What it costs · 8 min read
The cost depends on scratch depth, length, panel count, paint finish and whether polishing, a local repair or panel refinishing is required. A free, no-obligation estimate confirms the cost for your vehicle.
For a driver who has walked back to find a deliberate key line along the car and wants to know what drives the bill before deciding between insurance and paying privately.
Why a keyed car costs more than an ordinary scratch
An accidental scratch usually sits in one spot: a gatepost, a trolley, a hedge. A key line is different. It tends to be dragged in one sweep, so it often starts on a front wing, runs across both doors and finishes on a rear quarter. Every panel it touches has to be prepared, painted and lacquered on its own, which is why the number of panels matters far more than the length of the line in centimetres.
Pressure also changes along the line. Where the hand pressed hardest the key has usually gone through the lacquer and colour into primer or metal, while the tail of the line might only mark the clear coat. We assess each panel separately rather than pricing the whole car by its worst point, so you only pay for the work each section genuinely needs.
The things that move the price
- Depth: a line that has only marked the lacquer can sometimes be refined and polished, while a line through to primer or bare metal needs filling, priming and refinishing.
- Number of panels: two doors and a wing is three sets of preparation, masking and paint, even if the line is continuous.
- Blending: to hide a repair, fresh colour is faded into the neighbouring panel so the eye cannot pick out a join, which can add a panel of work.
- Paint type: metallic and pearl finishes need more careful blending than solid colours to line up the flake and tone.
- Where the line sits: a mark along a swage line or door edge takes more shaping and masking time than one across a flat area.
Cost factors for key damage
| How deep the key went | What you can see | What affects the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Clear coat only | Fine line that catches the light, no colour loss | Preparation, paint depth and refinishing area affect the cost |
| Through to colour | Colour disturbed along the line | Preparation, paint depth and refinishing area affect the cost |
| Through to primer | Grey or white line showing | Preparation, paint depth and refinishing area affect the cost |
| Down to bare metal | Silver line, rust risk if left | Preparation, paint depth and refinishing area affect the cost |
Working out your own rough figure
Count the panels the line crosses and look closely at each one in daylight. If you can see grey, white or silver in the groove, treat that panel as a primer or metal level repair. Multiply roughly across the panels and you will have a sense of the scale, but treat it as a ballpark only. Blending, trim removal and the exact paint code are what turn a ballpark into a real quote, and those are things we confirm at the estimate stage.
If the car has also been damaged in other ways, such as a mirror knocked or a dent from a kick, mention it when you send photos so the estimate covers everything in one go.
Claim on insurance or pay privately
Deliberate damage is treated differently from policy to policy, so read your own wording or ask your insurer before you decide. When a keyed car crosses several panels the repair can be large enough that claiming is worth considering, but a claim still means paying your excess and may affect your renewal. We carry out both insurance and private repairs, so we can price the job for you either way and let you compare.
What to do straight away
- 01Photograph the whole line in good light, panel by panel, including close ups where the colour is broken.
- 02If the line has reached bare metal, keep the car dry where you can and avoid putting it through a brush car wash, which can drag grit into the groove.
- 03Report deliberate damage to the police if you want a crime reference, which some insurers ask for.
- 04Send us the photos for a free, no-obligation estimate so you know the figure before you speak to your insurer.
Where to go next
Found a key line along your car
Photograph each panel and send them over. We will tell you honestly how deep it goes and what it will cost, with a free no-obligation estimate for insurance or private repair.
Questions people ask us
- Can a key scratch be polished out?
- Only where the key has marked the clear coat and not broken through to the colour. Once you can see a grey, white or silver line in the groove, polishing will not remove it and the panel needs a paint repair.
- Why am I being quoted for panels the key did not touch?
- Fresh paint is often faded into the next panel so the colour change cannot be seen. That blending is what makes the repair invisible, particularly on metallic and pearl finishes.
- Will my insurance cover a keyed car?
- That depends entirely on your policy, so check the wording or ask your insurer. We handle both insurance and private repairs and can give you a price to compare against your excess.
- Is it worth fixing a key line that has only reached the colour?
- Yes, it is usually worth doing before it gets worse. A line through the colour is still cheaper to put right than one that has been left to reach bare metal and start to rust.
- How do I get an exact price for my keyed car?
- Send us clear photos of each affected panel by WhatsApp or through the quote form and we will come back with a free, no-obligation estimate.
Keyed car costs in short
- The number of panels crossed matters more than the length of the line.
- Depth is assessed panel by panel, not by the worst point.
- Blending into neighbouring panels is what hides the repair.
- Check your policy on deliberate damage before deciding to claim.
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