Hey everyone, I recently had a low-speed fender bender and ended up with a small scratch and some paint chipped off on my front driver’s bumper. I drive a hybrid CR-V and I’m in the process of getting it fixed. What do you think would be a fair price for this kind of repair? I’m guessing it shouldn’t be more than a few hundred bucks. FYI, I’m located in central Canada
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Yeah, unfortunately, nothing costs just a few hundred bucks anymore. Once they take the bumper off, you’re looking at a lot more than just fixing the scratch. The calibrations alone, especially with a hybrid CR-V, can run over $1k. And that’s before you factor in disassembly, repair, and repainting. The days of a $500 bumper fix are behind us…
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I actually got quoted $500 for similar damage on my rear bumper, and that included a pretty fancy paint job. They did warn me about possible sensor calibration, but it’s not always necessary. So if you’re lucky, you might dodge that extra cost, but definitely ask the shop about it before they start!
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Body shop manager here from southern California. This kind of repair definitely requires bumper removal, but sensor calibration isn’t always needed. Based on what I’ve seen, you’re probably looking at around $1,200 to get it fixed properly, including labor and paint. It’s always good to get a few quotes though!
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If youd be so kind…could you explain why bumper removal is necessary for this kind of repair? Is it to help blend the colors and angles better, or is there something else going on that I might not be aware of?
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You need to remove the bumper for what’s called an ‘overhaul.’ That’s when they take everything off the bumper, including the black trim (like the one a couple of inches from the damage). If you don’t remove that trim, you’ll end up with overspray—basically, a bit of the white paint getting on the trim.
The other reason is to clear coat the entire bumper from edge to edge. While they won’t paint the whole bumper, just the damaged part and blend it into the rest, they’ll need to clear coat the entire thing to avoid having a hard edge. If you skip that, the clear coat can start failing at those edges first… I hope this helps 
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Where I’m from, you could get an ‘okay’ bumper spray for around $500 USD. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it’d get the job done if you’re not too picky. Might be worth considering if you’re looking for a cheaper fix.
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