What it costs · 10 min read
In short
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.
To give both private and fleet customers a complete breakdown of bumper repair pricing across every common damage type, sitting alongside the shorter main bumper cost page.
Why bumper repairs vary so widely in price
Bumper repairs cover a very wide range because a bumper can be cosmetically scuffed, structurally cracked, torn from its mounting tabs, or beyond repair entirely. Front and rear bumpers on modern cars also carry parking sensors, radar units and cameras that add cost when they need removing, refitting or recalibrating.
For a quick summary of typical figures, see our page at /bumper-repair-cost. This guide goes further and breaks the job down by damage type so you can see roughly where your own bumper sits.
Full cost breakdown by damage type
| Damage type | Typical work involved | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Scuff or scrape | Polish or localised refinish | £80 to £220 |
| Crack or split | Plastic welding plus refinish | £180 to £350 |
| Mounting tab damage | Tab repair or reinforcement, refinish | £220 to £400 |
| Full bumper replacement, unpainted trim | New bumper, prep, paint, fit | £350 to £600 |
| Full replacement with sensors or radar | As above plus sensor transfer and calibration | £500 to £750 |
Front versus rear bumpers
- Front bumpers usually carry more equipment, including radar for adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and sometimes headlight washer covers, all of which add cost when damaged.
- Rear bumpers more often carry parking sensors and reversing camera housings rather than radar, so calibration needs tend to be simpler on the rear.
- Rear bumper damage is also more likely to involve the boot lid or tail light housings in a collision, which changes the scope of the job.
When a crack can be repaired rather than replaced
A single clean crack away from a mounting point can often be plastic welded from behind and refinished at the front, saving the cost of a new bumper. Cracks that run close to mounting tabs, or that have caused the plastic to distort, are harder to weld reliably and often make replacement the more sensible option.
Mounting tab damage
The small plastic tabs and brackets that hold a bumper to the car's chassis rails can snap in even a low speed knock, and this is easy to miss on a visual check because the bumper itself may look only lightly marked. A bumper with broken mounting tabs will sit slightly proud or loose, and left unrepaired it can rattle or move further out of position over time.
Painted trim and colour matching
Any new or repaired bumper section needs to be colour matched to the rest of the car, and metallic or pearl finishes take more care to match than solid colours. Our guide at /car-paint-colour-matching explains how that matching process works if you want more detail before booking.
Parking sensors and cameras behind the bumper
Removing and refitting sensors adds a modest amount of labour, but radar units used for adaptive cruise control and automatic braking typically need a static or dynamic calibration after any work that disturbs their mounting. This calibration step is one of the main reasons a full bumper replacement on a newer car costs more than the same job on an older model without this equipment.
Insurance versus private pay for bumper work
For fleet vehicles and higher value repairs, an insurance claim is often the practical route, particularly where sensor calibration is involved. For lower cost scuffs and small cracks, many private customers find paying directly is cheaper than the excess on their policy, so it is worth getting a free estimate before deciding which way to go.
Where to go next
Get a clear price for your bumper repair
Whether it is a scuff, a crack or a full replacement with sensors, send us photos and we will give you a free no-obligation estimate with no pressure to proceed.
Questions people ask us
- Is this the same information as your main bumper repair cost page
- No, our page at /bumper-repair-cost gives a shorter overview, and this guide breaks the same subject down by every damage type in more depth.
- Can a cracked bumper always be welded instead of replaced
- Not always, since cracks near mounting points or that have distorted the plastic usually need replacement rather than welding.
- Why do front bumpers often cost more to repair than rear ones
- Front bumpers more often carry radar units for driver assistance systems, which need calibration after work, adding to the cost.
- Do fleet vehicles get charged differently for bumper repairs
- The repair process is the same, but fleet decisions often weigh insurance claims against vehicle downtime, which our fleet page covers in more detail.
Bumper costs in a nutshell
- Bumper repair cost spans a wide range from scuffs to full replacement.
- Mounting tab damage is often missed on a visual check.
- Radar and sensor calibration adds cost on newer cars.
- Insurance versus private pay depends on the size of the job.