Nobody can price a wheel they have not seen, and any shop quoting a flat number down the phone is guessing. But the factors that decide the cost are completely knowable, and you should understand them before you call anyone.
The five things that decide the price
1. The finish — the biggest single factor
This matters more than the size of the scrape:
- Painted or powder-coated — least expensive. The repair is machine, fill, blend, spray.
- Machined / diamond-cut — more expensive, because the face has to be re-cut on a lathe rather than sprayed. See diamond-cut repair.
- Polished — labour-intensive, worked through progressive grits by hand. See wheel polishing.
- Chrome — a replating process, not a refinish.
2. How deep the damage goes
A light scuff through the lacquer is quick. A gouge that has torn material off the lip means more has to be machined away and the profile rebuilt. Depth costs more than length — a long shallow scrape is usually cheaper than a short deep one.
3. Whether the wheel is also bent
A kerb hard enough to tear metal is sometimes hard enough to bend the rim. Straightening is separate work on a press, so a wheel needing both costs more than one needing only cosmetic repair. This is why we inspect before quoting.
4. One wheel or a set
Per-wheel cost drops on a set — the setup work is shared. It is also why a colour change on four wheels adds surprisingly little over refinishing them in the original colour: the strip and prep is the same either way.
5. Matching
Repairing one wheel to sit invisibly beside three untouched originals is often harder than repairing all four. On a machined or two-tone finish, matching is the job.
Repair versus replacement
Worth keeping in proportion: a single replacement OEM wheel for a modern luxury or EV model frequently runs into four figures, before fitting, and you wait for the part. Cosmetic repair is a fraction of that and usually same-day. Replacement genuinely makes sense only when a wheel is cracked in a structural area — and in that case we will tell you to replace rather than weld it.
We would rather lose the job than hand back a welded wheel we do not trust at freeway speed.
How to get a real number in about a minute
Send a photo. Straight-on, in daylight, close enough to see the depth of the damage. Text it to (949) 800-8502 or use the form below. We quote from photos every day, and it saves you a trip to find out.
If you are in Las Vegas, tell us where the car is — the mobile unit covers cosmetic work and caliper paint on site.
Common questions
How much does curb rash repair cost?
It depends on the finish and the depth. Painted wheels are the least expensive; machined or diamond-cut faces cost more because they must be re-cut on a lathe rather than sprayed. Send a daylight photo to (949) 800-8502 and we will give you a specific number.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a wheel?
Repair, in nearly every cosmetic case. A replacement OEM wheel on a luxury or EV model often costs several times a repair, plus the wait for the part. Replacement is only necessary when the wheel is cracked in a structural area.
Why do you not publish fixed prices?
Because a wheel cannot be priced accurately without seeing it. Damage depth, finish type and whether the rim is also bent change the work substantially. Quoting a flat figure sight-unseen means either overcharging you or revising it when the wheel arrives.
Does repairing all four cost four times as much?
No. Per-wheel cost drops across a set because setup work is shared — which is also why a full colour change adds relatively little when you are already refinishing all four.
Text us a photo of the wheel
We quote from photos every day. Straight-on, in daylight, and you will have a real number back — no trip required.
Get a price for your wheels
Tell us what happened to the wheel. We reply with a real number, not a "starting from".
Request received.
We will come back to you shortly. For anything urgent, call (949) 800-8502.Prefer to text a photo? (949) 800-8502