How Much Does Car Body Repair Cost? Complete UK Guide 2025

Whether you’ve had a minor bump, bought a salvage car at Copart or BCA, or you’re dealing with an insurance claim — knowing what car body repairs actually cost in the UK is essential. This guide covers every repair type with real 2025 prices.

Repair Type	DIY Cost	Professional Cost
Minor scuff / scratch	£10–£50	£100–£300
Bumper repair & respray	£30–£120	£200–£500
Bumper replacement (inc. paint)	£80–£300	£350–£900
Small dent (PDR)	£40–£100	£60–£250
Large dent + respray	£50–£200	£300–£700
Single panel respray	£80–£250	£250–£600
Full car respray	£500–£1,500	£1,500–£5,000+
Wing / door panel replacement	£100–£400	£400–£1,200
Cat N repair (non-structural)	£200–£2,000	£800–£5,000
Cat S repair (structural)	£1,500–£8,000	£3,000–£15,000+

What Affects Car Body Repair Costs?

Several factors determine how much your car body repair will cost:

→Vehicle make and model — Premium brands (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Range Rover) have significantly higher parts costs. A BMW front bumper assembly can cost 3–4x more than the equivalent part for a Ford Focus.
→Damage severity — Minor cosmetic damage is a world apart from structural collision damage requiring chassis repairs and new suspension components.
→Hidden damage — This is where costs escalate. A £500 bumper repair can turn into a £5,000 job when the crash has damaged radiator supports, headlight mounts, or front subframes behind the visible damage.
→Your location — Labour rates in London and the South East are typically 20–40% higher than the Midlands or North of England.
→OEM vs aftermarket parts — Genuine manufacturer parts can cost 2–5x more than quality aftermarket alternatives.

Bumper Repair Costs UK 2025

Bumper damage is the most common car body repair in the UK. Costs depend on the severity of the damage and whether the bumper can be repaired or needs replacing.

Minor scuffs and scratches

Light scuffs that haven’t cracked the plastic can often be repaired with heat (to re-shape the plastic), filler, and a spot respray. Professional cost: £100–£300. DIY cost: £20–£80 in materials.

Bumper respray (full)

A full bumper respray at a professional body shop typically costs £200–£500, including prep, primer, colour coat, and lacquer. DIY respray in aerosols: £30–£100 — though colour matching is difficult without professional equipment.

Full bumper replacement

When a bumper is cracked or broken, replacement is usually more economical than repair. Expect to pay:

• Ford/Vauxhall/VW: £300–£600 (parts + fitting + paint)
• BMW/Mercedes/Audi: £600–£1,200
• Range Rover/Porsche: £900–£2,500+

Dent Repair Costs UK 2025

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)

PDR is the cheapest and fastest method for dents where the paint is undamaged. A skilled technician uses special rods and tools to push the metal back into shape from behind. Cost: £60–£250 depending on dent size and location. Works best on bonnets, doors and wings where access is possible.

Traditional dent repair

Where paint is damaged or the dent is too severe for PDR, traditional body filler + respray is used. Cost per panel: £150–£600. For large crumpled panels requiring replacement rather than repair: £300–£1,500 including second-hand panel sourcing, prep and paint.

Paint Damage Repair Costs

Paint damage ranges from stone chips (£10–£30 with a touch-up pen) to deep key scratches across multiple panels (£800–£3,000+ professionally). For insurance claims, even a single keyed door can attract quotes of £600–£1,200 from approved repairers, because they must blend adjacent panels for a seamless match.

A full car respray — popular with salvage rebuild enthusiasts like Mat Armstrong who want a clean finish — costs £1,500–£5,000 for a professional spray shop job, or £500–£1,500 for a DIY respray in a hired booth.

Category S and Category N Repair Costs

If you’re buying salvage cars at auction houses like Copart, BCA, RAW2K, IAAI or Manheim, you’ll encounter Category S (structural damage) and Category N (non-structural) vehicles. Understanding what these cost to repair is essential before bidding.

Category N repair costs

Cat N cars have non-structural damage — bodywork, airbags, electronics, cosmetics. No frame or chassis damage makes these significantly cheaper to repair. Typical total repair cost: £500–£5,000. Cat N cars represent excellent value for competent DIY builders.

Category S repair costs

Cat S cars have structural damage. This could mean a bent chassis rail, damaged A-pillar, crumpled front crash structure, or folded floor pan. Repair costs are substantial: typically £2,000–£15,000+, with specialist welding, chassis alignment and strip-and-rebuild labour. Many successful rebuilders (including Mat Armstrong, WatchJRGo and Samcrac) specialise in Cat S vehicles — but they know their numbers before bidding.

DIY vs Professional Repair: Which Is Right for You?

The cost difference between DIY and professional repair is typically 60–80%. That means a £800 professional repair might cost £150–£300 in materials if you have the skills, tools and time.

DIY makes sense when: You have bodywork experience, access to a compressor and spray equipment, time to source second-hand parts, and the repair doesn’t affect structural integrity or safety systems.

Professional repair is better when: The vehicle needs an MOT, you’re making an insurance claim, the damage is structural (Cat S), or you need a factory-finish result for resale.

How to Get an Accurate Repair Estimate

The most accurate way to estimate car body repair costs is to use Car Damage Advisor — upload your damage photos and our AI provides a part-by-part breakdown of DIY and professional costs in under 2 minutes. This is especially valuable before:

✓Bidding at Copart, BCA, IAAI, RAW2K or other salvage auctions
✓Buying a damaged car privately
✓Submitting an insurance claim (use as an independent comparison)
✓Deciding whether to DIY or use a garage