We're excited to work on your vehicle — whether it's a suspension lift, wheels and tires, armor, regearing, electrical & lighting, or anything in between.

Good work takes time, and we never rush a job. We also know your vehicle may be your daily driver, so we do everything we can to get it back to you dialed in and on schedule. Here's what to expect before, during, and after your appointment.

Our Commitment & Your Appointment

When you book, we reserve our time and technician for your build. We've committed to you, and we just ask the same in return:

  • Running late or can't make it? Please let us know right away. If we don't hear from you, we may start another project to keep the shop moving, which can delay or force a reschedule of your appointment.
  • Need to reschedule or cancel? Tell us as early as you can. Your deposit reserves your parts and technician's time, and cancellations cost us — so please confirm your availability before booking. We are very understanding and know life happens, but we also have an operation to run. We do not want to charge cancellation fees so please keep us in the loop if your availability changes.

Before You Arrive

Maybe give your vehicle a wash? These are trucks and off-road rigs — they're built to get dirty, and we love that. It doesn't need to be spotless, but we can't safely or effectively work on a vehicle caked in mud and debris, especially underneath where much of our suspension work happens. If it arrives excessively dirty, a cleaning fee of up to $200 may apply. A quick wash (undercarriage included) saves you the fee. If your vehicle isn't caked in mud, then you're good!

A few more things that keep your appointment on track:

  • Bring your wheel lock key. Without the wheel lock key, we may not be able to remove your wheels (or may need to charge extra labor to remove the locks).
  • Remove your valuables. If we're doing electrical or audio work inside your interior, we can't be responsible for any belongings left in the vehicle. We'll be very careful, but if we have to set things aside, there's always a chance something gets lost.
  • Tell us about your vehicle. We've probably discussed your vehicle at length, but we need to know about any existing mods, warning lights, or known quirks (rust, new window tint, electric locks don't work, etc.). This helps us plan and avoid surprises.
  • Keep some fuel in the tank. Many jobs require moving the vehicle and a test drive to verify the work. Do not leave your vehicle here with the gas light on or we may not be able to test drive it! If we need to fill your tank at a gas station, there will be a labor charge for the time required to do so, plus the cost of the fuel itself.
  • Want to keep your old parts? Tell us before we start — efficient removal can damage old parts, and keeping them usable may add labor cost. We can't replace or compensate for parts if we hear about it during or after the job.
  • Supplying your own parts? Make sure everything is correct and complete beforehand. Missing or wrong parts can leave your vehicle stuck on our rack ($100/hour). In most cases you are not saving money by buying online. Supporting your local shop with your parts purchase helps us keep labor rates down. Most shops operate the same way (or don't accept outside parts at all).
  • Expired registration? We can not and will not test drive a vehicle with expired tags on public roads.

Drop-Off & Timing

Your appointment time is your drop-off time — not necessarily the minute we start turning wrenches. Like a doctor's office, we schedule carefully, but on top of the prep for your job (unpackaging parts, racking the vehicle, etc.) a previous job can run long and some things are out of our control:

  • Employee illness or absence
  • Accidents or safety issues
  • Weather & Power Outages
  • Parts arriving incomplete or defective
  • Machines breaking down
  • Murphy's Law

We handle these promptly, but they can still cause delays. We'll stay in touch throughout with both good news and bad. Unless you've already made arrangements with us, please plan for a drop-off rather than a wait, leave a little buffer in case a job runs long, and arrange a ride for longer builds. Need to drop off and/or pickup after hours? Just ask, we can usually accomodate this.

During Your Service

Please stay reachable if possible while we have your vehicle. Suspension and off-road work sometimes reveals hidden issues — damage, seized hardware, or other worn parts. If anything changes the scope, cost, or timeline, we'll call for your approval before moving forward. There should be no surprises on your final invoice.

Pickup & Payment

We'll reach out as soon as your vehicle is finished. Payment in full is due upon completion, before we release the vehicle.

After Your Visit: Protecting Your Work & Warranty

  • Recheck / re-torque — don't skip it. If your build requires a 10-day / 500-mile recheck or re-torque, it's mandatory — skipping it voids your labor warranty. This applies to most modifications, especially steering, suspension, aftermarket wheels, armor, and gears, but may apply to other work. Normally you'll get an automated reminder for this after a week, but even if you don't you're still responsible for scheduling this. This is a free service for all parts we sell and install.
  • Labor warranty: 90 days / 3,000 miles from completion, honored in-house. (Full coverage details are in our policies.)
  • Ongoing maintenance: we recommend an annual inspection, re-torque, and alignment — more often with hard off-road or racing use. This can include greasing zerk fittings, keeping shocks and struts clean, and re-torquing lift hardware. Skipped maintenance and neglect isn't a covered warranty issue, so ask us if you're unsure.
  • Give it time to settle. New ride height, handling, gearing, or audio tuning can feel unfamiliar at first — that's normal. It may take time for things to break-in. Some high-performance steering and suspension can feel stiff or sticky for the first 500-1000 miles. Speakers and subwoofers can take 10-20 hours to properly break-in. Gears have very specific break-in requirements we will spend extra time making you aware of.
  • Questions or concerns? Reach out. We stand behind our work and would rather hear from you directly. We are only successful when you are satisfied.

Please Review Our Policies

Before your appointment, please read our policies in full: swatcustoms.com/policies

As noted on your estimate and invoice, making a payment means you agreed to these terms. If anything's unclear, just ask — these policies aren't here to nickel-and-dime you, but to keep us on the same page if something unexpected comes up.

We can't wait to build something great with you. Thanks for trusting SWAT Customs with your ride — see you soon!