Paintless Dent Repair Cost
There is no flat rate for paintless dent repair. The price is driven by the dent's size, how many dents are on the panel, which panel it is, and how hard the back of that panel is to reach — not by a per-dent sticker. Here is how that actually works out.
What paintless dent repair costs by dent type
There is no published price list, because every dent is priced on the vehicle in front of us, not from a photo. The table below shows what actually drives the price in each case — and we give you a free written estimate after an in-person inspection so the number is exact before any work starts.
| Dent type | Typical scope | What drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Small (door ding) | Single round dent, paint intact | Size, panel curvature, and whether the back of the panel is reachable. |
| Medium dent | Larger round dent, one panel | Depth and whether the metal has stretched. |
| Large dent | Shallow but wide, one panel | How much the metal has stretched; whether the paint is still intact. |
| Crease / body line | Linear dent or dent on a body line | Whether the panel has a crease line to work against, and access to the back of the line. |
| Multiple dents | Several dents on one panel or across a few | The count on one panel — the second dent on a panel costs far less than the first. |
| Full-vehicle hail | Dozens to hundreds of dents, whole car | Panel count, dent count, and whether the claim runs through insurance. |
Dentcraft quotes per job after inspecting the vehicle — every dent is priced on the vehicle in front of us, not from a photo. That is the honest way to do it, because depth and access are impossible to read accurately from a picture.
What changes the price
Five things move the number up or down, and they are the same five things on every estimate we write:
- Panel access — whether we can reach the back of the dent. Some panels mean dropping a headliner or removing a taillight, which adds time.
- Aluminum — aluminum panels need a more careful, heat-assisted technique and take longer than steel. See our Tesla and aluminum dent repair page.
- Bonded panels — panels glued or bonded to the structure can limit access from behind and change the approach.
- Paint damage — if the paint is cracked or chipped over the dent, that spot falls outside PDR and may need a small targeted paint repair, which is priced separately.
- Number of dents on one panel — a single dent is one thing; a panel covered in dents is priced as a panel, not per dent.
- Insurance vs cash — a covered comprehensive claim changes the math, because most drivers pay only their deductible.
Insurance vs paying cash
On a covered hail or comprehensive claim, your out-of-pocket cost is usually your deductible — and with a supplement, that is often $0. The deductible is the amount your policy sets, and the rest of the repair is paid by the insurer. We handle the estimate, the supplement, and the repair so you do not have to manage the carrier yourself.
A supplement is what we file when the first adjuster undercounts the damage. Drive-through adjusters working a long line of cars after a storm cannot see faint dents in daylight, so their first check is often about half the real repair. We wash the car, inspect it under PDR lights, and write a supplement so the insurer covers the full job. Don explains exactly how this works in a short video — why your first insurance check is often half.
Paying cash makes sense for a single door ding or small dent, where the repair costs less than your deductible and a direct repair keeps the dent off a Carfax report. We give you the price up front so you can decide.
Hail field pricing
A full hail car is not priced per dent — it is priced as a job, built from panel count, dent count and density, access, and the size of the dent field. Because every dent is worked individually from behind the panel, count usually matters more than size. We walk through the full structure on our hail damage repair page, including what a real assessment under shop lights turns up.
How to estimate your own dent before you call
A lot of people search for a dent repair cost estimator. An online slider cannot read depth, panel access, or paint condition, so it cannot give you a real number — but you can measure enough to talk through a likely range with us before you drive in.
- Measure the width of the dent at its widest point, in inches.
- Estimate the depth — shallow enough to slide a card over, or deep enough to catch a fingernail.
- Count the dents on that panel, and note any on neighboring panels.
- Note the panel — door, hood, roof, fender, quarter panel — because access differs by panel.
- Check the paint — intact, or cracked and chipped. That single check tells you whether PDR is even on the table.
Send us those five things by photo or call and we will give you a likely range, then confirm the exact number with a free in-shop inspection. The inspection is what makes the estimate honest — depth and access are hard to read accurately from a photo alone.
Paintless Dent Repair Cost FAQ
How much does paintless dent repair cost?
There is no flat rate. Cost is driven by the dent's size, how many dents are on the panel, which panel it is, and how hard the back of that panel is to reach. A single door ding is far less than a full hail car. We give you a free written estimate before any work starts.
How much to fix a dent?
A single small dent like a door ding is usually a same-visit repair and costs far less than a body-shop repaint. Larger dents, creases, body-line dents, and hail fields cost more because they take more time and skill. Bring the vehicle in or send photos and we give you the number up front.
Is paintless dent repair worth it?
For almost any dent where the paint is intact, yes. PDR costs less than a body-shop repaint, keeps your factory finish, is done in days not weeks, and typically does not appear on a Carfax report — so it protects resale value rather than hurting it.
Does insurance pay for paintless dent repair?
Yes. Hail and comprehensive claims cover PDR. On a covered claim most drivers pay only their deductible, and with a supplement that is often $0. We handle the estimate, the supplement, and the repair so you do not manage the carrier yourself.
Why was my first insurance check only half the repair?
Drive-through adjusters working a long line of cars after a storm often undercount the dents because they cannot see them in daylight. We wash the car, inspect it under PDR lights, and write a supplement so the insurer covers the full repair. Don explains this in a short video on insurance supplements.
Can you give me a price from a photo?
Photos tell us whether PDR is likely the right call, but we price after an in-person inspection. Depth, location, panel access, and paint condition all change the work involved, and those are hard to read accurately from a photo.
How do I estimate my own dent before I call?
Measure the dent's width and depth, count how many dents are on the panel, note which panel it is, and check whether the paint is cracked or chipped. That gives us enough to talk through a likely range, and we confirm the real number with a free in-shop inspection.
Does dent size or dent count matter more for cost?
Count usually matters more. A few large dents on one panel can be quicker than dozens of small dents spread across the whole car, because every dent is worked individually from behind the panel. A full hail field is priced as a job, not per dent.
Want a real number for your dent? Book a free estimate at our McKinney shop, or read our breakdown of PDR costs vs a body shop.