The short answer
A single mobile kerb repair can be done in a couple of hours on your driveway, because it targets one localised area and cures under a portable lamp. A full painted or powder-coated set of four typically takes one to three working days, as each wheel is stripped, repaired, primed, coloured, lacquered and cured between coats. A diamond-cut refurbishment takes longest — usually two to four days — because it adds a precision CNC lathe machining stage per wheel on top of painting and lacquering. The actual time depends on the number of wheels, the finish, the condition of the metal and whether tyres need removing and refitting.
Wheel timing splits by scope and finish: a quick localised mobile repair, a multi-day full set, or a longer diamond-cut job that adds machining. Curing between coats is the fixed cost in every case.
Alloy refurb timings
- Single mobile kerb repairA couple of hours
- Painted / powder-coated set1–3 working days
- Diamond-cut set2–4 working days
- Drives the timeStrip, repair, cure cycles, tyres
- Adds timeHeavy damage, colour change, diamond cutting
Quick mobile repairs versus full refurbishment
There are two very different jobs hiding behind the phrase 'alloy refurbishment'. A mobile cosmetic repair fixes localised damage — a kerbed rim edge or a small scuff — without stripping the whole wheel. The technician sands the damaged area, fills and shapes it, then colour-matches and lacquers just that section, curing it under a portable infrared lamp. Because it is localised and the wheel often stays on the car, a single wheel is frequently a one- to two-hour job.
A full refurbishment is a different process. The wheel is taken off the car, the tyre removed, and the whole wheel is:
- Stripped of its old paint and lacquer.
- Blasted back to bare metal.
- Repaired where kerbed, corroded or pitted, then sanded smooth.
- Primed, coloured and lacquered, with curing between coats.
- Refitted with the tyre, a new valve, and re-balanced.
That full chain, repeated across four wheels with curing built in, is why a complete set is realistically a multi-day job rather than an afternoon.
One stage that quietly adds time is outgassing. On powder-coated refurbishment, many workshops pre-bake the bare, stripped wheel in the oven before coating, to drive trapped gases out of the cast aluminium. If this is skipped, those gases can escape through the fresh coating as it cures and leave tiny bubbles or pinholes in the finish. It is a short stage but it is one more oven cycle, and it is the kind of unseen step that separates a durable refurbishment from one that looks fine for a few weeks then deteriorates.
Why the finish changes the timing
The finish you choose has a big effect on turnaround, because each adds different stages:
- Painted (wet) finish — coated in a booth, with drying or curing between primer, colour and lacquer. A full set is usually around 1–3 days.
- Powder coating — a dry powder applied electrostatically then oven-baked to cure, with a bake cycle per coat. Tough and even, also around 1–3 days for a set.
- Diamond cutting — after painting the recesses and applying primer, the wheel face is machined on a CNC lathe to give the bright, precision-cut look, then lacquered and cured. The extra machining stage per wheel pushes a set to 2–4 days.
A colour change also adds time, because every surface that shows the new colour has to be coated, and the wheel may need extra masking. Within any finish, heavy kerb damage, corrosion or buckles need more repair before coating can begin.
| Job | Indicative time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile kerb repair (1 wheel) | 1–2 hours | Localised, cured under a lamp |
| Painted set of four | 1–3 working days | Strip, prime, colour, lacquer, cure |
| Powder-coated set | 1–3 working days | Oven bake per coat |
| Diamond-cut set | 2–4 working days | Adds CNC machining per wheel |
Indicative timings for guidance only — actual time depends on finish, damage and workshop.
What lengthens or shortens the job
Several practical factors move the timeline:
- Number of wheels — one mobile repair is quick; a full set of four naturally takes longer because of batching and oven or booth capacity.
- Condition — heavy kerbing, white-worm corrosion, pitting or a buckle needs more repair before coating, and a buckled wheel may need straightening or be beyond economic repair.
- Finish and colour — diamond cutting and colour changes add stages; a like-for-like painted refurb is the quicker full-set option.
- Tyres and sensors — removing and refitting tyres, fitting new valves and re-balancing add handling, and wheels with tyre-pressure sensors need extra care.
- Workload — a busy unit may have a queue, so the booked date and the work time can differ.
If you need the car back fast and the damage is a single kerbed rim, a mobile repair is the realistic same-day route. For a durable, factory-style finish across all four, a one-to-three-day painted or powder-coated turnaround is the trade-off for the result, and diamond cutting adds a little more for the precision-machined look. A good workshop will tell you the timescale up front based on your wheels and the finish, and it is fair to ask why a quote is as long or short as it is. Doing the wheels in pairs is a common way to keep the car mobile if you cannot be without it.
It is also worth knowing what cannot be rushed regardless of how busy or quiet the workshop is. A diamond-cut wheel, in particular, has a finite number of refurbishments in it, because each cut removes a thin layer of metal from the face — eventually there is too little left to machine and the wheel must be painted or powder-coated instead. The lacquer over a diamond-cut face is also the part most prone to corrosion creeping under it if moisture gets in, which is why the curing of that final clear coat is never skipped. None of this changes the headline timings, but it explains why a reputable refurbisher will not promise a same-day diamond-cut set: the machining, lacquering and curing each take their fixed time, and shortcutting any of them simply shortens how long the finish lasts.
Frequently asked questions
Can all four alloys be refurbished in a day?
Sometimes, for a straightforward painted refurb at a quiet workshop with same-day capacity. More often a full set takes one to three working days because each wheel is stripped, repaired, coated and cured, and the curing between coats cannot be rushed. Diamond-cut sets usually take longer again.
Why does diamond cutting take longer than painting?
Diamond cutting adds a precision machining stage: after the wheel is painted and primed, its face is cut on a CNC lathe to create the bright, fine-grooved finish, then lacquered and cured. That extra per-wheel machining is why a diamond-cut set typically takes two to four days rather than one to three.
Do the tyres have to come off?
For a full refurbishment, usually yes — the tyre is removed so the whole wheel, including the rim edge and barrel, can be stripped and coated. A localised mobile kerb repair often leaves the tyre on, since only one area of the wheel face is being worked.
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.