Will car insurance cover paint damage?

Should your car’s paintwork get damaged in an accident or during a theft, you might be wondering if your insurance will cover it.

In this article we look at what type of insurance you will need to get help with repainting your car, and what type of incidents an insurer might refuse to pay out for. We also explain whether your insurance provider will pay for basic paint work or full body resprays, and outline how much cosmetic repairs will cost.

When will I be covered for paint damage?

You’ll only be covered for paint damage from an insured event. So if you have third party coverage, you’ll only be covered if someone hits you and you make a claim against the other driver.

If you have third party, fire and theft insurance, then the same applies as for the above. But also if your car’s paint is damaged as a result of fire or theft.

For those on a fully comprehensive car insurance policy, then you can claim for paint damage for the same reasons as third party, fire and theft. But also for any damage sustained in an accident – even if it was your fault.

What exclusions should I be aware of?

If your car isn’t looking so flash after years of wear and tear, you can’t just make a claim to fix this. You won’t be able to get a new paint job covered by insurance if it’s due to deterioration or weathering.

However, if it’s a single event, if a tree branch falls on your car during a storm say, then you might be able to claim. Needless to say, the chance of this happening is pretty slim. You’d need a fully comprehensive policy too.

How much does it cost to paint a car?

There’s no definite answer here unfortunately. The cost of repainting a car can vary drastically depending on how good a job you want done, whether you want any additional protective coatings, what kind of paint it is and what kind of car.

If you just want one panel of the car painted and maybe a dent removed, it should cost you a few hundred pounds. For whole car paint jobs though, you’re going to have to fork out extra.

A basic spray job for your car can cost anywhere between £1,000 for a basic respray and £10,000 for an extensive job, or for a luxury or vintage car. Before a full body spray job can be done, the garage will have to sort out any scratches, chips or dents first. This can push costs up too.

What kind of paint job will car insurance cover?

It depends on the type of claim and the cause of damage. If your car’s body was heavily damaged and needs a proper paint job, then that’s the the level of quality you can expect. If it’s just going over a scratch, then it’ll be a cheaper and more basic touch up.

Frequently asked questions

• Is cosmetic car insurance worth it?

  Cosmetic car insurance or “scratch and dent” insurance is an additional and separate policy you can get on top of your existing car insurance. It will cover you for small bits of damage to your car’s body, including paintwork chips, scratches, small dents and scrapes. So it won’t pay out for major damage or a mechanical repair. Typically, a policy might cost around £5 a month, while you’ll get a maximum of 3 claims over a 12 month period. So if your car is prone to getting little nicks and scratches while parked in your work or supermarket car park, then it might be worth it.

  The whole idea of cosmetic insurance is that you wouldn’t want to claim to repair small chips or dents to your car’s body, because the excess on your main car insurance policy (say it’s a few hundred pounds) will likely be higher than the cost of fixing the paint. So you wouldn’t actually get any financial help and even if the excess is lower than the cost of the repair, you wouldn’t want to damage your no claims bonus.

Who is most likely to be researching insurance cover for paint damage?

Finder data suggests that men aged 25-34 are most likely to be researching this topic. We're not saying anything!

Response	Male (%)	Female (%)
65+	2.96%
55-64	5.24%
45-54	9.11%	5.69%
35-44	17.31%	7.97%
25-34	20.96%	13.44%
18-24	11.39%	5.92%

Source: Finder sample of 439 visitors using demographics data from Google Analytics

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £524.68

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Esther Wolffowitz

Esther Wolffowitz was a publisher at finder.com specialising in insurance. Esther holds an MSc in Media and Communication Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

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