API Documentation

Complete reference for the RepairSnap Vehicle Damage Estimation API. Everything you need to integrate vehicle damage cost estimation into your application.

Getting Started

Get your first estimate in three steps.

Sign up

Create a free account at app.repairsnap.cc. No credit card required.

Get your API key

Go to the Developer Dashboard and generate a test key. Test keys (rs_test_) return mock data instantly for free.

Make your first request

Send a photo of vehicle damage and get back a cost estimate.

curl -X POST https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_test_YOUR_KEY" \
  -F photo=@damage.jpg

Tip: Test keys (rs_test_) return realistic mock data with no usage limits. Use them for development and testing. Switch to a live key (rs_live_) for real AI-powered estimates.

Data API: Need repair cost data without submitting a photo? The Data API provides read-only access to vehicle repair costs, state labor rates, and damage type cost ranges at $0.01/call. Same API key, same authentication.

Authentication

All API requests require a Bearer token in the Authorization header.

Authorization: Bearer rs_live_aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ

Key Prefixes

Prefix	Environment	Description
`rs_test_`	Sandbox	Returns realistic mock data instantly. No usage limits. Free.
`rs_live_`	Production	Processes real AI estimates. Counts against your usage quota.

Endpoints

POST /v1/estimates

Create a new damage estimate.

URL: https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`photo`	File / Base64	Required	JPEG, PNG, or WebP. Max 10MB.
`additional_photos`	File[]	Optional	Up to 4 additional photos for multi-angle assessment.
`vehicle_make`	String	Optional	Vehicle make (e.g. "Toyota"). Improves accuracy.
`vehicle_model`	String	Optional	Vehicle model (e.g. "Camry").
`vehicle_year`	Number	Optional	Vehicle model year (e.g. 2022).
`state`	String	Optional	US state code (e.g. "CA"). Defaults to CA. Affects labor rates.
`callback_url`	URL	Optional	Webhook URL. Receives POST when estimate completes or fails.

Request (multipart/form-data)

curl -X POST https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -F photo=@damage.jpg \
  -F vehicle_make=Toyota \
  -F vehicle_model=Camry \
  -F vehicle_year=2022 \
  -F state=CA

Request (application/json with base64)

curl -X POST https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "photo": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQ...",
    "vehicle_make": "Toyota",
    "vehicle_model": "Camry",
    "vehicle_year": 2022,
    "state": "CA"
  }'

Response (202 Accepted)

{
  "id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "status": "processing",
  "estimated_seconds": 15,
  "poll_url": "https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates/est_a1b2c3d4",
  "created_at": "2026-03-21T10:30:00Z"
}

GET /v1/estimates/{id}

Retrieve an estimate by ID. Response format depends on processing status.

Processing response

{
  "id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "status": "processing",
  "stage": "damage_detection",
  "progress": 0.4,
  "estimated_remaining_seconds": 8
}

Complete response

{
  "id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "status": "complete",
  "vehicle": {
    "make": "Toyota",
    "model": "Camry",
    "year": 2022
  },
  "damage": {
    "areas": [
      {
        "type": "dent",
        "severity": "moderate",
        "location": "front_bumper",
        "confidence": 0.87
      },
      {
        "type": "scratch",
        "severity": "minor",
        "location": "front_fender_left",
        "confidence": 0.92
      }
    ]
  },
  "cost": {
    "total_min": 128000,
    "total_max": 192000,
    "currency": "USD",
    "unit": "cents",
    "breakdown": {
      "parts_oem": 65000,
      "body_labor": 48000,
      "paint_labor": 24000,
      "adas_calibration": 35000
    },
    "line_items": [
      {
        "description": "Front bumper cover - R&R",
        "repair_type": "replace",
        "parts_cost": 45000,
        "labor_hours": 3.5,
        "labor_cost": 28000,
        "paint_hours": 2.0,
        "paint_cost": 16000
      }
    ]
  },
  "adas": {
    "required": true,
    "calibrations": [
      {
        "system": "forward_collision_warning",
        "type": "static",
        "cost": 35000
      }
    ]
  },
  "data_sources": [
    { "name": "State Labor Rate Survey (CA)", "data_points": 247 },
    { "name": "Toyota Camry Parts Database", "data_points": 156 }
  ],
  "processing_time_ms": 12400
}

Failed response

{
  "id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "status": "failed",
  "error": {
    "code": "no_damage_detected",
    "message": "No vehicle damage was detected in the submitted photo."
  }
}

GET /v1/estimates/{id}/insurance

Returns the estimate in insurance-industry format with operation codes, part types, and line-item breakdowns.

