[thstone]

First, get an estimate that you and the insurance company agree on.

Second, the insurance company will either agree to pay the amount of the estimate or tell you that the car might be a total loss.

If they are going to pay to repair, just work with the insurance company and body shop to get it done. Inspect the work closely and reject anything not done properly.

If possibly total loss, the devil is in the insurance company valuation. They are notoriously inaccurate. Read it carefully and dispute any and everything that isn't correct. If needed, create your own valuation by finding cars online and do the same math that they do and submit it as a competing valuation. Then be ready to argue with them endlessly.

Once you and the insurance agree on a valuation, they will tell you the buy back price of your totaled car. You can then go to the body shop on your own and get an estimate of the work that you want done. It is possible that the valuation amount will be more then the buy back cost + the repair cost (meaning you could have money left over in your pocket). It depends on how good you are at negotiating with the body shop (for example, have them refurbish the bumper cover vs buying a new one and that sort of thing).

The insurance company should provide a rental car until they repair the car or until they pay you the valuation amount. Be SURE to get the date that they expect you to turn in the rental car stated clearly. Any days after that you will be charged. You will likely have to argue about this with them also.

Yes, a total loss car will have a salvage title which will hurt re-sale value but I would expect your insurance company to be willing to insure it as long as you can prove that it was professionally repaired. They might ask to inspect before insuring it but that's not a big deal.

Hope this helps.