Final answer:
The probability that the repair costs exceed the estimated $1,700 is 10 percent, since $1,700 represents the 90th percentile, and only 10 percent of repairs cost more than this amount.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "what is the probability that the cost of the repair exceeds the estimate" pertains to the field of statistics within mathematics, specifically to the calculation of probabilities and percentiles related to a sample of repair costs. Based on the given context, since 90 percent of damages were $1,700 or less and we know this is the 90th percentile, the probability that the cost of repair exceeds the estimate ($1,700) would be 10 percent, or 0.10, because only 10 percent of repairs cost more than that amount. It is crucial to understand that this probability is inference based on the available sample data and does not provide an exact prediction but rather a statistical estimate.