Paintless dent removal or conventional repair: which does my dent need?

If the paint over the dent is intact and the dent is shallow and rounded, paintless dent removal (PDR) is usually the right call: faster, cheaper, and your factory paint stays. If the paint is cracked, the dent is a sharp crease, or it sits on a panel edge, it needs a conventional repair with filler, primer and paint. Here's how to tell which you've got.

How PDR works

A technician works the dent out from behind the panel with specialised rods and levers, or from the front with glue tabs where there's no access. The metal is massaged back to shape a little at a time. Nothing is sanded, filled or painted, so the original finish is untouched. For a few door dings it's often a same-day job.

How a conventional repair works

The dent is pulled or hammered roughly back to shape, the low spots are filled, the area is sanded, primed and painted, then blended into the surrounding panel and baked. It's the right method when the metal has been stretched or the paint has broken, and it's the only method once filler is needed.

PDR works when

• The paint isn't cracked, chipped or scratched through
• The dent is rounded rather than a sharp line
• The dent is away from the edge of the panel and not on a body line (or only slightly on one)
• There's access behind the panel, or the front is reachable with glue tabs
• The panel is steel or aluminium of normal thickness (some high-strength areas are harder)

Classic candidates: door dings, trolley dents, hail, a knee against a guard, a soft bump from a bike.

A conventional repair is needed when

• The paint has cracked or flaked in the dent
• The dent is a sharp crease, or the metal is stretched (it looks wavy when you sight along the panel)
• The dent is on a panel edge, a swage line or a double-skinned area
• There's filler already in the panel from an old repair
• The panel is torn or holed

What about hail?

Hail is the classic PDR job: lots of shallow, rounded dents with the paint intact. A hail car is counted dent by dent under a light, and most can be done by PDR. Where a bonnet or roof has taken hundreds of hits, replacement can be cheaper than fixing each one. We've written a separate guide on hail damage in Queensland.

Can PDR damage the paint?

Done properly on sound paint, no. The paint flexes with the metal. On old, brittle or previously repainted paint, there's a risk of cracking, which is why we look at the paint before we start and tell you if PDR isn't suitable. We'd rather lose a small job than crack your paint.

How to tell from a photo

Take one photo straight on and one at an angle with a reflection running across the dent (a straight line like a fence or a roof edge works well). The reflection shows whether the dent is smooth or sharp. Add a close-up of the paint. Send them through the quote form and we'll tell you which method and what it costs.

Cost and time

PDR is almost always cheaper and quicker because there's no paint. A conventional repair costs more because of the materials, booth time and blending, but it's the only way to get a proper result on broken paint. Either way we'll give you a straight price before we start.

More on the paintless dent removal and panel beating pages, or call us at Moss St.