What Is the DEG? The Database Enhancement Gateway, Explained
The Database Enhancement Gateway is where the industry corrects the estimating databases on the record. For a shop writing supplements, a DEG inquiry is citable proof.
What Is the DEG? The Database Enhancement Gateway, Explained
When an estimating database gets something wrong, or leaves an operation out, the DEG is where the industry fixes it on the record. For a shop writing supplements, it's one of the most useful and underused tools available, because a DEG inquiry is a citable answer from the people who maintain the databases themselves.
What the DEG is
DEG stands for Database Enhancement Gateway. It's a free industry resource, supported by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, and the Automotive Service Association, where anyone can submit an inquiry about the three estimating databases, CCC, Audatex, and Mitchell. The information providers review the inquiry and respond, often clarifying or correcting how an operation should be handled.
Why it matters for supplements
A DEG inquiry carries weight a phone call never will. When the database provider has already addressed your exact operation, you don't have to make the case from scratch. You attach the inquiry. It's documentation from the same source the carrier's estimate is built on, which is hard to wave off.
How to use it
- Search the DEG for the operation in question before you write the supplement.
- If an inquiry already covers it, cite the inquiry number and attach it.
- If nothing covers it, submit your own. The response becomes documentation for this job and every similar one after it.
The DEG works best alongside the OEM position statement and the platform's not-included language. Together, those three sources are what move a supplement from opinion to citation, as covered in the collision supplement playbook.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DEG free to use? Yes. Searching and submitting inquiries are free.
Who answers DEG inquiries? The information providers behind the estimating databases review submissions and respond, often with a clarification or a correction.
How do I cite a DEG inquiry in a supplement? Reference the inquiry number and attach the response. It documents that the database provider has already addressed the operation.