Scratch & Paint Chip Repair in Edmonton
From an hour of polishing to a full refinish — we'll tell you which yours needs.
Scratch & Paint Chip Repair in Edmonton
The fix for a scratch depends entirely on how deep it goes — and you usually can't tell by looking. Light clear-coat scratches polish out in an hour. Scratches through the colour need refinishing. Chips down to metal need attention before they rust, because in Edmonton, every winter is a rust accelerator. Send us a photo and we'll tell you which one you've got, free.
The fingernail test lies — a photo doesn't. Free scratch assessment online.
The Three Depths of a Scratch
• Clear coat only — hazy or shallow marks that catch a fingernail lightly. Machine polishing usually removes them completely. The cheapest fix in the shop.
• Through the colour — you can see a different shade in the scratch. The panel area needs refinishing and blending; polishing only makes it shinier.
• Down to metal or plastic — white, grey, or rust-tinged lines. This is a refinish now, or a rust repair later. Now is cheaper.
Gravel Chips: An Alberta Tax
Highway gravel and winter sanding chip every front end in the province. Scattered chips on a hood or bumper can be touched up to stop rust, but heavily peppered panels look better refinished — touch-up on fifty chips reads like fifty dots. We'll give you both options with prices; for high-chip drivers we can also refinish and recommend protective steps for the new paint.
Key Scratches & Vandalism
Deliberate scratches usually run long, deep, and across multiple panels — which is why they're typically refinish jobs, and why they're often worth an insurance claim under comprehensive coverage. Police report first, then us; we document the damage for the claim and handle the insurer directly.
Scratch Repair FAQs
Can my scratch just be buffed out?
If it's confined to the clear coat, very likely yes. The honest test is depth, not length — a long shallow scratch is cheaper to fix than a short deep one. Photos usually tell us; worst case we check it in person in two minutes.
What does scratch repair cost?
Polishing sits at the bottom of our price list. Refinish work depends on how many panels the scratch crosses — a one-panel key scratch costs far less than a four-panel one. Free photo estimate gets you a real number.