Paintless dent repair vs body filler — which does my car need?
Quick answer
If the paint is intact and the metal isn’t stretched, paintless dent repair (PDR) is the better fix — it massages the dent out from behind and keeps your factory finish. When paint is cracked, the dent is creased, or the panel edge is involved, conventional repair with filler and refinishing is the right call.
When PDR wins
Door dings, shopping-cart dents, and most hail damage are PDR territory. A technician works the metal back from behind the panel with rods and precise lighting — no filler, no paint, factory finish preserved.
PDR is faster (often same-day to 2 days), cheaper than repaint work, and best for resale value because the original paint stays untouched. It’s why we quote PDR first whenever the damage qualifies.
When filler and refinishing are correct
Cracked or chipped paint, sharp creases, stretched metal, and dents on panel edges can’t be massaged back invisibly. The proper repair is metal work, a skim of filler for final straightness, then primer, computerized color match, and blended refinish.
Filler has an undeserved bad reputation from shops that use it instead of metal work. Used correctly — thin, over straightened metal — it’s how every manufacturer-approved cosmetic repair is done, and ours carries a lifetime paint warranty.
How we make the call honestly
We assess paint condition, dent depth, and access behind the panel, then price the right path — and when both are viable, you see both numbers. Send photos of the dent and we’ll tell you which repair your panel needs within 24 hours.
