The repair estimator gives you an indicative car body repair cost in about a minute. You choose your vehicle category, the paint finish and the panels that are damaged, and it returns a starting price based on the workshop's current rates.
Key steps:
- Select the vehicle category: family, prestige or sports. Sports and prestige models carry higher rates because panels, finishes and fitting times differ, so pick the one that genuinely matches your car rather than the closest badge.
- Choose the paint type: standard, metallic or pearlescent. Metallic and pearlescent finishes need more material and more skill to blend invisibly, and that is reflected in the estimate.
- Add every damaged panel: use "add more" to include each one. A single scuff across two panels is a two-panel repair, not one.
What changes a car body repair estimate
Four things move the number more than anything else: which panel is damaged, how the panel is finished, how far the damage has gone through the paint, and whether the colour has to be blended into neighbouring panels to stay invisible. Depth matters most. A mark that has not broken the clear coat may only need light scratch and scuff removal, while one that has reached primer or metal needs full refinishing, and the difference in preparation is considerable.
What the estimator cannot price
It prices cosmetic bodywork. It cannot see structural damage, and it does not attempt to price it. Anything below the surface needs the vehicle in front of a technician:
- Distorted or misaligned panels, and damage to the structure beneath them, which is accident and collision repair work.
- Damage affecting sensors, cameras or parking aids, where recalibration is part of the job.
- Hidden damage found once a panel comes off, which is common after even a low-speed impact.
- Wheels and alloys, which are assessed and quoted separately.
Estimate or quote?
An estimate is an indication from the details you supply. A quote is a fixed figure given after someone has seen the damage, in person or in photographs, and knows what is underneath. Insurers work from the second, not the first, so treat the estimator as the number that tells you whether to make a claim or pay privately, and see insurance repair versus private repair if you are weighing that up.
Getting an accurate figure
Photographs are what turn an estimate into a quote. Take one straight on to the damage, one from each side at a shallow angle so the light shows the depth, and one wider shot that places the damage on the vehicle. Daylight, and a clean panel if you can. Send those with your registration through the contact form and you will get a real figure rather than a range.