How Long Does SMART Repair Take? Per-Job Turnaround Times Explained

A single-panel scratch repair — anything from a keyed line to a car park scuff that hasn't gone through to bare metal — typically takes 1 to 2 hours.

The process involves:

• Panel prep and decontamination (15–20 min)
• Cut-back and feathering of the damaged edge (15–30 min)
• Primer application and spot drying where needed (20–30 min)
• Computer-matched colour coat application in layers (20–40 min)
• Lacquer coat and infrared lamp curing (20–30 min)
• Cut and polish to blend into the surrounding paint (10–20 min)

Scratches that have penetrated to bare metal take slightly longer because a full primer build-up is needed before colour. Deep scratches across a panel join (e.g. crossing a door crease) may require a blend into the adjacent panel, adding 30–60 minutes.

Paintless dent removal (PDR) is the fastest repair type when the paint is undamaged. Small parking dents and hail damage can be massaged out in 1 to 1.5 hours. Larger dents — a football-sized crease or a deeper impact — can take up to 3 hours.

What affects PDR time:

• Dent location. Panel edges and body lines are harder to access with PDR rods and take longer.
• Steel vs aluminium. Aluminium panels (common on Audi, BMW, Ford) are more elastic but less forgiving — they require more careful manipulation.
• Depth of the dent. Shallow, round dents are quickest. Sharp crease dents require multiple passes and significantly more time.

If the paint has cracked or flaked at the dent site, PDR alone won't achieve a perfect finish — the technician will add a paint repair step, which pushes the total time to the scratch repair range above.

Bumper repairs take longer because bumpers are made from flexible plastic that needs its own preparation chemistry, and because bumpers have complex shapes and often deep colour-matched finishes.

• Minor scuff (no paint loss): 1.5 – 2.5 hours
• Scrape with paint loss: 2 – 3 hours
• Cracked bumper (repairable crack, not structural): 3 – 4 hours

Bumpers with parking sensors or cameras require careful masking and may take a little longer to avoid contaminating sensor housings. Split bumper corners that have separated from the mounting clips add time for realignment before painting can begin.

Alloy wheel restoration for kerbing damage — the most common type — takes 1 to 2 hours per wheel. A full set of four wheels is therefore a 4–8 hour job, usually done in a single day at your home.

The steps:

• Wheel removal and tyre protection (15 min)
• Sanding and filling of kerb rash to restore the rim profile (30–60 min)
• Primer application (15 min)
• Colour-matched paint (15–20 min per coat, two coats)
• Lacquer and cure (20 min)
• Refit to vehicle (10 min)

Diamond-cut alloys — those with a machined face and colour backing — require off-site lathe machining and cannot be done as a mobile repair. Your technician will advise at quote stage if your wheels are diamond-cut.

Drivers preparing for a lease return often have multiple areas to address: a scuffed bumper, two alloy wheels, a door ding and a scratch on a rear quarter. Individually these might total 8–10 hours of work.

DentDash handles full pre-handback packages in a single day — the vehicle is collected in the morning and returned in the afternoon with a full photographic record of the completed work. This is particularly important for drivers whose lease company uses BVRLA inspection guidelines, where undocumented repair evidence can be questioned.

Book at least 2–3 weeks before your handback date. Inspectors are notoriously unsympathetic to last-minute bookings where repairs haven't had time to fully cure.

SMART repair is weather-sensitive to a degree — not for dent removal, but for paint work. Cold temperatures below 5°C slow lacquer curing, and heavy rain prevents outdoor panel work. DentDash works from a covered, controlled environment where possible, but it's worth noting if you're booking in December or January.

Complex paint codes — tri-coat pearls, special-order colours, older cars where the paint has faded slightly — can require extended blending time to achieve an invisible match. Your technician will flag this at quote stage.