In 40 seconds
Car bodywork prices vary widely by the size of the job. A single panel respray typically costs from around £400, while a full respray on a small car commonly runs about £2,400–£2,900 and can reach £5,000+ on larger or specialist cars. Paintless dent removal (PDR) is usually the lowest-priced fix where the paint is unbroken, at roughly £50–£150 for a small dent and £200–£300 for a larger one, versus a sprayed panel repair that often costs £450+. A panel respray normally takes three to five days because primer, base and lacquer each need to dry, and fresh paint can take up to 30 days to fully cure. The honest answer is always a range, because it depends on your car, the damage and the finish.
Most bodywork pricing online is published by the shops doing the work, so the figures tend to be optimistic and the trade-offs glossed over. The pages below give honest cost ranges, explain when paintless dent removal beats a sprayed repair, compare mobile and bodyshop work fairly, and set out how long the job really takes — before you take a single quote.