Response

{
  "estimate_id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "format": "insurance",
  "vehicle": { "make": "Toyota", "model": "Camry", "year": 2022 },
  "line_items": [
    {
      "line": 1,
      "operation": "REPLACE",
      "description": "Front bumper cover",
      "part_type": "OEM",
      "part_cost": 45000,
      "labor_hours": 3.5,
      "labor_rate": 8000,
      "labor_cost": 28000,
      "paint_hours": 2.0,
      "paint_rate": 8000,
      "paint_cost": 16000,
      "subtotal": 89000
    },
    {
      "line": 2,
      "operation": "SUBLET",
      "description": "Forward Collision Warning - Static Calibration",
      "part_cost": 35000,
      "subtotal": 35000
    }
  ],
  "totals": {
    "parts": 80000,
    "labor": 28000,
    "paint": 16000,
    "sublet": 35000,
    "gross_total": 159000
  }
}

Operation Codes

Code	Description
`REPAIR`	Repair existing part
`REPLACE`	Replace with new part
`REFINISH`	Paint/refinish panel
`BLEND`	Blend adjacent panel
`R&I`	Remove and install
`SUBLET`	Sublet work (ADAS calibration, mechanical)

Data API

Read-only access to RepairSnap's vehicle repair cost database, state labor rates, and damage type cost ranges. No photo upload required.

Pricing: List endpoints (GET /v1/vehicles, GET /v1/states, GET /v1/damage-types) are FREE. Detail endpoints (GET /v1/vehicles/:make/:model, GET /v1/labor-rates/:state, GET /v1/damage-types/:type) cost $0.01 per call. AI estimate endpoints (POST /v1/estimates) are billed at your plan rate. All endpoints require a Bearer token.

GET /v1/vehicles

List all supported vehicles.

Returns all vehicles in the RepairSnap database grouped by make, with model names and year ranges.

Request

curl https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/vehicles \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response (200 OK)

{
  "data": [
    {
      "make": "Toyota",
      "models": [
        {
          "model": "Camry",
          "years": "2020-2024",
          "dataQuality": "high"
        },
        {
          "model": "RAV4",
          "years": "2019-2024",
          "dataQuality": "high"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "make": "BMW",
      "models": [
        {
          "model": "3 Series",
          "years": "2019-2024",
          "dataQuality": "high"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "totalMakes": 15,
    "totalModels": 39
  }
}

GET /v1/vehicles/{make}/{model}

Get repair cost data for a specific vehicle.

Returns full repair cost data including parts pricing, labor rates, common repairs, and severity cost ranges.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`make`	String	Vehicle make (e.g., Toyota, BMW, Mercedes-Benz)
`model`	String	Vehicle model (e.g., Camry, 3-Series)

Request

curl https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/vehicles/Toyota/Camry \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response (200 OK)

{
  "data": {
    "vehicle": {
      "make": "Toyota",
      "model": "Camry",
      "years": "2020-2024"
    },
    "sources": ["OEM parts pricing", "Body shop surveys"],
    "laborRates": {
      "body": 65,
      "paint": 68,
      "mechanical": 75
    },
    "commonRepairs": [
      {
        "name": "Front bumper replacement",
        "costRange": [80000, 150000]
      }
    ],
    "partsPricing": [...],
    "severityCostRanges": {...},
    "commonDamagePatterns": [...]
  }
}

404 Not Found

Returned when the make/model combination is not in our database. Use GET /v1/vehicles to see all supported vehicles.

GET /v1/labor-rates/{state}

Get labor rates for a state.

Returns body, paint, mechanical, and frame labor rates ($/hr) for a specific US state from our 4,000+ body shop survey.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`state`	String	Two-letter US state code (e.g., CA, TX, NY)

Request

curl https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/labor-rates/CA \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response (200 OK)

{
  "data": {
    "state": "CA",
    "body": 75,
    "paint": 78,
    "mechanical": 85,
    "frame": 80,
    "metroPremium": 1.15,
    "generalLaborRate": 72,
    "source": "4,000+ body shop survey"
  }
}

Response Fields

Field	Description
`body`	Body labor rate ($/hr)
`paint`	Paint/refinish labor rate ($/hr)
`mechanical`	Mechanical labor rate ($/hr)
`frame`	Frame labor rate ($/hr)
`metroPremium`	Metro area cost multiplier (e.g., 1.15 means 15% above state average)
`generalLaborRate`	General auto repair rate ($/hr)

GET /v1/damage-types/{type}

Get cost ranges by severity for a damage type.

