PDR repair makes sense when the panel can technically be restored without painting and its cost is clearly lower than the full cost of replacement. Consider replacement when the paint is damaged, the metal is stretched or when the repair costs as much as a new part with painting and labour. Make the decision separately for each panel, not for the whole car.
Two questions, in this order
Break every “repair or replace” decision into two questions and always ask them in the same order:
- Can the panel be repaired technically? If not, the economic calculation is irrelevant.
- Is the repair worth it? Only when the answer to the first question is “yes” do you compare costs.
Mixing up these questions is the most common mistake. A panel that is cheap to repair but has cracked paint will end up in the paint shop anyway, while a panel that is expensive to repair but has a perfect finish may be worth repairing if the customer cares about the original paint.
Technical criteria — when PDR is ruled out
Paintless repair consists of pushing the dent out from behind or pulling it from the outside without damaging the finish. It works as long as the paint and the metal can take it. Check on each panel:
- Paint condition. Cracks, chips and micro-cracks at the point of impact usually mean painting, and then the advantage of PDR disappears.
- Stretched metal. Sharp, deep dents with stretched metal may not return to shape without leaving a trace.
- Location of the dents. Edges, body lines and areas near reinforcements are harder or inaccessible.
- Access from behind. If the dent cannot be reached without extensive disassembly, the cost goes up, and so does the risk of additional damage.
- Material. Aluminium is harder to work than steel and requires more labour.
- Previous repairs. Filler or a thick layer of paint from a previous repair can rule out PDR on that area.
Record the technical assessment against the panel, together with a photo. It is what later justifies why a given panel was replaced rather than repaired. More on the method itself and its limitations in the article what is paintless dent repair.
Economic criteria — compare the full costs
When a panel is suitable for PDR, you compare two options. The key is to compare the whole picture, not selected items.
| Option | What you include |
|---|---|
| PDR repair | The dents on the panel according to the price list (size, material), removals needed for access, any local paintwork. |
| Panel replacement | The value of the part, replacement labour, painting the new part, blending into the adjacent panels. |
The most common trap is comparing the repair cost with the price of the part alone. A new bonnet or wing usually arrives in primer, so it has to be painted, and the adjacent panels have to be blended so that the colour does not stand out. Only the sum of these items is the real cost of replacement.
On the PDR side, remember dent size. Dents ≤40 mm are charged within the flat rate, but for larger ones — 41–70 mm and above 70 mm — a surcharge per dent is added. A panel with a few large dents can cost more than a panel with many small ones.
It is worth reading the result of the comparison in three categories:
- Repair worthwhile — PDR clearly cheaper than replacement.
- Borderline — similar costs; non-price factors decide.
- Consider replacement — PDR repair more expensive than replacement.
The repair vs replacement comparison in WE-PDR shows this status for each panel separately, and the replacement cost is made up of the part value, labour and paint entered according to your workshop's standards.
Non-price factors at the borderline
When the costs are similar, the numbers do not settle it. Then you take into account:
- Original paint. PDR preserves it. Replacement with painting leaves a trace in the finish that a car buyer can detect with a paint thickness gauge.
- Time. Replacement requires ordering parts, and in hail season availability is often limited. PDR repair usually does not wait for a delivery.
- Technical risk. A repair at the limit of what the technique can do may end in rework. Replacement gives a predictable result.
- Expectations of the customer and the insurer. In a comprehensive cover claim, the scope and method of repair are often subject to agreement with the insurer — check what the policy provides.
Note in the comments why you chose a given option for a borderline panel. It shortens the conversation when someone asks a few weeks later.
How the decision on a panel affects the whole claim
You make decisions panel by panel, but their effects add up at the level of the car. A few replacements with painting can push the whole estimate towards the total loss threshold. Conversely, swapping an expensive repair for a cheaper replacement of a small panel sometimes lowers the total enough for repairing the car to make sense again.
That is why, after every change of method on a panel, take a look at the repair cost as a percentage of the vehicle's value. In the WE-PDR default thresholds, the 61–69% band means high risk, and the total loss zone starts at 70%. Remember that these are working thresholds — the binding threshold is set by the policy. We cover this in more detail in the article total loss after hail.
Step-by-step procedure
- Assess the panel technically: paint, stretching, dent location, access, material.
- If PDR is ruled out — mark the panel for replacement and describe the reason.
- If PDR is possible — enter the dents broken down by size and material.
- Add the removals needed for the repair.
- Calculate the full cost of replacement: part, labour, paint, blending.
- Compare the options and read the status: worthwhile, borderline, consider replacement.
- At the borderline, decide based on non-price factors and record the justification.
- Check how the change has affected the damage percentage for the whole vehicle.
A decision you can defend
The best decision is one you can show on paper. A list of panels marking what is being repaired, what is being replaced, removed and painted, plus photos of the damage, closes most discussions with the customer and the claims handler.
In WE-PDR, the result of the comparison goes into the panel summary and the PDF documents, so the customer and the insurer get the same analysis on which you based the estimate. If you are building an estimate from scratch, start with the article how to estimate hail damage step by step.