How much will it cost to sort out that scratch on my car

Keyed, door and chip damage

Deliberate damage usually runs across more than one panel and often through the colour, so the cost works differently from a single accidental scratch. Our guide to keyed car repair cost explains what affects it.

Doors collect more scratches than almost any other panel, from bags, keys, hedges and car park neighbours. If you have a scratch on a car door, that guide covers how depth and position change the repair.

Small marks from road debris on the bonnet and front bumper are chips rather than scratches. Our guide to paint chip repair cost covers how they are treated.

Why scratch depth changes everything

The single biggest factor in any scratch repair quote is depth. A mark that only lives in the clear lacquer layer behaves completely differently to one that has gone through the colour coat, and differently again to one that has cut down to bare metal or plastic.

We covered the headline price range on our main page at /car-scratch-repair-cost. This guide sits alongside that page and goes into more detail on exactly why depth, method and panel count move the number, so treat the two pages as a pair rather than duplicates.

The four depth categories

Machine polish versus SMART repair versus panel refinish

• Machine polish removes fine scratches that sit entirely in the lacquer, without adding any paint, so it is the cheapest option where it applies.
• SMART repair blends new paint into a small localised area and is suited to scratches that have broken through the colour but stay within a manageable patch.
• A full panel refinish strips and repaints the entire panel edge to edge, which is needed once a scratch is long, deep, or sits close to a panel edge where a blend would show.
• The right method is a judgement call made at the free estimate stage, since photos only tell us so much about true depth.

Multi panel scratches cost more per panel involved

A scratch that runs from a door into the adjacent wing or quarter panel is priced as more than one job, because each panel needs its own preparation, masking and paint stages even if the work happens in one visit.

Where a scratch crosses a shut line between two panels, we also need to check whether the paint can be blended cleanly across that line or whether both panels need a fuller refinish to avoid a visible colour step.

Keys, vandalism and deliberate damage

Deliberate scratches, often called key marks, are usually deeper and more erratic than accidental scuffs, and they frequently run across several panels in one continuous line. This tends to push the job towards a panel refinish rather than a spot repair, so do not assume a key scratch will be a small job just because the line looks thin.

Insurance excess versus paying privately

Our guide at /pay-excess-or-pay-privately looks at this comparison in more detail if you are weighing up the two routes.

Paint type also matters

Solid colours are the simplest and cheapest to blend. Metallic paints need careful colour matching for flake orientation, and pearl finishes add a further layer that must be matched too. Both push the cost above a solid colour repair of the same depth.

Getting an accurate figure

1. 01Send us clear photos of the scratch in daylight by WhatsApp so we can judge depth and length.
2. 02Tell us if the mark is on one panel or crosses into another.
3. 03We give you a free no-obligation estimate based on those photos and confirm it in person if needed.
4. 04You decide whether to go ahead, no pressure either way.