Returns cost ranges (in cents), repair methods, and descriptions for each severity level of a specific damage type.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`type`	String	Damage type identifier

Valid damage types

scratch dent crack paint_chip glass_break lamp_damage missing_part rust structural

Request

curl https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/damage-types/dent \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response (200 OK)

{
  "data": {
    "type": "dent",
    "name": "Dent",
    "description": "Body panel deformation from impact, ranging from door dings to large creases.",
    "severities": [
      {
        "severity": "minor",
        "minCents": 7500,
        "maxCents": 25000,
        "avgCents": 15000,
        "repairMethods": ["PDR (Paintless Dent Repair)"],
        "description": "Small door dings, 1-2 inch dents without paint damage"
      },
      {
        "severity": "moderate",
        "minCents": 20000,
        "maxCents": 75000,
        "avgCents": 45000,
        "repairMethods": ["PDR", "Body filler and repaint", "Glue pull repair"],
        "description": "Larger dents 3-6 inches, may have minor paint damage"
      },
      {
        "severity": "severe",
        "minCents": 50000,
        "maxCents": 200000,
        "avgCents": 120000,
        "repairMethods": ["Panel replacement", "Major body work and repaint"],
        "description": "Large creases, buckled panels, requires replacement"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Note: All cost values are in cents (USD). Divide by 100 to get dollars. For example, 7500 = $75.00.

GET /v1/states

List all states with rate summaries.

Returns all US states with body shop labor rate summaries sorted alphabetically, plus national average rates.

Request

curl https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/states \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response (200 OK)

{
  "data": [
    {
      "state": "AL",
      "body": 52,
      "paint": 54,
      "mechanical": 60,
      "frame": 58,
      "generalLaborRate": 50
    },
    {
      "state": "CA",
      "body": 75,
      "paint": 78,
      "mechanical": 85,
      "frame": 80,
      "generalLaborRate": 72
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "totalStates": 51,
    "nationalAverages": {
      "body": 58,
      "paint": 60,
      "mechanical": 65,
      "frame": 62
    }
  }
}

Webhooks

Instead of polling, provide a callback_url when creating an estimate. We will POST to that URL when the estimate completes or fails.

Webhook Headers

Header	Description
`Content-Type`	application/json
`X-RepairSnap-Signature`	HMAC-SHA256 signature of the request body

Webhook Payload

{
  "event": "estimate.completed",
  "estimate_id": "est_a1b2c3d4",
  "status": "complete",
  "total_min": 128000,
  "total_max": 192000,
  "timestamp": "2026-03-21T10:30:15Z"
}

Events

Event	Description
`estimate.completed`	Estimate processing completed successfully
`estimate.failed`	Estimate processing failed

Signature Verification

Verify webhook signatures using HMAC-SHA256 to ensure requests come from RepairSnap. The signature is in the X-RepairSnap-Signature header.

Python

import hmac, hashlib

def verify_signature(payload_body, signature, secret):
    expected = hmac.new(
        secret.encode('utf-8'),
        payload_body,
        hashlib.sha256
    ).hexdigest()
    return hmac.compare_digest(
        f"sha256={expected}", signature
    )

# In your webhook handler:
sig = request.headers['X-RepairSnap-Signature']
if not verify_signature(request.body, sig, WEBHOOK_SECRET):
    return Response(status=401)

Node.js

import { createHmac, timingSafeEqual } from 'crypto';

function verifySignature(body, signature, secret) {
  const expected = 'sha256=' +
    createHmac('sha256', secret)
      .update(body)
      .digest('hex');
  return timingSafeEqual(
    Buffer.from(signature),
    Buffer.from(expected)
  );
}

// In your webhook handler:
const sig = req.headers['x-repairsnap-signature'];
if (!verifySignature(req.body, sig, WEBHOOK_SECRET)) {
  return res.status(401).send('Invalid signature');
}

Retry Policy

If your webhook endpoint returns a non-2xx status, we retry up to 3 times with exponential backoff:

1st retry: 5 seconds
2nd retry: 30 seconds
3rd retry: 5 minutes

Error Codes

All errors follow the RFC 9457 Problem Details format.

Error response format

{
  "type": "https://repairsnap.cc/errors/rate-limit-exceeded",
  "title": "Rate Limit Exceeded",
  "status": 429,
  "detail": "You have exceeded the rate limit of 5 requests per minute."
}

HTTP Errors

Status	Error	Description
`400`	Bad Request	Missing required parameters or invalid format
`401`	Unauthorized	Missing, invalid, or revoked API key
`402`	Payment Required	Free usage limit exceeded. Purchase credits or subscribe.
`404`	Not Found	Estimate ID does not exist
`429`	Rate Limited	Too many requests. Check Retry-After header.
`500`	Server Error	Internal server error. Retry the request.

