The short answer
It comes down to how widespread the damage is. A panel respray sprays one or a few damaged panels and is the lowest-priced route — often from around £400 a panel — and it is usually all you need for localised damage. A full respray covers every exterior panel and commonly costs £2,400–£2,900 on a small car and more on larger ones; it makes sense when damage is widespread, the paint is fading or oxidised across the car, or you're changing colour. A practical point on colour matching: a single new panel can be hard to blend perfectly against older, weathered paint, so where several adjacent panels are involved a full or part respray can give a more even finish. As a rule, localised damage suits a panel respray, car-wide damage or a colour change suits a full respray.
The choice is really about how much of the car is affected — and how well a single new panel will match the rest. Here is how the two compare so you can judge which your car needs.
At a glance
- Panel resprayone or a few panels
- Panel respray from~£400 / panel
- Full resprayevery exterior panel
- Full respray, small car~£2,400–£2,900
- Full respray suitscar-wide damage / colour change
What each covers
A panel respray targets only the damaged panels — a door, a wing, a bumper — and leaves the rest of the car untouched, which keeps the cost down and the job shorter. A full respray covers the entire exterior, with the car often partly stripped of trim and badges so every panel can be prepped and sprayed evenly. That extra preparation is why a full respray on even a small car commonly runs £2,400–£2,900, while a panel respray can start from around £400. The right choice depends on how many panels are affected and whether the existing paint still matches.
| Factor | Panel respray | Full respray |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | one or a few panels | every exterior panel |
| Typical cost | from ~£400 / panel | ~£2,400–£2,900 small car |
| Best for | localised damage | car-wide damage / colour change |
| Colour match | must blend to old paint | uniform across the car |
General comparison for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and Parkers respray cost guides.
When each makes sense
- One or two damaged panels? A panel respray is usually all you need and the lower-priced route.
- Fading or oxidised paint across the car? A full respray restores an even finish that patching cannot.
- Changing colour? That requires a full respray, including shut lines and door edges, to look right.
- Worried about the match? Where several adjacent panels are involved, spraying them together blends better than one isolated new panel against weathered paint.
Full or panel respray — want advice?
We'll match you with a vetted bodyshop or mobile repair specialist who assesses the damage and the colour match, then quotes the full and panel options clearly so you can choose.
Frequently asked questions
Is a panel respray cheaper than a full respray?
Yes. A panel respray sprays only the damaged panels and can start from around £400 a panel, while a full respray covers the whole car and commonly runs £2,400–£2,900 on a small car. For localised damage, a panel respray is usually all you need.
When do I need a full respray?
A full respray makes sense when damage is widespread, when the paint is fading or oxidised across the car, or when you're changing colour. For damage limited to one or two panels, a panel respray is usually enough.
Will a single resprayed panel match the rest of the car?
It can, but matching a new panel against older, weathered paint is the hardest part of a panel respray. Where several adjacent panels are involved, spraying them together usually gives a more even finish.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific car and damage. They are guidance, not a quotation.