What Does Body Work Cost in Yonkers?

How much do body shops charge?

Body shops charge for three things, and the estimate lists each one: parts (new, aftermarket or used, at the price for your exact model), labor (hours for each operation: removing, repairing or replacing, and reinstalling), and paint and materials (by the panel, including neighboring panels blended for a color match). Structural work, sensor calibration and hazardous-waste fees can appear as their own lines.

What does a body shop charge per hour?

Each shop sets its own labor rates, often separate rates for body, paint, frame and mechanical work. The hours for each job come from industry estimating guides, so the same repair takes a similar number of hours on any shop's estimate; the rate per hour is what differs. Ask any shop for its rates and they should tell you. In New York, a body shop's estimate has to show the hourly labor charge and how the hours were worked out; body work can't be priced at a flat job rate (NYS DMV, 15 NYCRR 82.8).

How much is a dent repair?

The price of a dent depends mostly on whether the paint is broken. A dent with intact paint can often come out with paintless dent repair, which is usually the cheaper route because there is nothing to fill, prime or paint. A dent with cracked paint, a sharp crease, or stretched metal needs bodywork and refinishing, and the panel next to it may be blended. Size, depth, position on a body line or edge, aluminum versus steel, and how hard the back of the dent is to reach all move the price. See dent repair & PDR.

Is it worth fixing a small dent on a car?

If the paint is cracked or chipped, yes, and soon: bare metal starts to rust, and rust under paint turns a small job into a bigger one. If the paint is intact, it's a judgment call on looks and resale value, and paintless repair keeps the factory finish.

How much does it cost to fix a scratch on a car?

It depends on how deep the scratch goes. A scratch only in the clear coat can often be polished out. A scratch into the color, or down to primer or metal, needs the panel refinished, and painting is priced by the panel, not by the inch of scratch.

What is the cheapest way to fix a scratch on a car?

For a clear-coat scratch, machine polishing. For a small chip down to metal, touch-up paint keeps rust out until it's refinished. For a scratch you can catch a fingernail in, there is no polish that fixes it; it needs paint.

Can I repair a scratch on my car myself?

Light clear-coat scratches, often yes, with a polishing compound used gently. Deeper scratches usually look worse after home repair, because matching color, texture and shine with a spray can is hard, and aggressive rubbing cuts through the clear coat around the scratch.

How much does it cost to fix a bumper?

A scuffed or lightly cracked bumper cover can usually be repaired and repainted. A torn cover, several broken mounting tabs, or damage around sensors usually means a new cover, which is then painted to match. The price also depends on what's behind it: the foam absorber, the reinforcement bar, brackets, and parking sensors or radar that may need calibration. See bumper repair.

Is bumper replacement worth it?

When the cover is torn, the tabs are broken, or a sensor sits in the damaged area, replacement is usually the right repair, because a weak repair there can let the bumper sag or the sensor misread. For scuffs and small cracks away from mounting points, repair is usually the better value.

Will insurance pay for a new bumper?

If the damage is covered and the bumper can't be properly repaired, the estimate includes a replacement. The insurer may specify a new carmaker part, an aftermarket part or a used part depending on your policy and the law; see OEM vs. aftermarket parts.

How much does it cost to paint a car?

A panel or two is priced by the panel; a full repaint is priced by how much prep the car needs. What moves the price: how many panels, how much dent and rust repair comes first, whether trim, handles and lights come off (they should for a clean job), the color type (solid, metallic, pearl or three-stage), and whether door jambs and inside edges get painted too. Cheap paint jobs save money by skipping prep and masking instead of removing parts. See car painting & scratch repair.

How long does a car paint job last?

A refinish done with proper prep, primer, basecoat and clear coat is meant to last as long as the factory paint around it, with the same care: regular washing and keeping bird droppings, sap and salt off it. Paint that peels or fades early usually had poor prep or too little clear coat.

How much does collision repair cost?

Collision repairs vary the most, because the hidden damage decides the bill. A rear-end hit can be a bumper cover, or it can be a bumper cover plus a bent reinforcement bar, a crushed trunk floor and a recalibrated radar. That's why the first estimate is often followed by a supplement once the car is taken apart. See collision repair.

What's the most expensive thing to repair on a car after an accident?

Structural damage and airbag deployment are usually the costliest parts of a collision repair: structure takes measuring, pulling and sometimes replacing welded sections, and a deployed airbag means new airbags, sensors and often seat belts and trim. Driver-assist cameras and radar add parts and calibration.

Is it more expensive to repair a Tesla, BMW or Mercedes?

Usually, yes. Parts cost more, many panels are aluminum, which needs separate tools and training, the carmaker's repair procedures require specific steps and equipment, and more sensors need calibration after the repair.

Should you pay yourself or use insurance?

If the repair costs less than your deductible, insurance won't pay anything on your own policy. If the other driver caused it, their insurer pays with no deductible. In between, weigh the repair cost against your deductible and the chance of a rate increase. See should you file a claim for a small accident and what a deductible is.

Before you agree to an estimate