting into reinforced structure, and verify securement anchor backing before the vehicle returns to service.

Refuse and recycling trucks

Packer bodies see thousands of compaction cycles a month and constant corrosive leachate exposure. Cracks start at the packer track rails and the body-to-subframe mounts, and the tailgate hinge structure elongates. We reweld and reinforce the mounting structure, replace corroded body panel sections and floor, and refinish. Packer hydraulics and cylinders go to your equipment provider.

Street sweepers

Hopper bodies carry wet abrasive load and corrode from the inside out, usually failing first at the hopper floor and the dump hinge brackets. Broom arm mounting also fatigues from constant road contact. We repair and replace hopper panel and floor sections, rebuild hinge and arm mounting structure, and recoat the interior surfaces that take the abrasive load.

Bucket trucks

The boom subframe transfers every lift into the chassis frame, and that interface is where cracks appear: at the outrigger pads, the turret mounting and the subframe-to-frame fasteners. We inspect and reweld the subframe and mounting structure, repair the body and utility compartments, and refinish. We do not service the boom, the insulating components or the hydraulics themselves.

Utility trucks

Service body trucks carry heavy tools in compartments that were designed for lighter loads, and the compartment floors sag while door frames rack. Crane and compressor mounting cracks the body floor and the subframe. We rebuild compartment structure, repair or replace service bodies from $2,500 to $15,000 installed, and reinforce equipment mounting into frame rather than body sheet metal.

Water and sewer maintenance vehicles

Jetter and vactor bodies carry large water and debris tanks whose load shifts constantly in transit, working the tank saddles and body mounts. Corrosion around the debris body and hose reel mounting is standard. We repair and reinforce saddle and mounting structure, replace corroded panel and floor sections and refinish. Vacuum systems, pumps and reels go to a specialty provider.

Traffic signal maintenance vehicles

Aerial-equipped service trucks with heavy compartment loads and constant curbside work. Failures show at the aerial subframe mounts, the compartment door frames and the roof rack that carries signal heads and mast arms. We rebuild the subframe interface, square the compartment openings so doors latch, reinforce roof rack mounting and refinish with agency markings.

Forestry and parks vehicles

Chip bodies, dump inserts and stake beds operating off pavement, with constant brush contact and abrasive load. Chip body doors and hinges tear, sidewalls bulge from overloading and deck structure rots. We repair and reinforce chip body framing and hinge structure, replace deck and sidewall sections, and recoat surfaces that take direct load and abrasion.

Mobile command centers

Large specialty bodies packed with generators, HVAC, antennas, mast systems and interior cabinetry. Generator vibration fatigues the floor structure it is bolted to, and roof penetrations for masts and antennas leak into equipment racks. We rebuild generator mounting with isolators into proper structure, reflash and rebed every roof penetration, then water test the body before release.

Food trucks

Kitchen equipment, propane, water tanks and generators in a box body that flexes constantly. The recurring failures are floor structure cracking under equipment mounts, service window frames leaking into the wall, and stainless and coved flooring damage that puts the health permit at risk. We rebuild equipment mounting, repair the body structure and restore the interior finish surfaces.

Mobile medical clinics

Exam rooms, imaging equipment and lift systems in a coach or box body, where equipment weight is concentrated and the interior finish has to stay intact and cleanable. Cracked floor structure under equipment and leaks at roof HVAC curbs are the common findings. We rebuild the structure, reflash the roof curbs, restore the interior surfaces and water test before the unit returns to service.

In scope: body and paint

Panel repair and replacement in steel, aluminum, fiberglass and composite. Full refinish, agency color standards, fleet numbering, graphics and reflective conspicuity markings.

In scope: structural

Frame section repair, body subframe and mounting rebuild, bus body post and roof structure, floor and stepwell structure, and correction of racked door and window openings.

In scope: equipment install

Service bodies, utility boxes, racks, toolboxes, lift gates, emergency and work lighting, siren and control head mounting, and cabinetry inside specialty bodies.

Out of scope: mechanical

Engine, after-treatment, transmission, driveline, hydraulics, pumps, aerials and refrigeration units. We repair and refinish around them but do not service them.

