Overview: Auto Body Shops
A body shop straightens metal and puts the paint back on it. Most of the work is smaller than a wreck: a scraped door, a dent in the quarter panel, a rusted rocker, a lease car you want tidy before the inspector walks around it. Plenty of it is paid in cash, with no insurer involved at any point.
The first estimate is written from outside the panel, so it is partly a guess. Once the trim comes off, the shop finds the bent bracket behind it and the clips that will not survive removal, and it writes a supplement. That is normal. A shop that never warns you it can happen is not.
Ask early whether the repair keeps the factory finish. Pulling a dent and polishing it does. Filling, sanding and spraying does not, and a refinished panel stays refinished for the life of the car. Either can be the right call. You just want to know which one you bought.
Listings show what each shop states on its own website: the work it names, its warranty on paint and labor, and its hours. Spray booths need space and permits, so body shops usually sit on the industrial edge of town rather than the main street. Work through the state and city lists below to see which ones are close.
Cost of Auto Body Repair
Cosmetic body damage on passenger vehicles; compare the same panel, damage and paint scope.
| Service or charge | Planning estimate | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Localized bumper scuff repair and refinishing | $250–$650per damaged corner or area | Repair and refinish a localized scuff on a reusable plastic bumper cover with sound mounting tabs.Confirm the repair area, color-match approach and warranty. Cracks, torn tabs, hidden impact damage and a full-cover repaint need different quotes.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Localized surface preparation; Paint and clear-coat work for the agreed area Separate unless quoted otherwise: New bumper cover; Cracked mounts or hidden impact damage; ADAS calibration |
| Bumper cover replacement and refinish | $800–$2,500per bumper cover | Supply, paint and install one replacement plastic bumper cover on a common passenger vehicle.Identify OEM, aftermarket or recycled parts. Reinforcement bars, absorbers, sensors and required calibration are separate unless specified.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Specified replacement cover; Paint and installation labor Separate unless quoted otherwise: Reinforcement bar or structural repair; Sensors, lights or wiring; ADAS calibration |
| Small dent repair with repainting | $300–$800per metal panel | One small nonstructural metal-panel dent repaired and refinished.Ask whether paintless repair is suitable. Adjacent-panel blending, large creases and structural damage are outside this scope.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Panel repair; Prep and panel refinishing Separate unless quoted otherwise: Adjacent-panel blending; Structural repair |
| Deep scratch repair and panel refinish | $300–$1,500per panel | Surface repair and full-panel refinishing where a scratch cuts through the finish.Confirm which panel is fully refinished, the prep work and any adjacent blending. Large dents, rust, replacement panels and custom finishes are separate.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Surface repair; Matching-color panel refinish Separate unless quoted otherwise: Rust repair; Other panel refinishing |
| Blend paint into an adjacent panel | $150–$600per adjacent panel | Prepare and blend matching paint into one undamaged adjacent panel.Have the estimate name every blended panel. Any separate trim-removal charge should be itemized once.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Blend preparation and paint application; Clear coat and ordinary paint materials Separate unless quoted otherwise: Repairing damage on the adjacent panel; Unlisted trim removal |
What affects the price
- Damage depth and whether the panel can be repaired
- Steel, aluminum or plastic construction
- Paint matching, trim removal and required sensor work
Questions to ask before booking
- Can this panel be repaired, and what changes if it is replaced?
- Does the total include paint materials, blending and trim removal?
- Which scans or calibrations are required for this repair, and are they included?
Before you book
Compare written estimates for the same parts and repair scope; a photo estimate may change after inspection.
U.S. planning estimates in USD. Taxes and fees may be extra; confirm the work and written total. Actual quotes can fall outside these ranges.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the estimate go up once the car is apart?
Because the first one was written from outside the panel. Hidden damage shows up when the trim, lamp or door panel comes off: a cracked bracket, a bent reinforcement, clips that break on removal. The shop writes a supplement and gets it approved before carrying on. Ask at drop-off who calls you when that happens, and whether the work stops until you say yes.
Will the new paint match the rest of the car?
Close, if the shop blends. Your color code gives the factory formula, but a car that has sat in the sun for years no longer matches its own code. Good shops spray a test card, tint the mix, then fade the new color out into the panels either side so the eye never finds an edge. A shop that sprays one door and stops at the seam is the one you can see from across the parking lot.
What does a body shop warranty usually cover?
Paint and workmanship on what they actually did, often for as long as you own the car. That means peeling, cracking, lifting and color fade on the panels they sprayed. It does not mean new damage, rust that starts somewhere else, or a panel another shop touched afterwards. Get it in writing and ask whether it transfers when you sell.
Is rust worth repairing or should I live with it?
Depends where it is. Surface rust on a door skin or a rocker can be cut out, welded up and blended, and it will hold for years if the shop puts metal back in rather than packing the hole with filler. Rust on a frame rail or a suspension mount is a different conversation, and a safety one. Ask to see the piece they cut out.
Should I fix dents before handing a lease car back?
Usually yes, if the damage is past the wear allowance written into your contract. The inspector charges at retail rates and you get no say in who does the work. A quote from a body shop first tells you which side of that line you are on. Small dents with the paint still intact often go to a paintless dent tech instead, which costs less and takes hours rather than days.
