A kerbed or scuffed alloy almost never needs replacing. That is worth knowing before you price up a new one, because a brand-new alloy for many cars runs to several hundred pounds each — while a standard repair restores the wheel you already have for a small fraction of that. Scrape a rim on a kerb, drag it down a raised drain cover or pick up a run of car-park scratches, and the damage is cosmetic, not structural. It can be stripped back, filled, colour-matched and refinished so the wheel looks factory-fresh again. And because wheels are one of the first things the eye lands on, a tidy set lifts the whole car far more than the cost would suggest.
That everyday painted refinishing is exactly what standard alloy wheel repair covers, and it is what we do at Bodyteq. From our Greenwich workshop in South-East London we repair kerb scuffs, scrapes and scratches on painted alloys and return them to a colour-matched, factory-style finish. This page explains what the repair actually involves, what it costs, when a simple refurbishment is the right call and when a wheel needs a different finish, and how long it takes — so you know what you are paying for before you commit. It is one part of our wider alloy wheel refurbishment service.
What standard alloy wheel repair covers
Standard alloy wheel repair is the painted refinishing that puts right the everyday damage most wheels pick up. Kerb scuffs, where the rim has caught a raised kerb. The grazed, scraped band around the outer lip that many drivers know as ‘curb rash’. Scratches and scuffs across the face and spokes. Light lacquer peel and the dull, tired look wheels take on over the miles. If the damage is cosmetic and the wheel itself is straight and sound, a painted repair will bring it back to life.
A proper repair rebuilds the finish rather than papering over it. We chemically strip or sand back the damaged area, fill and shape any deeper gouges, then prime the surface so the new finish keys firmly to the metal. Next comes the colour — matched to your wheel’s original shade using premium paint systems — followed by a fresh coat of lacquer, which is baked in our low-bake oven so it cures hard and colour-stable. The result is an even, durable finish that matches the rest of the wheel and the car, not a patch you can pick out in the light.
Standard alloy wheel repair cost
A standard painted repair is the most affordable way to restore an alloy, and it costs noticeably less than a diamond-cut refinish because there is no lathe work involved. As a rough guide for the UK, most painted repairs sit in the ranges below — but the accurate figure for your wheels comes from a free quote, because wheel size, how bad the damage is and the colour match all move the number.
| Standard (painted) alloy repair | Indicative UK price (from) |
|---|---|
| Single wheel — kerb scuff or scratch | from £45–£65 per wheel |
| Single wheel — full painted refurbishment | from £65–£95 per wheel |
| Larger wheels (19″+) or custom colour match | from £90–£120 per wheel |
| Full set of four — painted refurbishment | from £240–£360 |
Indicative UK ranges only — your exact price comes from a free quote once we have seen the wheels.
A few things push the price up or down. Larger wheels — 19 inches and above — have more surface to refinish and take longer. Deep kerb damage or a chunk out of the rim needs filling and shaping before it can be painted, where a light scuff does not. A trickier colour, a pearl or a two-tone finish takes more work to match than a standard silver. And doing all four wheels together usually works out better per wheel than one on its own. Whatever the wheel, we quote on what is actually in front of us, with no hidden extras.
Repair or replace? Why refinishing usually wins
It is the question the price of a new wheel makes everyone ask, and for cosmetic damage the answer is almost always repair. A replacement alloy has to be bought new or tracked down second-hand, and on many prestige and performance cars a single genuine wheel costs several hundred pounds — before it is even fitted and balanced. A standard refinish restores the original wheel for a fraction of that, keeps your set perfectly matched, and spares you the hunt for an exact replacement that may no longer be made. Replacing a wheel only really makes sense when it is cracked, badly buckled or corroded beyond what refinishing can save — and even then, a single damaged wheel can often be repaired to match the other three rather than replacing the lot.
When a painted repair is right — and when a wheel needs a different finish
A standard painted repair is the right answer for the great majority of kerbed, scratched and scuffed alloys. Where it is not the whole story is when the wheel has a different original finish or a structural problem. If your wheels have a bright, machined, mirror-like face, they are diamond-cut and need a lathe recut rather than paint alone — see diamond cut alloy repair. If you want the toughest, most kerb-resistant finish, or a colour change to gloss black or anthracite, powder coating is worth considering. And if a wheel is cracked or buckled, that has to be made safe before any refinishing — see cracked alloy wheel repair and alloy wheel straightening. We will always tell you honestly which route your wheels actually need.
How long does alloy wheel repair take?
A standard painted repair on a single wheel is typically a one-day job, and a full set usually one to two days. Most of the time goes on doing it properly rather than on the painting itself: stripping and preparing the damage, any filling the rim needs, then priming, colour-matching, lacquering and baking so the finish is fully cured before the wheel goes back on. Rushing the cure is how a repair fails early, so it is not a stage we skip. When we quote, we give you a realistic timescale for your wheels, and because you bring them to us we can usually plan the work around your week.
Why bring your alloy wheels to Bodyteq
A painted alloy repair is only as good as the preparation and the finish behind it, and both need the right kit and a clean, controlled space. We refinish wheels in-house at our Greenwich workshop, colour-matching to your car’s original shade and curing the lacquer in the same low-bake oven and premium paint systems we use across our bodywork — a controlled, dust-free finish that a driveway simply cannot give you, which is why we are a fixed workshop rather than a mobile service. Every wheel is quality-checked and backed by our satisfaction guarantee. As a family-run body repair specialist, we would rather tell you a wheel needs a different finish than hand it back with a repair that will not last.
Alloy wheel repair near you — Greenwich and South-East London
Drivers bring their alloys to us from across South-East London and the wider capital — Greenwich, Blackheath, Charlton, Woolwich and beyond. You can drop the wheels in or leave the car with us for the day; either way the work is carried out in the workshop, where the paint booth and low-bake oven are. If the same kerb or knock also caught a bumper or a panel, we can put both right in one visit as part of our car body repair service, and you can check we cover where you are on our service areas page.
Standard alloy wheel repair FAQs
For a standard painted repair in the UK, a single kerbed or scratched wheel often starts from around £45–£65, with a full painted refurbishment from roughly £65–£95 a wheel and larger or custom-colour wheels costing more. A full set of four typically starts from around £240–£360. Painted repair costs less than a diamond-cut refinish because there is no lathe work involved. These are indicative ranges only — the accurate figure comes from a free quote once we have seen the size, damage and finish of your wheels.
For cosmetic kerb and scratch damage, almost always. A standard refinish costs a fraction of a replacement alloy — which can run to several hundred pounds each on many cars — restores the factory look and keeps your set matched. Replacement only really makes sense when a wheel is cracked, badly buckled or corroded beyond saving. Even then, a single wheel can often be repaired to match the other three rather than replacing all four.
A cosmetic rim repair — kerb scuffs, scrapes and scratches on a painted alloy — usually falls within the ranges in the table above, starting from around £45–£65 for a single wheel with light damage. What moves the figure is wheel size, how deep the damage runs, the colour match, and whether you are doing one wheel or the full set. Structural damage such as a crack or a buckle is a separate job and is priced differently — we will tell you which your wheel needs once we have seen it.
A single painted wheel is typically a one-day job and a full set one to two days, because the wheel has to be stripped, filled, primed, colour-matched, lacquered and then baked so the finish is fully cured before it goes back on. Curing is not a stage worth rushing, as it is what keeps the finish from failing early. We give you a realistic timescale with your quote so you can plan around it.