Estimate Errors

These appear in the error.code field when an estimate fails.

Code	Description
`no_damage_detected`	No vehicle damage was detected in the submitted photo
`not_a_vehicle`	The photo does not appear to contain a vehicle
`image_quality_too_low`	Image resolution or quality is insufficient for analysis
`processing_error`	Internal processing error. Retry the request.

Rate Limits

Plan	Rate Limit	Usage Limit
Credit Packs	5 requests/minute	Per-credit (5 for $4.99, 10 for $8.99, 25 for $19.99)
Monthly ($25/mo)	30 requests/minute	50/month included, $0.50/request overage
Business ($100/mo)	60 requests/minute	250/month included, $0.40/request overage

Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes rate limit headers:

Header	Description
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	Maximum requests per minute for your plan
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	Remaining requests in the current minute window
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	Unix timestamp when the rate limit resets

429 Response

When rate limited, the response includes a Retry-After header with the number of seconds to wait.

Code Examples

Full working examples for submitting an estimate, polling for the result, and parsing the response.

# 1. Submit estimate
RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -F photo=@damage.jpg \
  -F vehicle_make=Toyota \
  -F vehicle_model=Camry \
  -F vehicle_year=2022 \
  -F state=CA)

ESTIMATE_ID=$(echo $RESPONSE | jq -r .id)
echo "Estimate $ESTIMATE_ID queued"

# 2. Poll for result
while true; do
  RESULT=$(curl -s https://api.repairsnap.cc/v1/estimates/$ESTIMATE_ID \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer rs_live_YOUR_KEY")

  STATUS=$(echo $RESULT | jq -r .status)
  if [ "$STATUS" = "complete" ]; then break; fi
  if [ "$STATUS" = "failed" ]; then
    echo "Error: $(echo $RESULT | jq -r .error.message)"
    exit 1
  fi
  sleep 2
done

# 3. Parse the response
echo $RESULT | jq '.cost | "Repair: $\(.total_min/100) - $\(.total_max/100)"'

import requests
import time

API_KEY = "rs_live_YOUR_KEY"
BASE = "https://api.repairsnap.cc"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"}

# 1. Submit estimate
resp = requests.post(
    f"{BASE}/v1/estimates",
    headers=HEADERS,
    files={"photo": open("damage.jpg", "rb")},
    data={
        "vehicle_make": "Toyota",
        "vehicle_model": "Camry",
        "vehicle_year": "2022",
        "state": "CA",
    },
)
estimate_id = resp.json()["id"]
print(f"Estimate {estimate_id} queued")

# 2. Poll for result
while True:
    result = requests.get(
        f"{BASE}/v1/estimates/{estimate_id}",
        headers=HEADERS,
    ).json()

    if result["status"] == "complete":
        break
    if result["status"] == "failed":
        raise Exception(result["error"]["message"])

    time.sleep(2)

# 3. Parse the response
cost = result["cost"]
print(f"Repair cost: ${cost['total_min']/100:.0f} - ${cost['total_max']/100:.0f}")

for area in result["damage"]["areas"]:
    print(f"  {area['type']} ({area['severity']}) on {area['location']}")

import { readFileSync } from 'fs';

const API_KEY = 'rs_live_YOUR_KEY';
const BASE = 'https://api.repairsnap.cc';

// 1. Submit estimate
const form = new FormData();
form.append('photo', new Blob([readFileSync('damage.jpg')]));
form.append('vehicle_make', 'Toyota');
form.append('vehicle_model', 'Camry');
form.append('vehicle_year', '2022');
form.append('state', 'CA');

const { id } = await fetch(`${BASE}/v1/estimates`, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
  body: form,
}).then((r) => r.json());

console.log(`Estimate ${id} queued`);

// 2. Poll for result
let result;
do {
  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 2000));
  result = await fetch(`${BASE}/v1/estimates/${id}`, {
    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
  }).then((r) => r.json());
} while (result.status === 'processing');

if (result.status === 'failed') {
  throw new Error(result.error.message);
}

// 3. Parse the response
const { cost, damage } = result;
console.log(`Repair cost: $${cost.total_min / 100} - $${cost.total_max / 100}`);

for (const area of damage.areas) {
  console.log(`  ${area.type} (${area.severity}) on ${area.location}`);
}

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