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Not every scratch needs a repaint — and not every scratch can be buffed out. Send photos and get an honest answer about which yours is.
Get a Free QuoteClear coat scratches are the shallow ones — if your fingernail doesn't catch, the scratch usually hasn't broken through the clear. These can often be wet sanded and buffed out without any paint at all.
Base coat scratches catch your nail and show a color change but no metal or plastic. These need localized paint work: the scratch is filled, color applied, and the spot cleared and blended.
Primer-deep or bare-metal scratches show white, gray, or shiny metal. Left alone they corrode, so they should be repaired sooner rather than later. Deep scratches across a large area are where a panel respray becomes the cleaner, better-value fix.
Spot repair makes sense for chips and short scratches away from panel edges. It costs less than a panel respray and is ideal for minor cosmetic fixes — rock chips on the hood's leading edge, a shopping cart nick, a short key mark.
When damage is long, deep, or spread across a panel, spot repairs start to show. At that point a full panel respray ($300–$600) delivers a uniformly finished panel and is usually the better use of money. I'll tell you which one your damage actually needs — quoting the cheaper correct fix is the whole point of a one-person operation.
For most scratch and chip repairs, the cost of the fix is near or below a typical collision deductible — so a claim saves nothing and risks a premium increase. Paying out of pocket for small paint work is almost always the cheaper path. Text photos to (619) 609-7935 and you'll have a number to compare against your deductible the same day.
If the scratch is only in the clear coat (your fingernail doesn't catch on it), it can often be wet sanded and polished out. Scratches that catch your nail have gone through the clear and need paint.
It depends on depth and length. Spot repairs cost less than a full panel respray; if a respray is needed, single panels run $300–$600. Send photos for an exact quote — it's free and takes minutes.
For a tiny stone chip, a careful touch-up pen application protects the metal, but it rarely looks invisible — the paint sits proud of the surface and the color is a generic match. Professional spot repair levels, blends, and clears the repair so it disappears.
Usually not. Most scratch repairs cost near or below a typical deductible, so you'd save nothing and potentially raise your premium. Get a cash quote first and compare.
Text photos of the damage to (619) 609-7935 or use the contact form. Honest quotes, no pressure.
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