Car Body Repair Cost and Prices: A UK Guide

Body repair pricing is not arbitrary, but it is not a fixed menu either. What you pay comes down to labour hours, paint materials and parts — and the biggest variable is how much preparation the job needs before anything is sprayed.

Everything below is an indicative UK guide range for 2026. Actual prices depend on the vehicle, the paint type, the extent of hidden damage and parts availability. We price properly from photographs or an inspection, and estimates are free.

Indicative UK body repair prices

• Machine polish to light scratches and swirls, per panel — £50-£120
• SMART repair to a localised scuff, scratch or small dent — £120-£300
• Paintless dent removal, single dent — £75-£150
• Bumper repaired and refinished — £180-£450
• Single panel repaired and resprayed — £250-£500
• Two or three panels repaired, refinished and blended — £500-£1,100
• Panel replaced, painted and fitted — from £600
• Keyed panel work, one side — £700-£1,600
• Full respray in the original colour — £2,500-£6,000
• Accident repair across multiple panels — priced from a full assessment, commonly £1,500-£6,000+

What actually drives the cost

• Repair versus replace — reshaping original metal is usually cheaper than a new panel plus fixings and paint
• Paint type — solid, metallic, pearl and three-stage finishes cost progressively more to match and apply
• Blending — spraying into adjoining panels so no join is visible is labour, and it is what makes a repair invisible
• Hidden damage — brackets, absorbers, clips, sensors and radar behind a bumper are often damaged too
• ADAS — cameras and radar disturbed by a repair may need recalibration, which is a separate cost
• Parts — genuine parts on newer or premium models raise both price and turnaround
• Rust — corrosion found during preparation must be cut out and treated, and it is the most common reason a job grows

Keyed cars and vandalism

Keyed damage is priced by panel count rather than severity, because a key line almost always reaches primer and has to be flatted, primed, sprayed and blended. One side typically runs £700-£1,600. Report vandalism to the police for a crime reference number before you claim — most insurers will ask for it.

Judging an estimate

A proper estimate itemises labour hours, paint and materials, and parts separately, and states whether adjacent panels are being blended. A single lump-sum figure with no detail tells you nothing about what is being left out.

Be sceptical of any firm price given without seeing the car or clear photographs, and of a quote well below every other one you have had — the difference is usually preparation, or an intention to revise the price once the car is in.

Insurance or private?

If the repair is close to your excess, paying privately usually works out better once you account for losing your no-claims discount and declaring a claim for five years. Above that, claiming is generally worth it.

As an RAC approved repairer working with all major UK insurers and repairing to BS10125, we can estimate both ways and handle the claim if you go that route — and you are entitled to have us do the work rather than the insurer's own shop.

Get your figure

WhatsApp photographs of the damage with the make, model and year, or bring the car in for a free, no-obligation inspection. You will get a straight answer on cost and turnaround.