HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

How to hire a car body repairer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No law licenses body repairers. Here is how to compare quotes, ask about colour matching and check the finished panel.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a car body repairer in five steps

  1. Photograph the damageClose-up and from a distance, in daylight, so quotes can be compared fairly.
  2. Ask repair or replaceA smart repair, a filled and painted panel, or a new panel — each priced.
  3. Ask about blendingMatching paint often means blending into the next panel; it should be in the quote.
  4. Get the quote in writingPanels, method, paint and lacquer, parts and VAT, and the time needed.
  5. Inspect in daylightColour match, no runs or dust, clean edges and gaps — before you pay.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

None of the four UK nations licenses car body repairers or keeps a register of them. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the repair to be carried out with reasonable care and skill, which includes a reasonable colour match and finish.

Get the repair method and price in writing, panel by panel. citizensadvice.org.uk →

The Motor Ombudsman accreditation

No law requires it, but a business accredited to The Motor Ombudsman's Service and Repair Code has agreed to let the Ombudsman settle disputes. For a car body repairer, that means an independent decision if you cannot agree, after the business has had eight weeks to reply.

Check the name on The Motor Ombudsman's Garage Finder; the logo alone proves nothing. businesses.themotorombudsman.org →

A price agreed before the work

Agree the price for the car body repairer in writing before anything is taken apart. If no price was fixed, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 only obliges you to pay a reasonable one, and Citizens Advice says a bodyshop may keep the vehicle while a bill is disputed but may not sell it.

Get the figure in a message, and ask to be called before any extra work. citizensadvice.org.uk →

VAT

Bodywork repair and paint are standard-rated at 20%. Among car body repairers, any with taxable turnover above £90,000 must be registered, add the VAT and show it apart from the net figure.

Ask the bodyshop for its VAT number and for the 20% under panels, paint and labour. gov.uk →

“Will you repair the panel or replace it?”

A good answer: The method and why, with prices. Replacing a panel is not always better.

“How will you match my car's paint colour?”

A good answer: The paint code from the car, mixed to match, and a spray-out test card.

“Will you blend into the neighbouring panels?”

A good answer: An honest answer — blending is often needed for an invisible repair, especially on metallics.

“Will the bodywork repair include lacquer and polish?”

A good answer: Yes, a full clear coat and a finish polish.

“Are parking sensors or cameras on the panel?”

A good answer: If so, how they will be refitted and checked.

“What guarantee comes with the paintwork?”

A good answer: In writing, covering peeling, fading and colour match.

“How long will the car body repair take?”

A good answer: Hours for a smart repair, days for a panel.

Getting the quote right

  • Each panel listed, with repair or replace stated
  • Preparation, paint and lacquer included
  • Blending into adjoining panels, if needed
  • Parts (new panels, clips, trims, sensors) itemised
  • The bodyshop's VAT number, with VAT on its own line
  • The paintwork guarantee and the time needed
  • Who actually attends to the panels and paint: the bodyshop's staff, employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • A price over the phone with no look at the damage
  • No mention of blending on a metallic colour
  • Overspray on trims, glass or tyres
  • No guarantee on the paint
  • Cash for a discount, no invoice
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£400
HIGH
£1,800

What a car body repairer costs: £150–£1,800 per panel

Bodywork is quoted per panel or per repair — preparation, paint and lacquer, any blending into the next panel, and parts if a panel is replaced. Car Bodywork Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Car body repairers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. AssessDamage inspected, method chosen, paint code taken.
  2. PrepareDents worked out or filled, panel sanded and primed, surrounding areas masked.
  3. PaintBase colour applied and blended where needed.
  4. Lacquer and cureClear coat applied and baked or dried.
  5. FinishFlatted and polished, trims and sensors refitted, the car cleaned.

Smart repair
A small, local repair to one area rather than the whole panel.
Blending
Fading new paint into the next panel so the colour difference is invisible.
Paint code
The maker's code for your car's exact colour.
Lacquer (clear coat)
The clear protective top layer over the colour.
Overspray
Paint mist landing where it should not.
Panel gap
The space between panels; uneven gaps can mean poor fitting.

AFTER

When the job is done

Inspect in daylightWalk round the car: colour, gloss, panel gaps, overspray. Raise anything before you drive off.
Follow the aftercareFresh paint may need time before polishing, waxing or a pressure wash; ask how long.
Keep the invoice and guaranteePanels, method and the paintwork guarantee in writing.
Tell others how it wentA short, specific review is the most useful kind. If it went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Tell the repairer, in writingDescribe the problem with the bodywork, with daylight photos, and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the repair must be done with reasonable care and skill, and redone at their cost if not.
STEP 2Make-it-right, then reviewA rating below four stars for this car body repairer opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the bodyshop hears about it first, we chase it, and the review follows.
STEP 3Escalate itAn accredited business can be taken to The Motor Ombudsman after eight weeks without a fix. For a bodyshop outside the scheme, the consumer helpline hears the car body repairer complaint and can refer it to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4The court, as a last stepFor a car body repairer dispute that will not settle, the small claims route covers up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland; the court fee depends on the amount claimed.

Hiring a car body repairer: questions people ask

No. No UK nation licenses body repairers or bodyshops. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the work to be done with reasonable care and skill.

An itemised invoice and a written paintwork guarantee. There is no certificate.

A good repairer mixes to the paint code and blends into neighbouring panels so the difference does not show; older paint may have faded, which is why blending matters.

Usually £150–£1,800 per panel, with £400 as a typical figure. See the car bodywork repair price guide for what pushes a price up or down, and search above for car body repairers in your area.

That is your choice; compare the repair price with your excess and the effect on your no-claims discount.

Tell the repairer in writing with photos. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can require the work to be redone at their cost or a price reduction.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in vehicles & transport

How to hire: Car Scratch RepairHow to hire: Dent RemovalHow to hire: Car ResprayHow to hire: Alloy Wheel RefurbishmentHow to hire: Car WrappingHow to hire: Car DetailingHow to hire: Windscreen ReplacementHow to hire: Ceramic CoatingAll 701 hiring guides →

Car body repairers near you

Car body repairers in LondonCar body repairers in ManchesterCar body repairers in BirminghamCar body repairers in GlasgowCar body repairers in BelfastAll car body repairers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Citizens Advice — problems with a car repair
  2. The Motor Ombudsman — Garage Finder
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  5. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  6. nidirect — small claims process
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register