Car Dent Repair And Cost

Everyone loves a gorgeous, scratch-free car. But sometimes your car hits or gets hit. We'll talk about car dents, car dent repair, and the dent repair cost.

The fact that you’ve found yourself reading this guide suggests you’ve had a rough week.

Whether you backed into a pole, took a turn too sharp, or just weren’t paying attention, returning your car to its pre-dent condition will carry a significant price tag.

How much do car dent repairs cost? There are numerous factors to consider, including the extent of the body damage, location, and where you have the bodywork done. If it’s a tiny dent, expect to spend between $50 and $125.

But let’s be frank, the cost goes up significantly if it’s anything more than a door ding.

How many?

I will first examine each of the above factors in detail to better understand what is involved.

Along the way, I will also explain the exact cost of dent repair.

Table of ContentsShow

What Makes Car Dent Repair So Expensive?

The Size Of The Dent And The Method Of Repair

car with dented side

The more damage there is, the pricier the repairs will be.

Why?

One reason is that larger dents tend to rule out Paintless Dent Removal (PDR).

What’s PDR?

It’s a newer, economical alternative to traditional body shop methods. As its name suggests, PDR work doesn’t require sanding, painting, or drying. This not only makes it faster but inexpensive too.

The process involves reshaping the damaged body part back to its original shape by reforming the metal.

As we mentioned before, fixing a minor dent (car park damage) will cost around $50 to $125.

If it’s less of a ding and more of a DANG, the possibility for PDR goes out the window. In this case, the entire area has to be sanded down, painted, and then set to dry. This means paying a proficient autobody professional to do things the correct way with the appropriate materials (more on that later).

Expect to spend $2,000 or more for a substantial-sized dent to restore your car to its pristine glory.

If PDR isn’t possible and it’s not worth painting, you may have to have the entire panel replaced (and painted).

Depending on the body part, this may or may not be a more cost-effective alternative. Front and rear bumpers tend to cost less than other panels as they’re usually made of plastic, but they can still run $300-$700.

Add the cost of painting, and you’ll end up spending almost $1,000 for just one bumper.

The Number Of Dents And Their Location

car with dented back

This is closely linked to the extent of the indentation. Because the quantity and placement of dents are equally vital.

Why? Well, for one, the more panels that are damaged, the more labor it will take to repair them. You can basically take the above example and multiply it by how many dents there are and how many body parts are affected.

This is why hail (literal globes of ice falling from the sky) can total out a car, as the typical repair runs around $2,500.

Another thing is that repairing a dent on a body line is far more difficult than fixing one on a flat surface like the side of a door. While anything can be enhanced, if the damage is too severe, your car will never look the same without replacing the panel (s) entirely.

Additionally, the type of car can also be a factor, as some manufacturers use specialty paints and uncommon metals like aluminum or rare steel.

Where You Have The Body Work Done

removing car scratches and dents

As you might have guessed, there’s a considerable price difference between hiring someone with a ton of experience compared with none.

While you can always find someone willing to do just about anything for $50, so too can you find cheap dent work.

However, due to using cheap paints, substandard equipment, or having no proper location, bottom-tier jobs will likely show upon further inspection. What does poor bodywork look like? A few signs to look for include the following:

  • Sagging/Running Paint
  • Color Mismatches
  • Blotching
  • Over Spray
  • Inconsistent Textures (Orange Peel)

What is the difference between cheap bodywork and quality bodywork? Let’s use painting the hood of a standard sedan as an example. The former will likely cost around $300-$500 and the latter $500-$1,000. What do you get for the price increase?

Besides avoiding the above consequences of bad bodywork, there’s also the number of coats that get sprayed. To save on costs, bargain shops will apply as few coats as possible when painting. Not only that, but they’ll only spray the visible areas of the car.

Should you take your car to a premium body shop? It depends on what you’re looking for.

If the dent occurred when the car was newer, hiring a first-rate shop may be the only way to restore it back to 100%. If there are already some imperfections, like UV rays, deep scratches, age signs, or other damage, the less costly option may be best.

Now that you know the multiple factors that influence the price of dent repair. Let’s look at the actual costs a little closer.

How Much Does Car Dent Repair Cost?

car dent repair before and after

You can easily discover $50-75 ding repair with a swift Google search. Moreover, establishments strive to earn some extra income. An extensive ding? $125.

Bigger dents, likely you might see after bumping into a pole or another vehicle, should run between $200-$300 depending on the above factors.

Using the above numbers, a good way to estimate the price of a dent is to add $50-$120 for every inch. This means that a 2- to 3-inch dent that doesn’t require painting and is not on a crease should cost $100-$240.

For dings that can’t be repaired with PDR and need to be painted, don’t be surprised to find this number increases by a significant amount.

How many?

Think an extra $200-$500. If the damage is too significant to fix (or reaches the $1,000-$1,500 range), replacing the entire panel may be optimal.

Multiply that by the number of dents and how many body parts are impacted, and you can readily see how swiftly things add up.

Stop Hitting Things With Your Car

Wouldn’t that be the simplest way?

Regardless, it happened, and you might as well not dwell on it. Instead, get it addressed as soon as possible before things get any more serious.

Not only will doing so early help keep the expenses down, but it will also prevent rust from forming.

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Joshua Barrett

Josh Barrett is a writer hailing from the great state of Alaska. While describing himself in the third person is not his forte, writing about any and all things automotive – is. After 13+ years hustling in the exciting world of car sales, he took off to travel the world with his dog Teemo.