How to order paintless dent removal at a good price
When a dent can be removed without painting
Paintless dent removal (PDR) works when the paint is intact: no cracks, chips or touch-ups. The specialist pushes the metal back into shape with special hooks and levers from inside the panel, or with a glue method from outside, and the factory finish stays.
Dents with smooth edges respond best: from parking knocks and a neighbour's opened door to the effects of hail. It is harder with sharp creases, dents on a stiffening rib or the edge of a panel, and on aluminium parts. In such cases the specialist may honestly say that painting is needed.
What to put in your request
It is hard for a specialist to assess the job “by eye” without photos and sizes, so give specifics:
- where the dent is — which panel and which spot on it: the flat, the edge or a stiffening rib;
- size and number — diameter in centimetres or “like a coin”, and after hail roughly how many dents;
- condition of the paint — whether there are cracks and chips, and whether the panel has been painted before;
- make and model of the car — the method depends on the body material;
- cause — hail, parking, a door;
- call-out — whether the specialist comes to you or you bring the car;
- city, timing and budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “One dent about 5 cm on the rear right door of a Honda City, the paint is not damaged, a parking mark. Calgary, preferably with the specialist coming to me before the weekend. Budget up to $35.”
How to compare offers
On BlaBlaPrice you write your request once, and specialists reply in the chat: what exactly they will do, the price or what it depends on, and when they can start. Add one clear photo of the dent in daylight, and the replies will be more accurate. Your phone stays hidden until you choose a specialist.
Specialists see where their offer stands and improve their terms, so the competition often works in your favour. But do not look only at the sum. Ask:
- whether the price is fixed per dent or depends on the difficulty after inspection;
- whether there is a minimum call-out charge;
- what happens if the paint cracks during the work: who is responsible and for what;
- whether there are photos of this specialist's work on similar dents.
What affects the cost
The price is usually set by the size, the location and how hard it is to reach the inside of the panel. Sound insulation inside, or double metal on a door edge or sills, makes the job harder. For hail with dozens of dents, specialists often charge per panel or for the total amount of work, not per dent.
Common mistakes
The most frequent mistake is to judge a dent from one photo taken in a dark garage: in daylight you see more defects. The second is to delay when the paint at the impact point has already chipped: rust can start there, and PDR will no longer work. If the paint is damaged after all, you will have to look for bodywork repair with painting. Other services for cars are collected in the section “Car & motorcycle servicing”, and how the site works you can read on the page “How it works”.
