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PDR 101 · May 14, 2026 · 6 min read

How paintless dent repair actually works

Specialized rods, LED reading boards and a lot of patience — here is what happens to your car between drop-off and pickup.

Reading the damage

Before a single tool touches your vehicle, a technician runs a striped LED board across every panel. The reflection bends around each dent, which is how we count and map damage that is nearly invisible in daylight.

That map becomes the assessment. It lists every panel, the dent count per panel, and the size category of each dent — the same language your insurance adjuster uses.

Working the metal back

Technicians reach behind the panel with steel rods and push the low spot up in tiny increments, checking the reflection after every pass. Glue-pull tabs are used where there is no access behind the panel.

Because the factory paint is never sanded, filled or resprayed, the finish that leaves our shop is the finish that left the factory — including your paint warranty.

Why it beats a body shop for hail

Hail damage is dozens of shallow dents rather than one deep impact. Conventional bodywork would mean filler and repaint on nearly every horizontal panel, which shows up on a vehicle history report and costs far more.

PDR typically runs 25–50% less, takes hours to days instead of weeks, and keeps the car off the Carfax repair record.

Want a number for your vehicle?

Call our Denver team for a free, no-pressure inspection and a straight answer.

Call (720) 715-7171