Repair guides
Straight answers on body repair costs and methods
Twenty five guides covering what repairs cost, how they are carried out and where you stand on an insurance claim.
How repairs work
7 guides
9 min read
Can my dent be fixed without repainting?
Paintless dent removal (PDR) uses specialist rods and tools to massage a dent back into shape from behind the panel, without any filler or repainting, provided the paint surface is not broken.
Read guide8 min read
What is a SMART repair and is it right for my car?
SMART repair stands for Small to Medium Area Repair Technology, a localised repair method used to fix minor cosmetic damage such as scuffs, chips and small scratches without refinishing the whole panel.
Read guide10 min read
Do I need a full respray or just one panel?
A car respray can mean anything from refinishing part of one panel to a full colour change across the entire vehicle, and the process, time and cost scale up with how much preparation and masking is required.
Read guide10 min read
What actually happens at an accident repair centre?
An accident repair centre is a specialist body shop set up to assess, repair and refinish collision damage from first contact and estimate through parts ordering, structural and panel work, paint and a final quality check before handover.
Read guide9 min read
What is involved in fixing my car's bodywork?
Car bodywork repair covers a wide range of damage, from stone chips and scratches through to dents, cracked bumpers, rust and collision damage, with a different repair method suited to each type.
Read guide9 min read
Why is it so hard to match my car's paint colour?
Professional colour matching starts with your car's paint code, but a good match also accounts for variants within that code, the age and fading of your existing paint, and careful blending into the adjacent panel.
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What does a panel beater actually do?
Panel beating is the skilled process of reshaping damaged metal bodywork back to its original form using hand tools such as hammers and dollies, along with techniques for shrinking and stretching metal.
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What it costs
7 guides
10 min read
How much will it cost to sort out that scratch on my car
Scratch repair typically runs from around £60 for a light machine polish to £450 or more for a full panel refinish, with the exact figure set by how deep the scratch is, how many panels are affected and the paint type. Our page at /car-scratch-repair-cost gives a quick overview, and this guide goes further into the detail behind those numbers.
Read guide9 min read
What does it cost to fix a scuffed bumper
A bumper scuff repair typically costs between £80 and £350, with corner kerb scuffs at the lower end and larger flat face scuffs with cracked plastic at the higher end, but the only way to get an exact figure is a free no-obligation estimate.
Read guide10 min read
What will it cost to get my bumper repaired properly
Bumper repair cost ranges from around £80 for a light scuff up to £700 or more for a full replacement with sensors and painting, and our page at /bumper-repair-cost has a quick summary while this guide breaks down every damage type in full.
Read guide10 min read
What does it actually cost to get a dent taken out
Dent repair typically costs between £60 for a small paintless dent removal and £400 or more for a larger dent needing filler and a full refinish, and our shorter page at /dent-repair-cost gives the quick version of this while we go into full detail here.
Read guide9 min read
How much to fix a dent in my car door
Car door dent repair usually costs between £60 and £350, with simple dings and car park dents at the lower end and creased or side impact damage nearer the top, and a free estimate is the only way to get an exact figure for your car.
Read guide9 min read
How much does it cost to fix my car's paintwork
Paint repair cost ranges from around £40 for a single stone chip to £600 or more for a full panel respray with metallic paint, depending on the type of damage and how many panels are involved, and a free estimate will confirm the exact figure for your car.
Read guide10 min read
What is body repair going to cost me overall
Car body repair cost ranges from under £100 for a small cosmetic job to several thousand pounds for a major collision repair, and our page at /car-body-repair-prices lists more specific figures while this guide explains the wider factors that set the final number.
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Repair or replace
5 guides
10 min read
What do Cat N and Cat S actually mean for my car
Cat S means the car had structural damage but can, in principle, be repaired and put back on the road, while Cat N means the damage was non structural, such as bumpers or panels, and again the car can usually be repaired.
Read guide9 min read
When is filler the right way to fix my car
Filler is a legitimate and widely used repair material when it is applied thinly over correctly reshaped metal, but it is the wrong fix when used to hide rust, bridge a gap, or build up a badly dented panel that should have been worked back into shape first.
Read guide9 min read
Do I need a smart repair or a full bodyshop job
A smart repair suits small, localised cosmetic damage such as minor scuffs, stone chips and small dents, while a full body shop repair is the better choice for larger areas, structural damage, or anywhere the paint needs to be blended across more than one panel.
Read guide9 min read
Should my bumper be repaired or replaced
Most scuffed, scratched or dented bumpers can be repaired, while cracked, split or badly deformed bumpers, or those with damaged mounting points, more often need replacing, and the presence of sensors or cameras behind the bumper can influence the decision either way.
Read guide8 min read
Will a scratch or dent fail my MOT
A purely cosmetic scratch or dent will not fail an MOT, but the test does check for sharp edges, insecure or dangerously protruding bodywork, damage obstructing the driver's view, damaged lights, and any sign the structure itself has been compromised.
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Insurance claims
6 guides
9 min read
What actually happens when my insurance company sorts my accident repair
An insurance accident repair generally moves through reporting, choosing a repairer, estimating, authorisation, the physical repair, excess payment and handover, with the insurer or their engineer checking in at a few key points along the way.
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Can I really choose my own body shop for an insurance claim
Yes, in the UK you are generally entitled to choose which repairer carries out your insurance work, and insurers usually only vary things like excess or claim handling rather than refuse outright.
Read guide9 min read
What does insurance approved body shop actually mean
Insurance approved generally describes a commercial arrangement between an insurer and a repairer covering rates and performance targets, not an independent measure of repair quality on its own.
Read guide10 min read
What am I entitled to after a non fault accident
After a non fault accident you can generally claim through your own insurer or seek to recover costs directly from the at fault driver's insurer, and in many cases you are not required to pay your excess if liability is accepted.
Read guide9 min read
Should I claim on insurance or just pay for the repair myself
It depends on the numbers, you generally need to weigh your excess plus any likely premium increase and lost no claims discount against the cost of paying for the repair privately.
Read guide8 min read
Will I get a courtesy car while my car is being repaired
It depends on your policy and the specifics of your claim, a courtesy car is not automatic, and it is worth asking both your insurer and the repairer what can realistically be arranged for your particular repair.
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Not sure which applies to your car?
Send a couple of photos and we will tell you what the repair needs and what it will cost, with no obligation.