The short answer
Small door dings typically run about $75–$200, mid-size dents $150–$450, and large or complex panel work $400 and up at DFW-area specialty shops, with severe single-panel damage running $2,000 to $3,000 or more, based on DentPicks' own quoting history; full-vehicle hail repair is usually priced per panel and commonly paid by comprehensive insurance. Price depends on dent size, depth, location, panel material, and access — which is why photo quotes are estimates until a technician sees the dent in person.
Written by the DentPicks Editorial Team
Technically reviewed by Vytas Kucinskas, Founder & Master PDR Technician
Published: Aug 19, 2026 · Last reviewed: Aug 19, 2026 · 8 min read
Search "PDR cost" and you'll find numbers ranging from $50 to $1,000 for what sounds like the same dent. Most of those figures are copied from site to site with no source behind them. This guide takes a different approach: the ranges below are what DentPicks actually quotes at our Plano shop, and the rest of the article explains the five factors that decide where inside a range your dent lands — so a quote makes sense instead of feeling like a number pulled from the air.
DentPicks' quoting ranges — our numbers, not industry statistics
One thing to be clear about up front: the table below reflects DentPicks' own quoting ranges from our Plano shop's history. These are not industry statistics or survey averages, and another shop's pricing structure may differ. They are, however, real numbers a real shop quotes, which makes them a more honest starting point than an anonymous national "average."
| Repair type | Typical DentPicks range | What usually falls here |
|---|---|---|
| Small door ding | ~$75 – $200 | Coin-size dings from doors and shopping carts, shallow, away from edges — often a same-day repair |
| Mid-size dent | ~$150 – $450 | Golf-ball to fist-size dents, soft creases, dents needing some trim removal for access |
| Large / complex dent | $400 and up | Big or deep dents, sharp creases, body-line damage, aluminum panels, difficult access |
| Severe single-panel damage | $2,000 – $3,000+ | The top of the range is open-ended. Deep or very wide damage, multiple creases on one panel, or heavy access work can reach this level |
| Full-vehicle hail | Priced per panel | Dozens to hundreds of dents; usually an insurance-paid comprehensive claim rather than a cash job |
Multi-dent cash jobs usually don't price as "first dent × number of dents" — once a technician has a panel open and lighting set, additional dents on the same panel cost less than the first one. That's worth asking about if your car collected several dings over time.
The five things that set the price
Every PDR quote is an estimate of one thing: how long a skilled technician will spend on your panel. These five factors drive that time, and therefore the price:
| Cost driver | What it means | How it moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Size | The dent's diameter | Bigger dents mean more metal to move and more pushes to move it — the biggest single factor |
| 2. Depth | How far the metal is displaced | Deep dents stretch metal; working stretched metal back takes disproportionately longer than shallow damage of the same width |
| 3. Location | Where on the panel it sits | Dents on body lines, panel edges, or over bracing demand slower, more precise work than open, flat metal |
| 4. Panel material | Steel vs. aluminum | Aluminum is stiffer, has less shape memory, and work-hardens, so aluminum panels take more time and usually cost more |
| 5. Access | How the technician reaches the back | A dent needing headliner or trim removal carries setup labor a wide-open panel doesn't |
Why two identical-size dents get different prices
This is the question behind most sticker shock: your neighbor paid $125 for a quarter-size ding, and you were quoted three times that for a dent the same size. Both quotes can be right, because size is only one driver of five.
Picture two quarter-size dents. The first sits in the middle of a steel door skin: shallow, round, easy rod access through the window opening. That's the bottom of the range. The second is on the sharp body line of an aluminum fender, deep enough to stretch the metal, with a brace directly behind it. Same diameter — but the second dent involves harder material, a crease through a styling line the eye catches instantly, and glue-pull work from the front where no rod can reach. That repair can honestly cost more than a dent twice its size in an easy spot. When a quote seems high for a "small" dent, one of these hidden multipliers is almost always the reason, and a good shop will point to it specifically.
Photo quote vs. in-person estimate
At DentPicks, quotes are usually verbal, based on photos, and back to you in about 30 minutes. For most dents that's all it takes: a few clear pictures show the size, the location, and whether paint damage is visible. If you want a number today, photos are the fastest path — a couple of wide shots to show which panel, close-ups from an angle (dents read better in raking light than head-on), and a coin next to the dent for scale.
What photos can't always capture is depth, paint condition under glare, and what's behind the panel — the exact factors that decide where in a range the final price lands. So treat a photo quote as a reliable range and an in-person look under proper lighting as the firm number. If the dent turns out to need more than PDR — cracked paint or badly stretched metal — an honest shop tells you that at inspection, not after starting. Our Plano dent repair team handles both the photo quote and the in-shop confirmation, and the inspection is free.
When insurance makes cash pricing irrelevant
Everything above concerns cash repairs — one dent, one panel, out of pocket. Full-vehicle hail damage plays by different rules. Hail falls under the comprehensive portion of your auto policy, repairs are estimated per panel from a full dent count, and totals commonly reach thousands of dollars — numbers that stop mattering to you personally once a claim is approved, because your real cost is your deductible. DentPicks waives your deductible up to $1,000 on many approved hail claims, so many customers pay nothing out of pocket.
You file the claim with your insurer; we walk alongside you through everything around it — documentation photos, meeting the adjuster, supplements when covered damage was missed, and the paperwork in between. So the practical rule: price-shop cash repairs, but for hail damage, start with the claim question first. Coverage depends on the language of your policy, and your insurer or licensed agent can confirm your specific coverage — our Texas hail insurance and deductible guide walks through how the claim math works.
Getting a number you can act on
The short version: photograph the dent, send the photos, and expect a verbal range in about half an hour. Ask any shop three things — where in the range they expect your dent to land and why, whether the panel is steel or aluminum, and what happens to the price if they find something unexpected once the panel is open. A specialist answers all three without hesitation. And keep the comparison honest: for the same PDR-suitable dent, the alternative is body-shop refinishing at several times the price — a trade-off covered in detail in our PDR vs. body shop guide.
Common questions about PDR pricing
Is PDR cheaper than a body shop?
For dents PDR can fix, usually yes — often by a wide margin, because PDR has no materials cost: no filler, primer, paint, or replacement panel, just skilled labor. The comparison flips when damage genuinely needs refinishing or panel replacement; then a body shop isn't the expensive option, it's the correct one.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. Photo quotes are free and usually verbal — send pictures and you'll typically hear back in about 30 minutes. In-person inspections at the Plano shop are free as well, and there's no obligation attached to either.
Why did I get a range instead of an exact price?
Because photos can't show depth, paint condition, or what's behind the panel. A range from photos reflects that honestly; the number firms up when a technician sees the dent under proper lighting. Be more cautious about a shop that promises an exact price sight unseen than one that quotes a range.
Will insurance pay for a single door ding?
Usually it's not worth claiming: a door ding often costs less than a typical deductible, and dings from contact are a different coverage question than weather damage. Most customers pay cash for single dings and use insurance for hail. Coverage depends on the language of your policy — your insurer or licensed agent can confirm your specifics.
Can the price change after the work starts?
It can if the panel reveals something photos didn't show — old body filler, a prior repaint, or damage on a brace. The professional standard is to stop and talk to you before the scope changes, not surprise you at pickup. Ask how a shop handles discoveries before you book; the answer says a lot.
Sources and methodology
- Automobile insurance guide — Texas Department of Insurance.
Cost and timing figures labeled as DentPicks figures come from the shop's own quoting and repair history in Plano, TX, and are ranges, not promises.
Want a real number for your dent?
Send photos — quotes are usually verbal, from photos, in about 30 minutes. No obligation.