
- $50-$150 for a minor scratch on the car bumper;
- $250-$600 for medium deep car bumper scratches;
- $300-$700 for major car bumper scratches;
- Heavy scratches: >$500 because of the more labor that is needed to fix it.
Full Answer
How much does a small car scratch cost to repair?
The cost to repair the scratches on your vehicle depends on how numerous and deep they are. A surface scratch can cost you as little as $150, but a deep paint scratch can cost upwards of $2,500. The average cost of a full car scratch repair is around $3,500. Identifying the different types of car scratches. Scratches on a car can come from ...
How to evaluate the cost of repairing your car?
- Ongoing maintenance costs over the remaining life of the equipment
- The impact any repair would have on productivity and quality
- Costs incurred from the equipment downtime
- Health, safety, and environmental costs that come with equipment breakdown
- Training costs for a new piece of equipment
- Disposal costs
- Installation costs
How do you repair a deep scratch on a car?
How to remove scratches from a car
- Clean and dry the area. Make sure the scratch itself is clean before applying any new material to ensure a smooth result.
- Choose your tool. If the scratch is shallow, car polish may be enough. ...
- Apply the material as directed. ...
- Wipe the area down. ...
- Wax and polish. ...
How to remove the scratch on the car?
- Always sand in the direction of the scratch. ...
- Rinse the area with water as needed to check your progress. ...
- If the scratch is slightly deeper than the clear coat, use 1500-grit sandpaper to level the surface and then 2000-grit sandpaper to remove the scratches made by the coarser sandpaper.

How much do scratches on cars cost to fix?
At a dealer, the cost to remove a car scratch can range from $150 to $1000—double the amount for repairs to the hood or doors. Auto body shop: Most independent auto body shops should fix all scratch levels, offering various repair options for different damage degrees.
Is it worth fixing scratches on car?
Unless the dent or scrape is very minor (and therefore very cheap to fix), older and less-valuable vehicles probably won't gain much value from a repair. You're often better off just keeping your money and living with the scrape and the knowledge that your car is a little less perfect than it was yesterday.
Does detailing get rid of scratches?
Car detailing can hide minor scratches through polishing, waxing, and sealing, but it cannot help with deep scratches. For repairing such a car scratch, you need to get professional services for your car's paint.
How do body shops fix scratches?
How do Body Shops Fix Deep Car Scratches?Cleaning the surface of any dirt or grime.Sand, prime, and fill the dent or scratch as needed.Color matching visually and by using the automobile VIN.Applying the undercoat, the color coat.Sanding and buffing to integrate the repaired area with the existent paint.More items...
Is it worth fixing scratches on car before selling?
In some cases, repairing the dent can actually increase the value of the car, helping you to get more money for it. The other advantage to repairing a dent prior to selling a car is that it can help you sell your car faster. Buyers may be leery about buying a car with a large dent in it.
How much do paint scratches devalue a car?
5%-10%A good rule of thumb is if the dent is visible from about 10 feet away or if the paint has scratches, it can cause a 5%-10% depreciation of your car's value.
Should I leave car scratches?
Scratches or dents to your vehicle will make your paint and its protective layer more vulnerable to further chipping if left unaddressed. Moreover, the damage brought upon by chipping may even spread to other areas that were not involved in the original damage.
How much does it cost to fix a scratch on a car?
The average cost of a full car scratch repair is around $3,500.
How much are scratch repairs?
The cost of repairs depends on the severity of your scratch. The deeper your scratch, the more time and materials it takes to repair it. When you're looking for a professional repair here are the prices per scratch:
What is primer scratch?
Primer scratches are scratches that reach the paint layer or the primer layer but don't expose the metal. These are more costly than a scuff with the extra layers that need to be repaired. Car accidents and tree branches commonly cause these scratches.
What is the difference between a clear coat scratch and a scuff?
The difference between a clear cost scratch and a scuff is a scuff isn't as long as a clear coat scratch. Rocks and other debris kicked up from the road are a large cause of these.
How to get rid of a scratch on your fingernail?
If your nail doesn't get caught, it's a surface scratch, and you can use this method. Wash and dry the affected area. Put a quarter-sized amount of toothpaste on a clean microfiber to wel or pad.
What is the deepest scratch on a car?
Deep Paint Scratches. Deep paint scratches are the deepest and most expensive scratch. These scratches expose the metal of the car. Unlike the other two types of scratches, every layer of paint will need repairing. These scratches usually occur in car wrecks or other hard collisions.
How to get scratches out of car paint?
Make sure you have metal visible. If not, this method isn't suggested. Wash and dry your car thoroughly and then rewash the scratch. Sand away the top layers of paint in the scratched area. Use 2000 girt sandpaper and check every 10 seconds to make sure you don't remove too much paint.
How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Scratch on a Car?
When trying to determine how much does it cost to fix a scratch on a car, there are a few things to consider. As mentioned above, the severity is a big factor that affects the cost, increasing it the deeper the scratch goes. Prices per scratch can also fluctuate depending on your location but, a few average amounts you can expect are listed below.
How much does it cost to fix a paint scratch?
Deep paint scratches are the costliest on the list of scratches to repair. If you have a deep paint scratch, you’re looking at spending up to $2500.
What is the costliest scratch to repair?
