Car body repairs
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What is body work on a car?
Car body repair garages will typically do the following: assess damage (including for insurance companies), remove scratches and dents, replace entire body panels and glass parts, alloy wheel refurbishment, paintwork, respraying and overall chassis realignment.
Do you need a small area of scratches and dents fixed? SMART, stands for Small to Medium Area Repair Technology, that allows mechanics fix small damage on your cars body.
There are many different types of body repairs and the right one for you will depend on the condition of your car and your own unique needs.
How do you find car body repair specialists on WhoCanFixMyCar?
Follow the steps below to compare quotes and find the best price and the right bodywork repair specialists near you.
Browse nearby car body repair specialists
Provide some info about the area of your car that needs some work
Provide an image of the car damage
Request an instant quote
Compare quotes and book your job with a trusted specialist
Browse approved car body and smart repair specialist
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Car body and smart repair average costs
The cost of a car body repair varies, depending on the extent of the damage and the type of repair you need. Whether it’s a localised scuff or an entire panel replacement, our cost table gives you an idea of the average cost of different car body repairs.
| Car Make | Body repair costs | Smart repair costs |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | £425.02 | £312.51 |
| Citroen | £576.37 | £393.47 |
| Ford | £508.57 | £371.46 |
| Mercedes | £433.33 | £344.15 |
| MINI | £360.40 | £333.18 |
| Nissan | £366.24 | £403.33 |
| Peugeot | £382.69 | £353.40 |
| Renault | £401.12 | £308.57 |
| Vauxhall | £408.87 | £357.97 |
| Volkswagen | £429.88 | £327.19 |
What impacts the cost of a car body repair?
Different garages operate in different ways and what you end up paying could depend on a few factors like:
The make and model of your car
Whether your car is having other work carried out
Your location
The main thing that will affect the cost of your car body repair however, is the amount of work needed, the impacted areas and how much labour time is needed to complete the body work repair.
Car body repair
The average cost of a car body repair booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £353.47.
Car body repairs include the fixing or repairing of the external body of the car, including dents, panel replacement, respraying and more.
Can include- Dent and scratch removal
- Alloy wheel refurbishment
- Panel replacement
- Paint respraying
- Chassis realignment
Dent removal
The average cost of dent removal booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £454.77. Car dents can be unattractive. Getting a car dent repair at a bodyshop can improve its resale value and make it look a lot more sightly. Repairs can range from the removal of minor scuffs to the replacement of car panels.
Can include- Damage assessment
- Paintless dent removal (PDR)
- Dent sucking
- Reverse hammer
- Filling
- Paint respray
- Panel replacement
SMART repairs
The average cost of a SMART repair booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £344. SMART stands for Small Medium Area Repair Technology and involves repairs to localised patches of modest car body damage like scratches. They are easy fixes that can be done quickly or by a mobile mechanic.
Can include- Paint repairs
- Scuff repairs
- Dent removal
- Wheel flaw repairs
Which car body repair service do I need?
There are many different types of body repairs and the right one for you will depend on the condition of your car and your own unique needs. Here’s a summary of the different types of car body repairs and how much you can expect them to cost.
The average cost of a SMART or scratch repair booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £112. SMART stands for Small Medium Area Repair Technology and involves repairs to localised patches of modest car body damage like scratches. They are easy fixes that can be done quickly or by a mobile mechanic. Can include: paint repairs, scuff repairs, dent removal, wheel flaw repairs
The average cost of a paint repair booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £427.53. A paint repair comes under the bodywork category and can include anything from minor scratches to large areas of damage. The cost of a paint repair will depend on the extent and size of the damage. Can include: scratch removal, respraying, panel replacement
The average cost of dent removal booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £432.23. Dent removal ranges from fixing minor scuffs to the replacement of car panels. The exact cost of dent removal depends on the extent of the damage. A mechanic will assess the dent and recommend whether it should be repaired. Can include: damage assessment, dent sucking, reverse hammer, filling, paint respraying, panel replacement
Car accidents are stressful, but accident repairs don’t have to be. If you have an accident and need to organise a repair quickly, a mechanic will be able to assess any damage and perform a wide range of repairs to get you back on the road. Mechanics will need to run a damage assessment and quote you based on the result.
