Paintless dent repair vs conventional bodywork

A shopping-cart ding, a hail dent, a crease from a garage pillar. Some of these can be massaged out from behind with no paint at all. Others need a traditional repair. Here’s how to tell the difference, and what to ask.

What paintless dent repair is

Paintless dent repair (PDR) pushes or pulls the metal back into shape from behind the panel or with glued tabs on the outside, without sanding or repainting. When it works, the factory paint stays intact, there’s no color to match, and the repair is often quicker than conventional bodywork.

When PDR usually works — and when it doesn’t

• Good candidates: shallow dents and dings where the paint isn’t cracked or chipped, many hail dents, and dents the technician can reach.
• Harder or not possible: cracked or flaking paint, sharp creases, dents on a panel edge or a heavily braced area, previously filled or repainted panels, and some high-strength or aluminum panels.

Only someone looking at the dent can say for sure. A good technician will tell you plainly when a dent isn’t a PDR job.

Conventional dent repair

A traditional repair reshapes the panel, fills and sands it, then primes and repaints — usually blending the new paint into the panels next to it so the color matches in daylight. For deep damage, a panel may be replaced instead. It takes longer and costs more, but it can fix damage that PDR can’t.

In our directory (as of October 28, 2026), 54 shops list paintless dent repair, 62 shops list conventional dent repair and 17 shops list scratch & scuff repair. 21 shops mention an online or photo estimate — handy for a quick first opinion on a small dent.

What to ask

• Can this dent be done paintless, and how close to perfect will it be?
• If not, will you repaint just this panel or blend into the neighbors?
• Is the price for this dent only, or does it include others?
• Is the PDR done here, or by a mobile technician you work with?
• Leasing? Ask whether the repair will pass your lease-return inspection.

Shops offering paintless dent repair · Reading an estimate