Paintless Dent Repair

Paintless dent repair (PDR) removes minor dents, door dings, and hail damage from vehicles without traditional bodywork, filling, or repainting.

Using specialized tools, technicians massage dents out from behind panels, restoring original appearance while preserving factory paint.

PDR is faster and more affordable than conventional repair, appealing to customers with insurance deductibles, minor damage, or fleet operators.

Hail damage creates surge demand in affected areas.

Successful PDR businesses develop technical expertise, invest in quality tools, work efficiently, and build relationships with insurance companies, dealerships, and auto auctions.

The business operates mobile, from shop, or both.

The business model charges per-dent rates for minor dings ($75-150 each), hail damage by panel ($150-400+ per panel), or estimates for larger damage.

Insurance work provides volume at slightly lower rates.

Services include paintless dent removal, door ding repair, hail damage restoration, crease and dent removal, shopping cart dings, mobile on-site service, and fleet vehicle dent repair.

Success requires specialized PDR training developing technique, quality PDR tools and lighting, understanding of panel access and metal behavior, mobile capability for convenience, insurance relationships for hail damage work, and patience as skills develop through practice.

Initial investment includes PDR training ($2,000-8,000+), specialized tools and lighting ($3,000-10,000+), vehicle for mobile service, and marketing.

Tools include various rods, hammers, lights, and tabs for glue pulling.

The business works well mobile serving customers, dealers, and auctions at their locations.

Marketing targets insurance adjusters for hail damage referrals, dealerships for pre-sale reconditioning, auto auctions, and directly to consumers emphasizing cost savings versus traditional repair.

Hail storms create temporary surge demand.

The business offers high skill-based margins, no paint or materials costs, mobile convenience appeal, insurance and dealership volume opportunities, and hail damage surge potential.

Challenges include significant training investment developing skills, limited to shallow dents in repairable locations, competition from traditional body shops, hail storm timing unpredictability, and physical demands of tool manipulation.

Many PDR technicians chase hail storms traveling to damaged areas, combine PDR with other reconditioning services, or build steady dealer and auction relationships.