Car panel beating

Find a trusted car panel beater nearby

Panel beating image

Repairing your car has never been easier

1. Enter your postcode | 2. Compare prices & approved mechanics | 3. Book your panel beating service online

Explore our network of panel beating specialists & find a panel beater near you

Gain access to our trusted independent garage network in the UK

What is a car panel beater?

Panel beaters, also referred to as smash repairers, are trained specialists who repair cars and other vehicles after a crash. A panel beater can help to return your car to its pre-accident state.

The panel beating method entails detaching, restoring, and replacing damaged panels, as well as colour matching, spray-painting, chassis alignment, and refitting body hardware. There is significant work involved in repairing a car after a collision. The car panel beater will have specialist tools and technology to help repair the car.

Car panel beating prices and costs

If you have already called a couple of local garages before visiting WhoCanFixMyCar, you will know that panel beating estimates vary massively. Especially if the technician hasn’t seen the car in front of them and is estimating simply by what you describe.

It’s always good to have a handy tool like ours which can send you quotes without a lot of manual work. The cost of a panel beating repair can vary depending on your car make and model. After all, no two cars with collision damage are alike. On average, the price quoted was £562.02 for a panel beating job on WhoCanFixMyCar.

Car makeAverage price
Audi£463.56
BMW£556.41
Citroen£348.75
Fiat£452.50
Ford£616.38
Land Rover£946.67
Mazda£476.67
Mercedes£500.00
MINI£243.61
Mitsubishi£640.00
Nissan£386.77
Peugeot£823.06
Renault£1,019.50
Vauxhall£516.12
Volkswagen£391.15

Which panel beating repair service do you need?

The panel beating process involves removing, repairing and replacing damaged panels, as well as spray painting with the original colour, chassis re-alignment, and refitting body hardware.

Rear panel beating

If you've been in a car accident and broken your rear bumper, you should get it repaired right away. Most cars after a collision will suffer damage to the rear bumper because it is there to soften the impact and protect your car from severe damage.

Front panel beating

Like rear bumpers, front bumpers are also a common collision touch-point. Whether it's a small repair to your front bumper or a larger job, it's important to select a trusted panel beater to give you a quote for the repair work.

Dent Repair

Dent repair is one of the biggest parts of body work repair after a collision and is essentially the same as panel beating or panel bashing. If a panel on your car is dented, a panel basher will use tools to help reshape the metal to its former look.

  • Panel beating

    The average cost of panel beating booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £562.02. 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.

    Can include
    • Damage assessment
    • Panel beating
  • Dent removal

    The average cost of a dent removal booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £436.59. 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 body repair

    The average cost of a car body repair booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £453.41. 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

Find car panel beaters and body repair specialists near you

We can help you find local car panel beater garages so they can get your car looking great again. We work with almost 15,569 garages and have plenty of car panel beaters on our site.

or to request quotes online provide some more details

4. Select any damaged zones and then choose the most appropriate damage description

5. If possible, upload a photo - which makes it easier for garages to see the damage

6. Provide some contact details and get a personalised quote

When is it worth fixing damage on your car?

If you're experiencing one of the following scenarios, it is worth considering whether to get your car fixed:

  • Your car has been involved in a collision

  • There is evident panel damage

  • Dented or cracked panels

  • Damaged metal, fibreglass or plastic body work of the vehicle

Asides from this, getting damages to your car repaired is always a good idea because it helps to retain the value of your vehicle. That means, should you want to sell it in the future, you can expect your car to be worth more money later down the line if you get any of those issues fixed promptly, before they become bigger problems.

It is always worth asking our specialist network for more personalised advice. On WhoCanFixMyCar we can help you to find trusted body work specialists nearby.

In our guide we explain which body repairs are essential vs. just cosmetic fixes.

What is panel beating?

Panel beating is a job carried out by specialist bodywork technicians who are able to utilise specific tools and techniques to reshape the metal on the body of a car.

If you are involved in an accident, it will often be the body that takes the brunt of the damage as panels on a car are designed to absorb impact and reduce the force of a crash by cushioning the blow. Even though a car may have suffered a huge impact, it doesn’t always mean that the panels need to be replaced.

Panel bashing involves using a huge variety of tools to manipulate the metal and get it back to its original shape.

Depending on the extent of the damage, the amount of time and money spent will vary, however, the cost is likely to be less than replacing an entire panel.

Where can I find a garage for panel beating?

Finding a mechanic you can trust to do a good job and charge a fair price is not always easy, which is why we have simplified the process. We work with a network of over 15,000 mechanics and garages across the UK so we can find competitive repair deals for you. To find the best panel beating service available in your region:

  • Enter your car registration number

  • Give us a few details about the car, your requirements and the level of damage

  • We’ll send you a great selection of car body repair specialists and shops in your area

  • You can then compare the specialists in your area, read reviews from previous customers and contact the garage to ask for a customised quote

How does a panel beater repair my car after a collision?

  • Taking off, restoring and replacing damaged panels

  • Fixing dents and scratches with specialty fillers

  • Sanding and polishing the bodywork to ensure a smooth finish

  • Switching damaged parts with genuine parts from the vehicle manufacturer

  • Fixing body hardware such as door locks and sensors

  • Readjusting the chassis and body frame

  • Renovating the vehicle and matching the original colour

Is panel beating covered by insurance?

If your vehicle has been involved in a collision and you have comprehensive insurance cover, there is a good chance that panel beating costs will be covered under your car’s insurance policy. If, however, you only have third party cover, then it might be a matter of proving who caused the accident before you can claim under the insurance.

Find trusted panel beating specialists - it takes less than 1 minute
Find a mechanic