As you might guess, deep paint scratches are the costliest type of scratch to repair. These scratches can reach multiple layers of paint and leave the metal of your car exposed. These types of scratches likely need the help of a professional to repair.
How much does primer scratch cost?
If you have a scratch that reaches the level of the primer, you’re looking at anywhere from $500 to $1000.
What causes scratches on paint?
Scuffs lie on the top layer of the paint and do not penetrate down below. Typical causes can be anything from debris to tiny rocks as you drive down the highway.
What is a primer scratch?
A little deeper down is the primer scratch, one that actually gets deeper into the paint. Though it doesn’t hit metal, it still leaves a visible scratch that becomes more costly to repair the deeper it goes down and the larger it is.
What is the best app to buy a car?
The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.
HOW MUCH TO REPAIR CAR SCRATCHES?
No two scratches are alike, and determining what your car scratch repair cost will depend on a number of factors, most importantly is the type of paint scratch damage on your car.
How much does it cost to fix a scratch on a car?
These types of scratches are the most expensive to repair, with auto body shops charging anywhere from $800 to $1,500 on average for deep paint scratch repair.
What causes scratches on car paint?
COMMON CAUSES OF CAR SCRATCHES 1 Car accidents are one of the most common causes of scratches in your car’s paint. Even a minor bump from another driver can be enough to scrape an unsightly mark into your vehicle. 2 Chips and rocks that fly loose from the road or from larger vehicles as you drive can also cause scratches. These scratches may be the hardest to prevent, as the rocks or chips are so small you may not notice you’ve been hit until you discover a new scratch in your car’s paint. 3 Although it’s important to keep your car clean, over washing or aggressively scrubbing the car’s exterior can cause scratches and swirls in the paint as you grind excess dirt on the exterior. Also, make sure you use a microfiber cloth or chamois when drying your car to prevent scratches.
Why does my car have scratches on the exterior?
Although it’s important to keep your car clean, over washing or aggressively scrubbing the car’s exterior can cause scratches and swirls in the paint as you grind excess dirt on the exterior. Also, make sure you use a microfiber cloth or chamois when drying your car to prevent scratches.
What to do if you have a scratch on your paint?
If your scratch has gone into the primer layer, you will need to use touch up paint to restore the scratched area. The scratch will likely appear white if it has come through the clear coat and the paint, reaching the primer layer underneath.
What happens if you scratch your car?
If the scratch is severe enough—perhaps you reversed into an object or someone scraped your car as they left a parking spot—it will scratch down to the metal frame of your vehicle. These scratches should be repaired immediately, as exposed metal can rust if exposed to the elements long enough.
How to prevent scratches on car?
There are steps you can take to prevent car scratches—parking away from cart bins, not parking too close to other cars, using a microfiber cloth or chamois when drying your vehicle— but the best preventative step you can take is to install paint protection film.
How much does it cost to fix a scratch?
If you do not feel like using toothpaste to fix the superficial scratch, there are also professional rubbing compounds that come in kits which may cost $100 to $250.
What happens if you scratch a car?
A scratch on your car, especially a deep one, can cause further damage to your paint and your car’s metal frame. Therefore, you should make sure to resolve any scratches as fast as possible.
How to tell if a scratch is clear coat?
The fingernail test determines if the scratch only affects the clear coat. Simply take your finger and run the scratch over with your nail. If you do not feel a small indentation, it is a clear coat scratch.
What is the worst type of scratch?
The worst possible types of scratches are deep scratches which means that the scratch has penetrated all the layers of the paint job.
Why do cars get scratches in the car wash?
As many cars go through the car wash, dirt and debris get on the relatively stiff brushes which always cause scratches to some extent.
How much does it cost to scratch a primer?
To give a rough estimate, a primer scratch will cost around $400 – $1000, this also includes labor and all the necessary material.
What to do if you can't feel a scratch on your nail?
If you can feel the scratch with your nail, the scratch is unfortunately, deeper, but if you do not feel it, grab your toothpaste, and get to work !
How to fix scratches on car paint?
If the scratch is a deeper one, but has still not reached the paint layer, you will need some wet/dry sandpaper to get rid of it. The sandpaper will cost around $10, with wet 2000 grit being preferred. Soak the sandpaper in water and sand the scratch. You will also need rubbing compound to get rid of the sand scratches, as well as polisher so that you can shine it when you are done. All told this will cost about $30 to do it yourself, which is a fraction of the $150-300 that a body shop will charge you.
How to fix scratch type 3?
The fix: Apply touch up paint: pen or bottle-and-brush. Use as little paint as possible, and the smallest brush available.
What is a scuff on a paint job?
Scuffs are a collection of very light surface scratches that have only damaged the clear coat of the paint job . To find out if the scuffs have only damaged your clear coat, rub with spit (really) and see if the scuffs vanish.
Is the size of a scratch a factor in repair costs?
Though the size and length of the scratch is a factor in repair costs, the fewer the layers it penetrates the better. For example if the scratch only penetrates the first layer, that’s going to cost less to fix than one that penetrates all three layers. Here is a break down of four types of well known scratches.
Do you have to paint a scratch on clear coat?
These are deeper, longer scratches than a scuff, but since the scratch has not penetrated past the clear coat layer you do not have to do any painting to repair it. To find out if the scuffs have only damaged your clear coat, rub with spit (really) and see if the scuffs vanish.
