What happens if my repair estimate ends up being more than $35,000?

If your properly documented repair cost estimate comes in above the limited civil ceiling, currently around $35,000 though this threshold is periodically adjusted by the legislature and should be verified against current figures, your case is pushed into unlimited civil court instead, which carries a meaningfully higher filing fee, currently $435 compared to limited civil's $370.

You do have a choice in this situation: you can voluntarily waive the excess amount above whatever the limited civil ceiling happens to be and remain in the faster, generally less expensive limited civil process, effectively capping your own recovery in exchange for speed. This represents a genuine tradeoff between maximizing your total recovery and resolving the case more quickly and affordably, one worth thinking through carefully given your specific financial situation and how badly you need resolution versus full compensation.