How to choose a panel beater in Logan

Read the Google reviews, ask whether the panel work and paint are done in the same workshop, and get a written quote with a time frame before you commit. Those three things sort out most of the risk. Here's the full list we'd use ourselves.

1. Read the reviews, properly

Not the star rating alone; the actual reviews. Look for the words that matter: turnaround, communication, price matched the quote, colour match. Look at how the shop responds to a bad review. A few hundred reviews over years tells you more than a dozen from last month. You'll find ours on Google.

2. Ask where the paint is done

Some shops straighten the panel and send the car elsewhere to paint. It works, but it adds days, adds a hand-off where things get lost, and the painter never saw the repair. Ask: "Do you paint here?" At H&H Smash Repairs the panel beating and spray painting happen in the same building at Moss St.

3. Get a written quote

A quote on paper or by email, with what's being done, whether panels are repaired or replaced, which parts (genuine, aftermarket, used), paint, and the total. A verbal "about a grand" isn't a quote. A written one protects you if the price moves.

4. Ask for a time frame

"How long?" is a fair question and deserves a straight answer, including what could change it (parts, hidden damage, assessor approval). We've written about realistic repair times. Be wary of a shop that promises same-day for anything that needs paint.

5. Ask what parts they'll use

Genuine, aftermarket or quality used, and why. All three have their place. What matters is that you're told, and that it's on the quote.

6. Look at the shop

If you can, drop in. Is the workshop organised? Are there cars in progress that look like real repair work? Is there a spray booth? You don't need a showroom, but you do want to see the work being done.

7. Ask about the guarantee

What happens if the paint lifts or the colour's off in six months? A shop that stands behind its work will tell you plainly.

Things that don't matter as much as people think

• Insurer logos on the wall. They tell you the shop has done work for that insurer, not that it's good.
• A glossy website. Nice to have. The reviews and the quote are what count.
• The cheapest price. A quote well under the others usually means a step was skipped: used filler where a panel should be replaced, no blend, no primer on the plastic. The repair comes back to bite later.

Questions to ask on the phone

• Do you do the paint here?
• Can you quote from photos?
• How long for this job, roughly?
• Do you do private work as well as insurance?
• Can I choose you if I'm claiming? (See choice of repairer.)

Where we fit

H&H Smash Repairs (HH Smash Repairs to some, H and H to others) has been at 77 Moss St, Slacks Creek since 2012. Panel and paint under one roof, written quotes from photos, and 4.8 stars from 544 Google reviews as of 29/10/2026. If that's what you're after, send us a photo. If you choose someone else, use the list above and you'll be fine.