Paintless Dent Repair Questions, Answered by Our Riviera Beach Shop
This paintless dent repair FAQ for Palm Beach County covers cost, the repair process, insurance and what PDR can fix. For a clear answer on your car, book a free estimate at the shop; photos sent ahead give Juan Bacchetta a first look.
Cost factors
What Paintless Dent Repair Cost Depends On
Paintless dent repair cost depends on the dent itself, so PDR 360 sets it at the free estimate rather than posting a number. Juan gives that estimate in person at the shop, after seeing the dent.
Seven things change the work, and Juan checks each one:
- Size: a small ding and a hand-sized dent need very different amounts of metal work.
- Depth: shallow dents release in a few passes, while deep ones take many small, careful moves.
- Location on the panel: a flat area is easiest, and a body line or panel edge is harder.
- Steel or aluminum: aluminum takes more skill and more time than steel.
- Number of dents: one ding is a short job, and a panel covered in hail dents is a long one.
- Access behind the panel: a clear path lets rods do the work, and no access means glue tabs from the front.
- Paint condition: Juan checks the paint at the estimate, and cracked or chipped paint does not rule a car out.
How much does paintless dent repair cost?
It depends on the dent, and PDR 360 sets the amount at a free estimate instead of posting a figure online. Juan looks at size, depth, location, metal, number of dents, access behind the panel and paint condition, then explains what the repair involves. The estimate is done in person at the shop, so get a free estimate to book a time.
What affects the cost of dent repair?
Mostly the dent's size and depth and where it sits on the panel. Steel versus aluminum, the number of dents and whether a tool can reach behind them also matter. Paint condition also matters, and Juan checks it at the estimate. Get a free estimate to see how these apply to your car. If a claim is involved, read about insurance claims.
How much does it cost to fix a small dent?
A small dent is not automatically a simple one, so the cost depends on more than size. A shallow, round dent in the flat of a door is one job. The same size dent on a body line, a panel edge or an aluminum panel takes more skill and time. Juan judges that at the estimate, so get a free estimate before you decide.
Why does PDR 360 give an estimate instead of listing repair costs online?
Because two dents that look alike at a glance can need very different work. A number posted online would be a guess about your car. Juan has to see the paint, the depth, the metal and the access behind the panel, which is why the estimate happens at the shop. Get a free estimate to book a visit.
How it works
How Does PDR Work? Process and Timing
PDR moves the dented metal back to its original shape without repainting it. Juan reads the dent on an LED line board, then presses it out from behind the panel with rods. When there is no way in, glue tabs pull it from the front.
Timing depends on the damage. Juan gives you the timeframe at the inspection, after seeing the dents.
What happens to my dent during a PDR appointment?
Juan checks the paint first, then reads the dent under an LED line board, which shows it as a bend in the reflected lines. You get the estimate and timeframe. Rods press the metal back from behind, or glue tabs pull from the front, until the lines run straight. The full method is on the paintless dent repair page.
How long does paintless dent repair take?
It depends on the damage, and Juan gives the timeframe at the inspection. One shallow ding is a much shorter job than a panel with many dents or a car with hail damage. Aluminum panels and dents on body lines also take longer. Because nothing is painted or filled, there is no paint or filler to cure afterward. Get a free estimate to learn the timeframe for your car.
Does a paintless repair last, or can the dent come back?
PDR reshapes the original metal instead of covering the dent, so there is no filler or new paint that could later shrink, crack or mismatch. A new impact can dent the panel again, as it can any panel. Stretched or sharply creased metal takes more time and skill, which is why Juan checks for it at the estimate.
What PDR can fix
Does Paintless Dent Repair Work? What It Can Fix
Yes. It works on most dings and dents, on metal panels and plastic bumpers alike. Sharp creases and stretched metal take more time and skill. Juan checks three things on each dent: the paint, the shape of the dent and whether a tool can reach it.
PDR 360 does not paint, fill or replace panels. Juan looks at every dent at the free estimate and explains the options before any work starts.
- Can fix: door dings, shopping cart dents, hail dents and dents of most sizes and shapes, including deep or sharp ones and dents near a body line, when a tool can reach them.
- Can fix: metal panels a tool can reach, including many panels beside the bumper.
- Can fix: dents in plastic bumpers and bumper covers.
What is paintless dent repair?
Paintless dent repair, or PDR, removes a dent by reshaping the metal instead of repainting it. Juan works the panel back to its original contour with rods from behind, or glue tabs from the front. The factory paint stays. There is no filler, sanding or color match. Read more about paintless dent repair.
Which small dents can paintless dent repair fix?
Dents of all sizes and shapes can be a fit when there is access: door dings, shopping cart dents, hail dents, deep dents and dents beside a body line. Access behind the panel decides whether rods or glue tabs do the work. Hoods, fenders, the metal panels around bumpers and plastic bumper covers are all jobs the shop takes. See bumper, hood and fender dent repair.
