Car body repairs in Grantham: what they really cost

Nobody enjoys phoning a bodyshop without knowing roughly what they are about to be quoted. This guide sets out the price bands we work to in Grantham and south Lincolnshire, so you can judge any estimate you are given, including ours.

Guide prices in Grantham

A single light scratch or scuff repaired with SMART methods usually lands between £80 and £160 and is often done inside a day. A bumper scuff repaired and blended rather than replaced is normally £130 to £260. Paintless dent removal, where the paint is unbroken, runs from around £70 to £190 per dent. A single panel respray colour matched to your paint code is typically £280 to £520, and a two or three panel blend £550 to £1,100. Kerbed alloys refurbished are around £65 to £130 a wheel, with diamond cut faces costing more because they need machining as well as painting.

What actually moves the price

Three things do most of the work. First, whether the paint surface is broken. An unbroken dent can be pushed out; a cracked or chipped finish needs filling, priming, painting and lacquering. Second, the colour. Solid whites and blacks are straightforward. Three stage pearls and metallics need blending into the neighbouring panels so the repair is invisible in Lincolnshire daylight, and that adds labour. Third, what sits behind the panel. Modern bumpers carry parking sensors, cameras and radar units, and if a car has driver assistance fitted the system often needs recalibrating once the bumper or screen is refitted.

Insurance work versus paying yourself

If the damage is small, paying privately can be cheaper than losing your no claims discount and paying an excess. If the accident was not your fault, you should not pay anything at all. We deal with the other driver's insurer, arrange a replacement vehicle and recover the costs from them, so there is no excess for you to find.

How to get an accurate figure fast

Photographs beat descriptions every time. Take one straight on shot of the damage, one from about two metres back so we can see the whole panel, and a clear picture of the paint code label inside the driver's door shut. Send those with the free estimate form on our Grantham page and we will come back with a written figure, usually the same working day. If you would rather we look at it in person, bring the car to Alma Park Road and we will walk round it with you.

Why the cheapest quote is not always the cheapest job

A repair that is not prepared properly will show within a year, usually as lacquer peel along an edge or a colour that has drifted. Our work is carried out to BS 10125 standards using manufacturer approved materials, and the paintwork is guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle. That guarantee is the part worth comparing when two quotes look different.

For a free written estimate in Grantham, call 07956 786622 or send photographs through the form on the Grantham page.