How much does dent repair cost?
Paintless dent repair costs $75–$300 per dent, according to Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025), and a quarter-size dent $50–$200, according to J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026). A dent with cracked or chipped paint needs body shop repair instead, billed at $68–$75 per hour plus paint and materials.
Lemonade, an insurer, published this range in September 2025 and calls PDR usually the cheapest option. The price depends on dent size, depth and location, and J.D. Power and Lemonade also publish prices by dent size. Dents with cracked paint need body shop repair and paint instead, billed by the hour.
Ranges with a dotted underline are published ranges wider than the 1.5x we aim for. Where a source splits by dent size, we show the split; where it doesn't, we show its range exactly as published. How we handle ranges.
PDR vs. body shop: which one fits your dent
Paintless dent repair costs $75–$300 per dent when the paint is unbroken, according to Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025), while a body shop dent repair bills labor at $68–$75 per hour plus paint and materials at $40–$60 per refinish hour. The repair method decides most of a dent bill; the table shows only figures we can source, and where we can't, the row says so.
| Method | When it fits | What you pay for | Sourced figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paintless dent repair (PDR)Metal pushed back from behind, factory paint kept | Small to medium dents with unbroken paint that a technician can reach from behind or pull from the outside. | Technician time only: no paint, no parts. | $75–$300 per dent, Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025) |
| Body shop repairStraighten, fill, refinish | Creased or stretched metal, cracked or chipped paint, dents on edges and body lines. | Body labor hours + refinish hours + paint and materials, often a blend into the next panel. | Labor $68–$75 per hour · materials $40–$60 per refinish hour |
| Panel replacementNew fender, door shell or hood | Torn or badly stretched metal, or when repair hours would cost more than a new panel. | Part + remove and install + refinish of the new panel. | Part: by model group (dealer fender, door shell and hood tables) |
Labor rates: Massachusetts shop survey, 476 shops (2025–26) and AAA ADAS repair study (2023). Paint and materials: 2025 national refinish survey. Methodology →
Dent repair cost by dent size
A quarter-size dent costs $50–$200 to repair and a dent six inches or more across $200–$350, according to J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026). Dent repair, and paintless dent repair in particular, is priced per dent by size, depth and location; two published guides give size-based prices, shown here as published, and some rows cover every repair method, not only PDR.
| Dent size | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-size or smallerDoor ding, hail-size dent | $50–$200 | J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026) |
| Quarter-size or smallerAll repair methods | $50–$125 | Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025) |
| Golf ball-sizeAll repair methods | $125–$250 | Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025) |
| Six inches or more acrossLarge dent | $200–$350 | J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026) |
| Baseball-sizeAll repair methods | $250–$450 | Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025) |
| Each additional dentSeveral dents fixed in one visit | $40–$75 | J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026) |
| Hail damage, whole carMost hail damage qualifies for PDR | $1,000–$5,000 or more | Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025) |
Lemonade's table covers all dent repair methods; J.D. Power's figures may rise if the dent needs touch-up paint. We found no reliable public per-dent price for hail repair, only Lemonade's whole-car range. Comparing a PDR quote with a body shop quote? Our quote check guide lists the lines a body shop quote should show.
How a body shop dent quote adds up
A body shop dent quote multiplies repair and refinish hours by a labor rate of $68–$75 per hour and adds paint and materials at about $50 per refinish hour on average. The estimate lists each operation with its hours; for a dented panel that is repaired and painted, expect these lines:
- Repair (body) hours × the shop's labor rate ($68–$75 per hour in our reference data).
- Refinish hours for painting the repaired panel, at the same kind of hourly rate.
- Clear coat: the MOTOR guide adds 40% of base refinish time on the first major panel and 20% on each additional one, up to 2.5 hours.
- Blend into the neighboring panel, up to 50% of that panel's full refinish time.
- Paint and materials: $50 per refinish hour on average; 84% of shops that charge this way bill $40–$60.
Paintless dent repair is quoted differently: PDR is usually priced per dent, by size, depth and location, and has none of the paint lines. The bumper page has a calculator that turns quote hours into a range; the same math applies to a painted dent repair.
Replacement panel prices by model (dealer part, unpainted)
A new front fender costs $130–$190 at the dealer for the lowest-priced models in our data and $600 for the Ford F-150's aluminum fender, part only and unpainted. When a dented panel is replaced, the part is the biggest single line; each fender, door shell and hood range is the lowest to highest model median in its price group, never wider than 1.5x.
