How much does it cost to fix a dent?

A small, shallow dent with the paint intact is the cheapest kind to fix: paintless dent removal, often same day, no paint involved. A dent with cracked paint, a sharp crease, or one on a panel edge needs filler and a repaint, which costs more. Send a photo and we'll tell you which one you've got and what it costs.

What decides the price

Is the paint broken? Run a fingernail over it. If the paint is smooth and unbroken, paintless dent removal is probably an option. If it's cracked, chipped or scratched through, the panel needs paint.

How big and how deep? A coin-sized door ding is quick. A dent the size of a dinner plate takes longer. Depth matters more than width; a shallow wide dent is easier than a small deep one.

Where is it? A dent in the middle of a door is the easy case. A dent on a body line, a panel edge, or a double-skinned area (around a door handle, the top of a guard) is harder because the metal is stiffer or there's no access behind it.

Which panel? Bolt-on panels like doors and guards are straightforward. Quarter panels and roofs are welded in and harder to get behind.

How many? Hail is dozens or hundreds of dents counted individually. One ding is one ding.

The cheap fix: paintless dent removal

The dent is pushed out from behind with special tools, a little at a time. No filler, no paint, factory finish kept. Most door dings and hail dents are done this way. Our guide on PDR versus conventional repair explains when it works.

The proper fix when the paint's gone

The dent is pulled roughly to shape, filled, sanded, primed and painted, then blended into the panel so the colour matches. More labour and materials, so it costs more, but it's the only way to fix a dent with broken paint. See panel beating.

Can I fix a dent myself?

The suction-cup and hot-water tricks online work occasionally on large, shallow, flexible dents in plastic bumpers. On steel panels they usually make it worse by creating high spots that then need a proper repair. If the car is worth anything to you, get it looked at first; the look is free.

Is it worth claiming on insurance?

For one dent, usually not. The repair is often close to your excess and a claim can affect your premium. For hail or several dents, claiming may make sense. Our guide on claiming versus paying privately walks through it.

Get a price

Two photos: one straight on, one at a low angle so a reflection runs across the dent. Send them through the quote form and we'll come back with a price. If it's a PDR job, we'll say so. H&H Smash Repairs, 77 Moss St, Slacks Creek.