How much does paintless dent repair cost?

Paintless dent repair usually costs $50 to $150 for a small dent, and about $500 to $3,500 or more when hail leaves dozens across the car; dents with cracked paint or sharp creases need conventional body work instead.

Written by Todd Whittington, Editor·Last reviewed October 19, 2026

What paintless dent repair costs Typical ranges, not quotes

Paintless dent repair (PDR) pushes each dent out from behind the panel, with no sanding or repainting. It's priced by how many dents there are and how big.

What paintless dent repair costs, by vehicle class
Dents	Sedan	SUV	Pickup	Luxury or EV
One small dent (a door ding)AAA: minor dent repairs $50–$150 per dent	$50–$150	$50–$160	$60–$170	$70–$200
A few dentsOur sample range: about five dentsShould you claim it? →	$250–$750	$260–$790	$280–$830	$330–$980
About a dozen (light hail)Our sample rangeShould you claim it? →	$500–$1,500	$530–$1,580	$550–$1,650	$650–$1,950
Dozens (moderate hail)Our sample range; Liberty Mutual puts moderate hail at about $2,500Should you claim it? →	$1,500–$3,500	$1,580–$3,680	$1,650–$3,850	$1,950–$4,550

Sedan is the base range. The other columns are our factors: SUV ×1.05 and pickup ×1.10, from the Highway Loss Data Institute's collision claim severity by vehicle class (2022–24 models, all collision claims, not bumpers alone), and luxury or EV ×1.30, between Mitchell's EV figure (about 15% more than gas cars in 2026) and HLDI's large luxury cars (about 70% more). Rounded to $10. Download this table (CSV).

Where these numbers come from

The single-dent row is AAA's published figure. The rest are our sample ranges, the ones the hail damage calculator uses. Insurer network price lists, such as State Farm's, price a whole panel by dent count and size and often come out lower per dent than retail. These aren't quotes.

“Minor dent repairs typically range from $50-$150 per dent” — AAA, How Much Does It Cost To Paint a Car?

“Prices start below $100 for a single small dent, but more extensive damage will naturally cost more.” — AAA Mid States, Ding Dong the Dent is Dead! Paintless Dent Repair

“The average cost to repair moderate hail damage on a car is approximately $2,500” — Liberty Mutual, Does car insurance cover hail damage?

What moves the price

Dent size and count. Dent repair is priced by how many dents a panel has and how big they are. Insurer price lists sort dents from dime to half-dollar size and charge extra for anything bigger. (State Farm PDR matrix)
Whether paintless repair works. Paintless dent repair is out when the paint is damaged, a dent is too large, or the panel is creased; then it's conventional body work at panel prices. (AAA Mid States)
Reaching the back of the panel. Double-layer panels and the roofs of big vehicles are harder to reach from behind. State Farm's dent repair price list adds 25% for them. (State Farm PDR matrix)
Aluminum or composite panels. They need special prep and paint, and dent repair on them costs more: State Farm's dent repair price list adds 25% for an aluminum panel. (Kelley Blue Book; State Farm PDR matrix)

Does insurance pay for this?

Dents from hail, a falling branch or vandalism usually fall under comprehensive coverage, which many insurers treat gently. A door ding from another car is usually a collision claim, or the other driver's. For a single dent, the repair is often less than your deductible. The calculator says which way it goes.

Hail dents? File or pay?

The hail damage calculator weighs your deductible and any rate increase against the repair, with your insurer and your state.

Run the hail damage calculator →

Frequently asked

When doesn't paintless dent repair work?

When the paint is cracked or chipped, the metal is creased or stretched, a dent is very large, or the technician can't reach the back of the panel. Then it's conventional body work, which costs more.

Is paintless dent repair worth it?

Usually, when it works. It keeps the factory paint, costs less than repainting, and is often done in a day.

Does insurance pay for paintless dent repair?

Often, when the dents came from hail or a falling object and you have comprehensive coverage. Whether it's worth filing depends on your deductible and your claims history. Run the numbers.

Sources

AAA, How Much Does It Cost To Paint a Car?. Source.
AAA Mid States, Ding Dong the Dent is Dead! Paintless Dent Repair. Source.
State Farm, PDR Pricing Matrix for the State Farm Paintless Dent Repair Agreement (2025-04-29). Source.
Liberty Mutual, Does car insurance cover hail damage?. Source.
AAA Mid States, Ding Dong the Dent is Dead! Paintless Dent Repair. Source.

We read every source on October 19, 2026. Ranges marked as our sample data are our own estimates, checked against these sources; they are not quotes. Data: paintless-dent-repair-cost.csv, auto-cost-pages.json. Free to cite with attribution to Should I Claim It? (CC BY 4.0). Please link back to this page.