Can PDR fix a dent where the paint is cracked or chipped?
Cracked or chipped paint does not rule your car out, so bring it to the shop. Juan looks at the dent and the paint at the free estimate and explains the options before any work starts. PDR 360 does not paint, fill or replace panels. See when a dent needs body work.
Is paintless dent repair worth it?
Yes, when the dent qualifies. Because the factory paint stays, there is no repaint, filler or color match for a buyer or inspector to find. It also usually avoids the driver-assistance (ADAS) sensor recalibration that a repaint or panel replacement can trigger. If a dent does not qualify, the free estimate tells you before you spend anything. For more on protecting your car's value, read our dent repair tips and news.
Insurance
Insurance Claims and Coverage
Whether insurance pays for paintless dent repair depends on your policy and on how the damage happened. Hail and many other dent claims fall under comprehensive coverage, which in most policies does not depend on who was at fault.
Ask your insurer how a claim would affect your policy before you file. The answers below explain what PDR 360 can prepare for you to submit.
Does insurance cover dent repair?
Sometimes. Hail damage and many other dent claims fall under comprehensive coverage in most policies. Coverage and your deductible still depend on your policy and how the damage happened. PDR 360 can prepare an estimate for you to submit to your insurer. For hail, see hail damage repair, and for the claims process see insurance claims.
Does insurance cover door dings?
It depends on your policy and how the damage happened. Coverage and any deductible can differ between hail damage and a ding from another car's door. Some owners get the free estimate first, then ask their insurer how a claim would work before deciding whether to file. See door ding repair.
Getting here
Location, Hours and Appointments
PDR 360 is a paintless dent repair shop in Riviera Beach with one location, and every visit is by appointment. Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. By appointment only.
Call 561-701-3318 to book a visit. Customers drive to the shop from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Every answer on this page assumes the same steps: you book a time, bring the vehicle in, and get the estimate and the repair at the shop.
Where is the PDR 360 shop located?
PDR 360 is in Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, at 8049 Monetary Drive, Suite C-1, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. It is the only PDR 360 shop, so every estimate and repair happens at this one address. Customers drive here from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and every visit is by appointment. See hours and location for directions, or the areas we serve.
Do I need an appointment, and what are your hours?
Yes. Book before you drive over, because visits are by appointment only. Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. By appointment only. Call 561-701-3318 to set a time, or send the form with a few photos and the shop follows up to book one. The estimate is free and done in person at the shop. Get a free estimate to begin.
Why is PDR 360 shop-based?
Because dent repair depends on conditions a shop controls. The LED line board needs steady light, and Juan needs the full tool set within reach. South Florida sun, wind and afternoon rain make panels harder to read and to work on outdoors. You bring the vehicle to Riviera Beach by appointment, and the work is done there. See hours and location.
What we repair
Cars, Trucks, Teslas, Luxury Cars and Motorcycles
Vehicle dent repair at PDR 360 covers cars, trucks and SUVs, Tesla and other EVs, luxury cars, and motorcycle gas tanks and fenders. The first step is the same for all of them: Juan looks at the dent at the free estimate. You can meet Juan before you book.
Juan checks panel material and access at the estimate, because aluminum, tight body lines and curved tanks each change the work.
Does paintless dent repair work on aluminum panels?
Yes, aluminum is repairable without repainting. It asks more of Juan than steel, in both skill and time, so the estimate accounts for both. Many Tesla body panels are aluminum, but the material varies by model and panel, so Juan identifies it at the inspection. As on steel, access behind the panel decides whether rods or glue tabs do the work. See Tesla and aluminum dent repair.
Can PDR fix a dent on a BMW or Mercedes?
Yes, and Juan checks the panel and the paint at the free estimate. The method is the same as on any car, and avoiding a repaint matters on a BMW or Mercedes. Some models use aluminum panels, and newer ones carry driver-assistance sensors. PDR usually avoids the recalibration that a repaint or panel replacement can trigger. See luxury and exotic car dent repair.
Can a dent in a motorcycle gas tank be repaired?
Often, yes. A steel or aluminum tank can qualify for repair without repainting, and the same goes for metal fenders. The curved shape limits access. At the estimate, Juan decides whether a tool can reach behind the dent or glue tabs must pull it from the outside. See motorcycle gas tank dent repair.
Still Have Questions?
If your question is not answered here, call 561-701-3318 or ask it in the free estimate form, with photos if you have them. See hours and location before you visit. Before you drive over, get directions to the Riviera Beach shop.
- 5.0 from 335 Google reviews
- Nearly 30 years of paintless dent repair
- Free estimate at the shop
- Every repair done in house at our shop