Panel beating involves reshaping the metal that your car body is made from. A mechanic uses various tools and techniques to manipulate car panels and repair rather than replace them.
Car restoration involves stripping a vehicle down to its bare metals and returning it to its original condition, mainly by removing all signs of damage and wear to the car body. The cost of a car restoration will depend on how much work needs to be done.
Body shop garages will replace or fix parts on the external body of the car. The cost will depend on the extent of the damage and any part replacements that are needed.
Welding involves using high heat to fuse and reshape the metal your car body is made from. Welding is an effective solution for structural repairs and getting rid of rust or corrosion to your car. The average cost of car welding repairs booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £266.89.
What is a SMART repair on a car?
SMART repair (Small, Medium Area Repair Technology) is a type of service offered by mechanics which is includes the use of specialised tools, paints and materials to provide your car with a good as new finish on an area which may be damaged.
Before the technology existed, if a panel was damaged, the entire piece would have to be replaced meaning more money and time would have to be spent on car maintenance.
The specific SMART repair jobs can include:
Bumper repair
Scratch repair
Exterior trim repair
Do I need to repair my car's bodywork?
Yes, although tempting to put off car body repairs, especially if it is on a smaller scale, leaving body damage alone will depreciate your car’s value.
Apart from the value, dents, paint damage and car body damage can cause:
Paint cracks caused by the impact can allow water to seep underneath the paint and clear coat where it will reach the unprotected metal part of the car. Over time, rust spots will be formed as a result of the metal oxidising from being in contact with water.
Long-term damage to the paint
Reduced resale value
Often cheaper to fix when done right away
Car dents can impact your safety as dents could compromise vehicle safety as they cannot take as much impact should you have a collision.
Ratings of car body repairs on WhoCanFixMyCar
Do you need to repair your car body to pass your MOT?
Passing an annual MOT test is a legal requirement to ensure that your vehicle is safe to be on the road. Although a bodywork inspection is included as part of an MOT, you won’t fail an MOT for cosmetic damage to your car.
However, if there is car body damage that could compromise the safety of your vehicle (for example, sharp edges or big holes) you need to get these repairs before your car can pass its MOT.
If you’re concerned about damage to your car body, it’s best to get it repaired ahead of your MOT to give yourself confidence in coming out with a pass.
Does car insurance cover body damage?
The details of your coverage depends on what type of car insurance you have
With third party insurance, you’re only covered if you cause damage to someone else’s car. With fully comprehensive insurance, you’re covered for damage caused by you or by another driver to either vehicle.
If there’s damage to your car body that needs to be repaired, check your insurance policy documents for the details of your coverage and find out whether it covers body damage.
How are car body repairs done?
Car body repairs involve various techniques, depending on the type of damage. Bodyshops can grind down, cut out, or suck out damage before smoothing, polishing, and repainting the area to finish the job.
How are car dents repaired?
The way a dent is repaired will depend on how big it is, and its whereabouts on the car. A body shop’s most common techniques include ‘sucking’ the dent out or hammering it out from the inside.
What is a paintless dent repair?
A paintless dent repair includes dent removal techniques that don’t require a repaint. For example, sucking out a dent or hammering it out from the inside is an efficient way to perform a fix without a paint respray.
How do body repair shops match my car’s paint colour?
Body shops can match a car’s paint colour to the original using specialists that examine the condition of the colour in multiple lights to find a match. They will then blend the new paint to make sure any slight differences are unnoticeable.
Is my car body repair covered under the car’s warranty?
Car warranties don’t typically cover bodywork repairs that are required due to wear and tear like scuffs, scratches, and dents. However, if the bodywork repair is necessary because of rust, corrosion, or an accident, this may be covered. It’s essential to check your car warranty documents to understand exactly which types of bodywork repair are included.
Can a mobile mechanic carry out car body repairs?
Many car body repairs can easily be carried out at your home by a mobile mechanic or mobile body repair specialist. Getting a body repair specialist to come to your home to carry out your vehicle repair can save you the hassle of dropping your car off at a garage.
Mobile mechanics are often cheaper than garages as they don’t have the overheads associated with working from a fixed location. You can book a mobile car body repair, providing there is space for the vehicle that will hold all the specialist dent removal equipment to be parked next to, or near your car.
