Bodywork
What Scratch Repair Costs, by Depth
Scratch repair runs from AED 100 to AED 2,000 per panel, and the range is that wide because a scratch in the clear coat and one through to metal are completely different jobs. Depth sets the price before anything else does.
What this guide covers
The Costs by Depth
| Scratch depth | What it takes | Cost per panel |
|---|---|---|
| Light: clear coat only | Machine polishing to level the clear coat | AED 100 to 250 |
| Medium: into the colour | Touch in, level and blend, or refinish | AED 250 to 600 |
| Deep: primer or bare metal | Fill, prime, paint, clear and blend | AED 700 to 2,000+ |
Establishing which one you have takes seconds with the fingernail test. See how to measure scratch depth.
What Moves the Price Within a Level
The paint finish
A solid colour is the most straightforward to match and blend.
Metallic and pearl finishes contain flake and layered effect coats, and getting them to match in every light is real skill and more work. Expect the higher end of a range.
Three-stage pearls and certain premium finishes are the most demanding of all.
Where the scratch is
A scratch in the middle of a flat door is the easy case.
Across a body line, at a panel edge, or near a complex curve, the paint is thinner and the blending area is awkward, so the work takes longer.
How many panels
A single panel is a single job. Once a scratch crosses onto an adjacent panel, both have to be blended so the repair is invisible in daylight.
That is why a long key scratch down a side costs disproportionately more than its length suggests.
Whether corrosion has started
A deep scratch left for months in this climate can have corrosion under the surrounding paint.
That has to be removed properly before painting, or it comes back through the new paint within a year. It adds cost, and skipping it wastes the whole repair.
This is the strongest argument for dealing with a deep scratch promptly. The repair cost is broadly fixed; what changes is whether corrosion treatment gets added to it.
Insurance: The Arithmetic
For a single scratch this is worth working out rather than assuming.
- Compare the repair against your excess. If the repair is close to or below the excess, a claim achieves nothing.
- Count the no-claims effect. Losing a discount raises your premium for years, and that total is frequently larger than the repair.
- Consider the number of claims. Several small claims affect renewal terms more than one large one.
- Get the repair quoted first. It is difficult to make this decision without a number.
For a light or medium scratch, paying directly is very often the better decision. For accident damage across several panels, insurance is what it is for.
Repair Rather Than Refinish
Not every scratch needs a panel resprayed, and a good bodyshop will say so.
- Machine polishing for clear coat damage. No paint involved.
- Spot repair, refinishing a localised area and blending outward rather than doing the whole panel.
- Panel refinish, where damage is extensive or spread across the panel.
Spot repair is the middle option most owners do not know exists, and on a modern finish done well it is invisible.
Getting an Accurate Quote
A scratch quote needs the car, or at least good photographs in daylight from more than one angle.
Depth, finish type, position and panel count all move the number, and none of them are reliably describable over the phone.
Exotic Auto Services assesses the depth, tells you which level you are at and whether polishing will resolve it. See our bodyshop and paint and scratch repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fix a scratch on a car in Abu Dhabi?
Between AED 100 and AED 2,000 per panel depending on depth. A light scratch in the clear coat that polishes out is AED 100 to AED 250. One through into the colour is AED 250 to AED 600 depending on size. A deep scratch through to primer or bare metal is AED 700 to AED 2,000 or more.
Why do metallic paint repairs cost more?
Because matching and blending them is genuinely skilled work. Metallic and pearl finishes contain flake and layered effect coats that have to look right in every light and from every angle, which takes longer and requires more blending into the surrounding panel than a solid colour does.
Should I claim on insurance for a scratch?
Work out the arithmetic first. Compare the repair against your excess, and count what losing a no-claims discount adds to your premium over the following years. For a light or medium scratch, paying directly is very often cheaper overall. For damage across several panels, insurance is what it is for.
Does the whole panel need respraying for one scratch?
Usually not. Clear coat damage polishes out with no paint at all, and localised damage can often be spot repaired by refinishing a small area and blending outward. A full panel refinish is only needed where the damage is extensive or spread across the panel.
Does leaving a deep scratch make the repair more expensive?
It can. Once the primer is breached the metal is exposed, and in this humid coastal climate corrosion starts at that line and spreads under the surrounding paint. That corrosion has to be removed properly before painting or it comes back through the new paint, which adds cost to an otherwise fixed job.
