Dent, Wheel & Scratch Repair Questions, Answered Straight

Almost always. Even minor dings lower a vehicle's resale value by far more than the $50 to $150 it costs to remove them, and PDR restores the panel to factory shape with the original paint intact, so there is nothing to disclose at trade-in.

A technician works the metal back to its original shape from behind the panel, using precision rods and a line-board light that reveals distortions smaller than a fingerprint. No filler, no sanding, no repaint: the factory finish never comes off.

A typical door ding takes one to two hours. Single larger dents are usually same-day. Hail damage across multiple panels can take several days, and you get a realistic timeline with your free estimate before committing.

We would not risk it. Kits occasionally improve large, shallow dents on flat panels, but they routinely stretch metal and crack paint, turning a cheap PDR fix into a body shop respray. Since our estimate is free, have us look before you pull anything.

Dents with cracked or missing paint, sharp creases that have stretched the metal past its limit, and damage on panel edges or braces may need conventional repair. We tell you straight from the photos, free, and we will say so when a body shop is the better answer.

Door dings run $50 to $150, larger single dents $150 to $600, and severe multi-panel damage can exceed $1,000, still well under a body shop repaint of the same panels. Photos through the estimate form get you an exact, free quote.

Yes, if you carry comprehensive coverage (for hail and falling objects) or collision coverage, PDR is covered after your deductible. Because PDR costs less than conventional repair, the bill often lands near or below the deductible on smaller jobs.

Hail falls under comprehensive coverage as a not-at-fault event, and in most cases comprehensive claims do not affect rates the way at-fault collision claims do. Your insurer has the final word, and we document the damage properly either way.

Because an honest read costs us nothing and earns most of our work. You send photos, we tell you the real price and the real timeline, and you decide. No pressure either way.

Properly fixed. The gouged area is reshaped, refinished, and blended to factory texture and color, typically $100 to $250 per wheel. It is a repair, not a touch-up pen.

A properly TIG-welded crack repair on a suitable alloy is safe and lasting. We assess every crack first, weld it in-house, and re-true the wheel, typically $150 to $350. Cracks in certain locations rule out repair, and we tell you when that is the case.

Repair, in most cases. A bent alloy is straightened on professional equipment and re-trued for a fraction of replacement cost, usually in one to three days. Bring just the wheel if the car needs to stay home.

Salt does that, road salt in winter and bay air year-round. Caught at the peeling stage, a strip-and-refinish ($150 to $350 per wheel) stops the corrosion for good. Left alone, it pits the alloy until replacement is the only option.

Most of them, yes. If the scratch has not gone through the color coat, sprayless removal and paint correction restore the finish with no respray, typically $150 to $350, same day. The fingernail test helps: if a nail does not catch, the odds are very good.

For the lightest swirl marks, an over-the-counter polish can help. Anything you can feel, or that shows primer, deserves a professional look first, since aggressive DIY sanding regularly turns a same-day fix into a repaint. Photos get you a free, honest answer.

Machine polishing that removes swirls, oxidation, and micro-scratches to restore depth and gloss. If the paint looks dull or spider-webbed in sunlight, correction brings it back; ceramic coating afterward protects the result for years.

Either shop: 2586 Old Washington Rd in Waldorf (Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-2) or 22576 MacArthur Blvd #295 in California, MD (Mon-Fri 9-5). Same owner, same craft, same guarantee at both.

No, walk-ins are welcome at both shops. Sending photos through the estimate form first gets you an exact price and a reserved slot, which most people prefer.

Same-week is typical, and small dings are often handled the day you call. Send photos and we will give you the first realistic opening at whichever shop suits you.

Three is plenty: one wide shot showing the panel, one close-up of the damage straight-on, and one at an angle so the light reveals the depth. Daylight helps. We reply with a real number, free.

For door dings and small jobs at either shop, usually yes; most take one to two hours. Larger work is drop-off, and we will tell you which yours is with the quote.