How do I know if my dent can be fixed with PDR?

Run a fingernail across it. If it catches on a crack or a chip in the paint, PDR alone will not be the answer. If the surface is smooth and the dent is rounded rather than creased, there is a good chance it is a PDR job. Send us a photo taken at an angle with a reflection running through the dent — that shows us far more than a straight-on shot.

Is paintless dent removal cheaper than conventional repair?

Usually, and it is also faster. More importantly on a luxury car, it leaves the factory paint intact, which matters for both appearance and resale. That is why we evaluate it first on any damage that might qualify.

Can you do PDR on aluminum panels?

Yes, with a technician trained specifically for it. Aluminum has much less elongation than steel and work-hardens quickly, so it typically requires controlled heat and a different technique. It is not something a steel-only technician should attempt on your car.

Do you handle hail damage?

Yes. Hail is close to the ideal PDR case — many shallow dents with the paint intact, where conventional repair would mean refinishing most of the vehicle. We evaluate the whole car and give you a panel-by-panel plan.

Will the dent come back?

No. PDR restores the metal to its original shape rather than covering the damage, so a properly completed repair is permanent. If the panel is later hit in the same place, that is new damage.

Paintless Dent Removal

Paintless Dent Removal in Beverly Hills.

Dents worked back to shape from behind the panel — no filler, no refinishing, and your factory paint left exactly where it is.

Paintless Dent Removal at HADD Customs in Beverly Hills

Paintless dent removal works the metal back to its original shape from behind the panel, using specialized rods and picks and, for some damage, glue-pull tabs on the outside. Nothing is filled, sanded, or sprayed.

When it is appropriate, it is genuinely the best repair available — because the panel keeps the paint that was applied and cured under factory plant conditions, which is a finish no shop can exactly reproduce. On a luxury vehicle, preserving original paint has real resale consequences, which is why we evaluate PDR first on any suitable damage.

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When PDR is the right answer

The conditions are specific. The paint has to be intact — no cracks, no chips through the clear coat. The metal must not be stretched past the point where it can be worked back, which practically means shallow to moderate dents rather than sharp creases. The technician needs access to the back of the panel. And the damage is easier the further it sits from a body line or panel edge, which are stiffer and far less forgiving.

The classic candidates are the ones we see most in Beverly Hills: parking lot door dings, shopping cart contact, shallow dents in the middle of a hood, roof, or door skin, and hail damage — which is close to the ideal case, since conventional repair would mean refinishing most of the car.

—Door dings and parking lot damage
—Hail damage across multiple panels
—Shallow dents on hoods, roofs, doors, and quarter panels
—Aluminum panel PDR by a technician trained specifically for it
—Combination repairs where PDR reduces the work a conventional repair needs

When it is not

Cracked or chipped paint at the dent, sharp creases where the metal has stretched, damage on a body line or panel edge, and locations where the back of the panel cannot be reached all point toward conventional repair. We would rather tell you that at the evaluation than get halfway and change the plan.

Aluminum deserves its own note. Aluminum panels can be worked with PDR by a technician trained in it, but the metal has far less elongation than steel, work-hardens quickly, and often requires controlled heat. It is a specialty within a specialty — a technician who is excellent on steel is not automatically qualified on aluminum.

The middle path

There is an option that gets underused: PDR to push the metal back close to shape, followed by a small conventional repair and a panel refinish. When a dent is mostly PDR-suitable but has a chip at its center, this produces a better result with far less filler than jumping straight to conventional repair. We will tell you when your damage falls into that category.

FAQ

Paintless Dent Removal — common questions

How do I know if my dent can be fixed with PDR?: Run a fingernail across it. If it catches on a crack or a chip in the paint, PDR alone will not be the answer. If the surface is smooth and the dent is rounded rather than creased, there is a good chance it is a PDR job. Send us a photo taken at an angle with a reflection running through the dent — that shows us far more than a straight-on shot.
Is paintless dent removal cheaper than conventional repair?: Usually, and it is also faster. More importantly on a luxury car, it leaves the factory paint intact, which matters for both appearance and resale. That is why we evaluate it first on any damage that might qualify.
Can you do PDR on aluminum panels?: Yes, with a technician trained specifically for it. Aluminum has much less elongation than steel and work-hardens quickly, so it typically requires controlled heat and a different technique. It is not something a steel-only technician should attempt on your car.
Do you handle hail damage?: Yes. Hail is close to the ideal PDR case — many shallow dents with the paint intact, where conventional repair would mean refinishing most of the vehicle. We evaluate the whole car and give you a panel-by-panel plan.
Will the dent come back?: No. PDR restores the metal to its original shape rather than covering the damage, so a properly completed repair is permanent. If the panel is later hit in the same place, that is new damage.

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