More automakers are specifying riveted joints and structural adhesive bonds in body and frame repairs, once associated mostly with European vehicles. Two of the operations tied to that shift, rivet gun set-up and stall cure time, sit at the bottom of the payment ranking in the 2026 "Who Pays for What?" survey's Frame & Mechanical Operations Report.
The survey, conducted by Collision Advice and CRASH Network, drew responses from 473 shops in 49 states during April, asking how often eight of the largest auto insurers pay for roughly 20 not-included frame and mechanical procedures.
Rivet gun set-up is billed separately in two of three major estimating systems
Rivet gun set-up refers to preparing the rivet gun equipment used to install the rivets called for in a vehicle's OEM repair procedures. The operation is a separate, not-included line item in the Audatex and CCC estimating systems, but it is already built into the Mitchell system's included operations, according to the report.
Among shops that negotiate for rivet gun set-up, 11% are paid always or most of the time, a decline of nearly 7 percentage points from the prior year. The procedure ranks 18th on the report's overall ranking chart, ahead of only labor for OEM repair information research, the admin fee for re-keying an estimate, and stall cure time, the survey's three other lowest-paid items.
Anderson: rivet type, length and gun pressure are not interchangeable
In his notes on the procedure, on page 24, Mike Anderson, president of Collision Advice, wrote that proper rivet gun set-up is as important as welder set-up or destructive weld testing, and directly affects the repair's safety, quality, and longevity. OEMs specify the exact type, size, and location of rivets, along with the tools and settings to install them, he wrote.
Deviating from those specifications can compromise structural integrity, and incorrectly installed rivets can lead to loose panels, water leaks, and premature corrosion.
Different rivet types, including self-piercing, blind, solid, and pop rivets, suit specific applications and materials, according to Anderson. Self-piercing rivets in particular require a precise length based on the total thickness of the panels being joined, and the gun must be set to the correct pressure: too little won't properly expand the rivet, he wrote, while too much can deform or crush it or damage surrounding material.
Stall cure time is the lowest-paid item in the entire survey
Stall cure time is a fee for the period, in some cases 36 to 48 hours as required by the OEM, during which a vehicle must remain stationary to allow structural or adhesive bonding to cure. Of shops that negotiate for it, 7% are paid always or most of the time, the lowest figure of any procedure the survey tracks. Stall cure time ranks last among all procedures on the report's overall ranking chart.
Anderson: adhesive cure times are OEM-specific, and not only a European-vehicle issue
On page 26, Anderson wrote that as more manufacturers use riveting alongside structural adhesives, knowing the cure time for a given repair matters, since the requirement is highly OEM-specific. He advised shops to research the OEM repair procedures for the vehicle they are working on, including the "Precautions" sections, to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for approved products, cure times, and temperatures.
He was specific that the issue extends beyond European makes: Toyota, he noted as an example, calls for structural adhesives along the outer wheelhouse to quarter panel area.
Both procedures rank among the least-negotiated in the survey
The report's "Never Asked?" chart shows stall cure time among the least-negotiated procedures in the survey, with 67% of shops never asking to be paid for it, tied with the tire run-out test for the highest rate. Rivet gun set-up falls into the next tier down at 61%, just behind the re-keying admin fee, parts cart space, and total-loss data erasure.
As the series' destructive weld testing coverage established, low negotiation rates on the survey's least-billed procedures track with low payment rates once shops do ask. Rivet gun set-up and stall cure time sit at the extreme end of that pattern.
How shops can document and negotiate for both procedures
The report points shops toward OEM repair procedures, available through automaker sites or services such as ALLDATA, Mitchell TechAdvisor, CCC ONE Repair Methods, and I-CAR's Repairability Technical Support Portal, to confirm rivet specifications and adhesive cure requirements. Shops should also check their estimating system's P-pages for included-versus-not-included status, a step that matters in particular for rivet gun set-up given the Mitchell-versus-Audatex/CCC difference.
For both procedures, Anderson's standard negotiating framework applies: confirm the operation is required to return the vehicle to pre-accident condition, check whether it's already included in another labor operation, look for a pre-determined time allowance, and calculate what the labor and materials are actually worth.
The full Frame & Mechanical Operations Report is available to download now.