Out of scope: inspection

We do not perform DOT annual inspections or issue inspection reports. We will document body and structural condition in writing for your records, which is a different thing.

Post and rocker rebuild

Corroded or cracked vertical posts and rocker structure cut back to sound material and replaced with matched section, then re-skinned so the load path is actually restored.

Door aperture correction

Openings measured for square and plane, framing repaired, then the door system reset so it seals on geometry instead of on repeated mechanism adjustment.

Roof and bow repair

Roof bows and header structure straightened or replaced after overhead strikes, with roof skin and hatch openings resealed and the body verified square afterward.

Floor and stepwell structure

Floor sections and stepwell framing replaced where corrosion and traffic have taken them, including the tread and edge trim that fails first in high-boarding service.

Window and glazing frames

Window frames rebedded and frames repaired where corrosion has started at the flange. On a bus the window flange is a common hidden water path into the sidewall cavity.

Module subframe and mounts

Ambulance and rescue module mounting systems inspected, worn isolators replaced and subframe structure rebuilt so the box stops taking chassis twist directly.

Compartment framing repair

Aluminum compartment framing, floors and slide-out tray rails rebuilt with proper backing, then roll-up doors reset against a square opening so they stop binding.

Push bumper and equipment mounting

Push bumper and equipment mounting structure repaired and reinforced into frame rather than sheet metal, with prior penetrations properly sealed rather than taped over.

Emergency lighting install

Light bars, perimeter lighting, scene lighting and controls installed from $400 to $3,500, on properly fused and protected circuits rather than spliced into existing harness.

Agency refinish and markings

Full refinish to agency color standard from $5,000 to $30,000 at 40 to 200 hours, with unit numbering, striping, decals and reflective conspicuity markings applied to specification.

Equipment mounting rebuild

Generator, tank, compressor and cabinetry mounting rebuilt into proper structure with isolators and load-spreading backing so vibration stops destroying the floor and wall panel.

Specialty body watertightness

Roof penetrations for vents, exhausts, antennas, air conditioners and solar stripped, rebedded and flashed, then water tested in the rain bay before the vehicle leaves.

High voltage isolation

On electric vehicles the high voltage system is isolated and verified before structural work begins, and pack enclosure and mounting are inspected after any underbody or side impact.

Interior finish and compliance surfaces

Stainless, FRP and coved flooring surfaces repaired and replaced on food and medical bodies so the interior meets the finish requirements the operating permit assumes.

See the full rate card and estimate policy.

1. 01

   Yard walk or shop appointment

   We look at the unit or the group of units and issue a written scope split so everyone knows what is ours and what goes to your mechanical provider.

   Day 1

2. 02

   Structural inspection and documentation

   Body structure, mounting points and apertures inspected and measured. Corrosion and cracking photographed by location for your records and any claim.

   Days 1 to 4

3. 03

   Plan, procurement and slot scheduling

   Line-item plan issued to fit your purchase order process. We hold the slot until parts are physically here so a unit is not stalled mid job.

   Days 3 to 15

4. 04

   Structural rebuild

   Posts, rockers, floors, subframes and mounting structure repaired in matched material and remeasured before any skin or finish work.

   Weeks 1 to 6

5. 05

   Equipment install and refinish

   Bodies, racks, gates and lighting installed, then booth time, agency color verification, numbering, decals and reflective markings.

   Weeks 2 to 8

6. 06

   Water test and return to service

   Rain bay water test on enclosed bodies, lighting circuit verification, door seal check and a walkthrough with your fleet contact.

   Final 2 to 5 days

• Written scope split separating body and structural work from mechanical
• Body structure inspection with corrosion and cracking documented by location
• Post, rocker, roof bow and floor structure rebuild in matched material
• Door and window aperture correction so seals meet on geometry
• Module, compartment and subframe mounting rebuild with isolators renewed
• Service body, utility box, rack and lift gate installation
• Emergency and work lighting on properly fused and protected circuits
• Full refinish to agency or fleet color standard with sample verification
• Unit numbering, striping, decals and reflective conspicuity markings
• Rain bay water test on any body with an interior before release