Car scratch & bodywork repair costs

Car scratch repair cost comes down to how deep the damage goes, how much of the panel it covers and the colour of your car. This guide explains what moves the price, and one photo gets you an exact figure within 24 hours.

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Quoted from a photo

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Minor repairs within 24 hours

Payment on completion

How the depth of a scratch changes the job

Car paint is built in layers: clear lacquer on top, colour underneath, then primer over the metal or plastic. Every layer the damage breaks through adds a stage to the repair, and that is the biggest single factor in the price.

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Lacquer only

A light scratch or scuff that catches the light but not your fingernail. These can often be machine polished out with no paint at all, which keeps the cost at its lowest.

Through to the colour

The colour coat is damaged but nothing underneath is showing. We repaint the area from your paint code, blend it in and lacquer over the top.

Through to bare metal

Grey or silver showing in the scratch means the primer has gone too. The repair needs primer, colour and lacquer, and any surface rust is treated first.

Bumper scuffs and scrapes

Plastic bumpers rough up when they meet a kerb or a post. The scrape is smoothed, filled where needed and colour-matched. Split bumpers are repaired or replaced, depending on the damage. See bumper repair.

Paint chips

Stone chips on the bonnet, door edges or roof can be touched in when the paint around them is sound. See stone chip repair.

Car body inside a professional spray booth

What else moves the price

Size and position matter almost as much as depth. A scratch in the middle of a door has to be blended across more of the panel than one on an edge, and damage that runs over two panels means two areas to prepare, paint and lacquer. Colour plays a part too. Metallic, pearl and three-coat finishes take longer to match and blend than a solid colour. Panels that have to come off for the repair, such as some bumper corners, add time to the job.

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SMART repair or a panel respray

Most quotes come down to one of these two routes, and your photo tells us which.

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SMART repair

Small to medium area repair treats one contained patch, such as a single scratch, a bumper scuff or a cluster of chips. Less of the panel is painted, so it usually costs less and is finished within 24 hours at the workshop. More on SMART repair.

Panel respray

Long scratches, damage across a large part of the panel, or tired paint around the damage can mean painting the whole panel so the colour sits evenly. It costs more and takes longer, and we tell you before you book if your car needs it.

Get an exact price

WhatsApp a photo to +44 7512 308716.

Shoot the whole panel first, then move in close on the damage. Daylight shows depth better than flash, and a coin beside a small scratch helps with scale.

We reply within 24 hours.

You get a price and whether the job is a SMART repair or a repaint. There's no obligation to go ahead.

Book a time.

Call or reply to your quote and we'll agree a slot for you to bring the car to our workshop on Crown Road, Enfield EN1.

Scratch repair cost questions

Why don't you list prices on this page?

Two scratches that look alike can need very different work once you see the depth and the colour. A photo lets us give you a firm figure for your car, free, within 24 hours.

Is it worth fixing scratches before I sell my car?

Usually. Buyers use visible scratches to push the price down, often by more than the repair costs. Minor bodywork repairs are done within 24 hours, so the car isn't off the market long.

Will the colour match?

We mix from your car's paint code. Where the paint around the damage has faded, we blend the repair into the panel and tell you upfront how close it will be.

Does rust make the repair cost more?

It can. Surface rust is treated before repainting and adds a little work. Deeper rust can change the scope, and your photo usually shows us which it is.

How does a SMART repair compare with a touch-up pen?

A touch-up pen fills the scratch and leaves a visible patch in most light. A SMART repair is colour-matched, blended into the panel and lacquered, so the repair disappears. See all FAQs

Find out what your scratch repair will cost

Two photos, one wide and one close, are all we need to price the job properly. Or call us on 0207 060 3666

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