Every guide is grounded in real repair work at our Plano shop and technically reviewed by founder Vytas Kucinskas before it carries the reviewed label. Sources and review dates are shown on every page.
Usually yes for visible dents on an otherwise clean vehicle: appraisers deduct reconditioning at retail rates, which typically exceeds the cost of PDR, and a dent-free car photographs and negotiates better.
Photograph every panel the same day, note the storm date and the street where the car was parked, and check glass, lamps, mirrors and seals before worrying about dents.
Act on the watch, not the warning. During a severe thunderstorm watch, move the vehicle to an enclosed parking garage or structured deck you identified in advance.
A finished PDR panel should show no trace of the damage at arm's length in normal light, with a straight reflection running unbroken across the repair. High spots and tool marks are not acceptable and are usually correctable the same day.
Report the claim the same day, get the panels counted under proper lighting before an estimate is written, and choose a shop by its bay capacity rather than its distance from you.
Verify five things before authorizing work: a permanent physical address you could visit, exactly which building your car is repaired in and how it travels there, how the dents will be counted and under what lighting, which panels get paintless repair versus…
Confirm five things: the payee name matches the business you are dealing with, the repair scope is agreed in writing, the shop handles supplements with your name still on the claim, any leftover money returns to you or the insurer, and the…
Know your wear standard before your inspection. Luxury leases are written by the brand's captive finance company, which publishes what counts as normal wear and what is chargeable excess wear, and its document governs — not the dealership.
Sometimes, but usually not when the work is good. Appraisers rely on paint depth gauges, reflections, jamb overspray and fastener condition — checks aimed at filler, paint and replaced panels, none of which paintless repair uses.
Look for documented work on comparable aluminium or composite panels, a fixed facility with controlled LED lighting, and a technician who will walk you through exactly how they would access your dent.
Compare three things, not one: how soon a shop can inspect, when your vehicle actually enters a repair bay, and how many business days it stays there.
Compare the things a shop cannot change on the spot. Ask where the car will physically be repaired and go look at it, ask what lighting the panels are read under, read the written warranty before committing, ask who signs off quality…
Send us photos of the damage or schedule an inspection at the Plano shop — we'll tell you honestly what your vehicle needs, what it should cost, and whether a claim makes sense.
Someone from the team will get back to you. If it is urgent, call (866) 336-8767 and you will reach the Plano shop.