Front fender
| Model group | Dealer part price |
|---|---|
| Lowest-priced fendersHonda Civic, Honda CR-V, Toyota Corolla, Ford Escape, Toyota Camry | $130–$190 |
| MidSubaru Outback, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, Honda Accord, Nissan Rogue | $200–$270 |
| HigherHyundai Elantra, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Altima, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Tucson, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $310–$440 |
| Ford F-150 (aluminum body)Ford F-150 | $600 |
Front door shell
| Model group | Dealer part price |
|---|---|
| Lowest-priced door shellsFord Escape, Nissan Rogue, Toyota Corolla | $360–$470 |
| MidKia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback, Honda Accord | $560–$770 |
| HigherFord Explorer, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Nissan Altima, Honda Civic, Jeep Grand Cherokee | $800–$1,010 |
| Highest-priced door shellsHonda CR-V, Ford F-150, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Tucson | $1,250–$1,620 |
Hood
| Model group | Dealer part price |
|---|---|
| Lowest-priced hoodsToyota Corolla, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4 | $330–$460 |
| MidKia Sportage, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Subaru Outback, Honda Civic | $500–$670 |
| HigherHyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, Honda Accord | $710–$950 |
| Highest-priced hoodsJeep Grand Cherokee, Ford F-150 | $970–$1,040 |
Source: franchised-dealer online parts catalogs (fordpartsgiant.com, gmpartsgiant.com, hondapartsnow.com, hyundaipartsdeal.com, kiapartsnow.com, moparpartsgiant.com, nissanpartsdeal.com, subarupartsdeal.com, toyotapartsdeal.com), 108 listings, 2021 model year (Tucson 2022), prices seen October 12, 2026. No price was listed for an Equinox door shell or a Silverado hood.
Spread within one model: dealer listings for the same model can differ a lot by trim and options. The tables use each model's median listing. Where one model's own listings spread wider than 1.5x, this is the full range we found, shown as listed: Ford F-150 fender $351–$637 (4 listings); Ford Explorer fender $167–$355 (3 listings); Ford F-150 hood $756–$1,610 (3 listings).
What changes the price of a dent repair
Paint damage changes a dent bill the most: once the paint is cracked, the panel needs refinish hours plus paint and materials at $40–$60 per refinish hour at most shops, costs PDR avoids. Four other factors move the price of a dent repair.
Is your dent repair quote fair?
A fair dent repair quote bills a blend into the next panel at no more than 50% of that panel's full refinish time, and a paintless dent repair quote has no paint lines at all. Ask for the hours behind each line: a repaired dent should show repair hours, refinish hours and materials. If a dent quote replaces a panel, compare its part price with the dealer fender, door shell and hood prices on this page.
Dent near the bumper corner? The bumper repair cost guide covers plastic covers and sensors.
Should you file an insurance claim for a dent?
A single small dent fixed with paintless dent repair costs $75–$300 per dent, according to Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025), often close to or below a typical deductible, and then a claim pays little or nothing.
For larger dent damage, such as a replaced door or fender with paint and blending, compare the quote with your deductible and ask your insurer how a claim could affect your premium before filing.
Checking your own dent with our app
Our Car Repair Cost app, from the same team as this guide, reads 1 to 6 photos of a dent, names the damaged panel and judges whether it looks repairable or needs replacing, then prices the repair, refinish and part lines as ranges for your area. Learn how the Car Repair Cost app estimates repair costs from photos.
Questions
Is paintless dent repair cheaper than a body shop?
When a dent qualifies, usually yes: PDR skips refinishing, so there are no refinish hours and no paint-and-materials charge ($40–$60 per refinish hour at most shops). Lemonade's 2025 guide puts PDR from $75 to $300 per dent and calls it usually the cheapest option. Get a PDR quote and a body shop quote for the same dent to compare.
Can every dent be fixed with PDR?
No. PDR needs intact paint and metal that has not been stretched too far. Cracked paint, sharp creases, dents on a panel edge and places the technician cannot reach usually need conventional repair and paint.
Why does my dent quote include the next panel?
If the dented panel is repainted, shops often blend the color into the neighboring panel so the color difference doesn't show. The MOTOR estimating guide allows 50% of that panel's full refinish time for a blend, not a full refinish.
When is replacing the panel better than repairing it?
When the metal is torn or badly stretched, or when the repair hours on the quote add up to more than a new panel plus installation and paint. Door shells are bare panels: the window, trim, lock and mirror move over from the old door, which adds labor.
Do aluminum panels cost more to fix?
Aluminum needs separate tools and training, and some panels are priced higher: the Ford F-150's aluminum fender is $600 at the dealer, against $130–$190 for the lowest-priced fenders in our data.
Sources
- Repairer Driven News: Massachusetts advisory board survey, 476 shops (Mar 2026): body labor rate average $68/h; insurer-paid $43–$55/h.
- AAA: Cost of ADAS Repairs (Dec 2023): body labor assumption $75/h.
- Repairer Driven News: paint and materials survey (Apr 2025): $50 per refinish hour average; 84% of shops that bill per refinish hour charge $40–$60.
- MOTOR/CCC estimating guide, refinish rules (Nov 2022 revision, archived): blend, clear coat and three-stage allowances.
- Dealer parts catalogs: fordpartsgiant.com, gmpartsgiant.com, hondapartsnow.com, hyundaipartsdeal.com, kiapartsnow.com, moparpartsgiant.com, nissanpartsdeal.com, subarupartsdeal.com, toyotapartsdeal.com (seen October 12, 2026).
- Lemonade (insurer consumer guide, Sep 2025), "How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Car Dent?": PDR per dent, dent size table, hail range, as published.
- J.D. Power (consumer guide, undated, checked Oct 2026), "How to Fix a Small Dent in a Car": quarter-size, large and additional dent prices.
All figures are from our reference dataset compiled October 12, 2026 from 834 source URLs. Older figures are shown with their year and not adjusted for inflation. All sources →
Related repair guides
Price ranges built from 834 public sources and refreshed monthly. Your final price comes from the shop's written quote after inspection.
Know your repair cost before you go to the shop.
Take a photo of the damage and get a line-by-line estimate.
