Minnesota’s Truth in Repairs Act gives you a right to request a written estimate before repairs are made to your car, truck, motorcycle, household appliance, house, condo, apartment, or other home dwelling place. The estimate right applies to “repairs” as the Act defines that term: work totaling more than $100 (including parts and materials) to restore a malfunctioning, defective, or worn item used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, not for business or agricultural purposes, and not a service call or estimate itself. You also have a right to not be charged more than 110% of the estimated cost, once a shop has given you a written estimate.
Under Minnesota’s Truth in Repairs Act,
If a shop provides a written estimate of the price of repairs, it shall not charge more than 110 percent of the total price stated in its estimate for the repairs; except if a shop after commencing repairs determines that additional work is necessary to accomplish repairs that are the subject of a written estimate and if the shop did not unreasonably fail to disclose the possible need for the additional work when the estimate was made, the shop may charge more than 110 percent of the estimate for the repairs if the shop immediately provides the customer a revised written estimate pursuant to this section and receives authorization to continue with the repairs. If continuation of the repairs is not authorized, the shop shall return the motor vehicle, appliance, or dwelling place as close as possible to its former condition or place it in a mutually agreed-upon condition and shall release the item to the customer upon payment of charges for repairs actually performed and not in excess of 110 percent of the original estimate.
See Minnesota Statute section 325F.58 subdiv. 6.
