Honest indicative pricing — no booking fees
Bodywork repair cost in East London — dents, scratches and panel work
Car park dents, kerbed bumpers, key scratches, alloy scuffs — most bodywork bills are smaller than you'd think if you go to a specialist rather than a main dealer. The cost depends on the size of the damage, whether the paint can be blended into the existing panel, and whether the panel underneath is straight or needs pulling.
We repair bodywork in-house at our Poplar E14 workshop — no subcontracting, no surprises on collection day. Colour-matched paint, baked finish, and a fair quote before any work begins.
Send us a photo on WhatsApp — most bodywork jobs can be quoted from a clear picture without you having to come in. No surprise bills on collection.
What affects the cost
We won't pretend to fix a price online — every car is different. These are the honest variables that decide what you pay.
Size of damage
A coin-sized stone chip is minutes of work; a dented door skin or kerbed bumper is hours. We quote per panel based on what we can actually see on inspection.
Paint code & blend
Modern metallics and pearl colours have to be blended into the neighbouring panel for an invisible repair. That takes a little longer than a solid colour but the finish is the only one that holds up.
Panel straightening
Small dents lift out with PDR (paintless dent repair) — keeps the original paint. Anything with a crease or paint damage needs fill, primer, base coat, clear coat and bake.
Plastic vs metal
Bumpers (plastic) flex back into shape with heat; metal panels need pulling and may need replacing if creased deeply. Plastic repairs are usually quicker and cheaper.
Insurance vs cash job
We do both. Cash repairs are usually cheaper for small jobs (you avoid the insurance excess). For larger damage your insurer may want approved repairer involvement — we'll talk you through it honestly.
What's included
- Free inspection and written quote before any work starts
- Paint code matched to your vehicle (lookup or sample reading)
- Panel preparation, body filler where needed, primer, base coat, clear coat
- Baked finish in our drying oven for hard, lasting paint
- Polish and inspection before handover
- Lifetime warranty on the paint finish (against peeling or lifting)
Warning signs — don't ignore these
- Rust starting to bubble through paint = stop, get it cut out before it spreads through the panel
- Bumper hanging or panel gap visible after a knock = clips or mounts broken, easy to fix early
- Headlight cracked or condensation inside = MOT fail risk and water damage
- Wheel kerbed badly enough to feel a vibration = check rim for cracks before driving far
Get a quote for bodywork repair
Tell us the reg — we'll quote your exact price in under a minute
Tap call or WhatsApp below and the message is already filled in with the right service (bodywork repair) and area (East London). No booking fees, no upsell.
Honest detail — what the numbers actually mean
The single biggest factor in what you'll pay for bodywork is whether the repair can be 'spotted in' to the existing paint, or whether the whole panel has to be re-sprayed. On a small scratch or stone chip, a SMART repair (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) takes a couple of hours and is a fraction of a full panel respray. On a deep crease that crosses two panels, we have to flatten, fill, prime and respray each affected panel — that's a different scale of job and a different bill.
Paint matching is the bit that catches most cheap repairers out. Modern metallic and pearl finishes can shift colour by a noticeable shade depending on age, weathering and the angle of light. We read the existing paint with a spectrophotometer where the original code isn't reliable, then blend into the neighbouring panel so the repair disappears. Cheap repairs that 'patch' the colour without blending stand out within a year as the rest of the car ages.
Paintless dent repair (PDR) is the cheapest option when the dent has no paint damage — a hailstone dent on a bonnet, a soft press from someone leaning on the door. We work behind the panel with specialist tools to lift the metal back to shape. No filler, no paint, no risk of mismatch. If the paint is broken, PDR isn't an option and we move to a conventional repair.
If your car has had a knock that pushed a panel out of alignment (boot won't close cleanly, bonnet sits high one side, doors rub), there may be hidden structural damage. We'll check chassis legs and inner panels before quoting — pulling a panel straight without addressing the underlying twist means it'll come back. Honest answer up front beats a surprise on the second visit.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions.
Related guides & services
Get a real quote in under a minute
Drop us the vehicle reg on 020 7537 2447 or via WhatsApp and we'll quote the exact price for your car — no booking fees, no upsell.