You backed into a post, someone tapped you in a parking lot, or a curb caught the corner, and now you need the price to fix a bumper before anyone quotes you. The tool above returns a realistic range in seconds: pick front or rear, repair or replacement, your car type, and whether the bumper holds sensors. Parts, labor, paint, and recalibration show up as separate line items so you can sanity-check whatever a shop writes you next.
Inside this bumper repair cost estimator
This bumper repair cost estimator runs the same logic our intake writers use on the shop floor. The base range comes from what a bumper actually costs to repair or replace on an economy car, then a class multiplier (1.0x economy, 1.35x mid-range, 1.9x luxury) scales it, because a bumper cover on a 2022 Civic runs about 300 dollars in parts while the same cover on a 2022 BMW 3-series runs closer to 900 plus higher paint-match labor. Rear bumpers get a small bump for the extra wiring, and sensors add a flat recalibration line.
Bumper repair price by damage type
When the bumper can stay on the car, the bumper repair price is driven almost entirely by how deep the damage went into the plastic and paint. Here is what each level of damage actually costs on an economy or mid-range car.
- Clear-coat scuff (fingernail does not catch): machine polish, 80 to 200 dollars at a detailer.
- Color-coat scuff or small scratch: sand and respray the bumper, 250 to 550 dollars.
- Dent with intact paint: paintless or heat-and-pull reshaping, 150 to 450 dollars.
- Crack or gouge in the plastic: plastic weld, fill, reshape, and respray, 400 to 900 dollars.
- Broken mounting tabs but intact cover: tab repair plus refit and blend, 300 to 700 dollars.
Front bumper repair cost
A front bumper repair cost lands at 350 to 900 dollars for typical cosmetic damage on an economy or mid-range car. The catch on newer cars: the forward-facing radar and camera for adaptive cruise and automatic emergency braking often live behind or inside the front bumper, so any cover removal triggers a 250 to 600 dollar recalibration on top of the bodywork.
Rear bumper repair cost
A rear bumper repair cost runs slightly higher for the same damage, roughly 400 to 950 dollars, because rear covers carry backup sensors, wiring harnesses, and sometimes a camera or cross-traffic radar. Rear bumpers also take more parking-lot hits, so the plastic underneath is frequently more chewed up than the paint suggests.
Price to fix a bumper vs. bumper change cost (replacement)
The biggest driver of your final number is whether the bumper gets repaired in place or fully replaced. Plastic covers flex, so a shop can often repair damage that looks catastrophic, which keeps the price to fix a bumper well below the cost of a new cover.
| Bumper job | Economy | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scuff or scratch respray | $250–550 | $350–750 | $500–1,100 |
| Dent, paintless (paint intact) | $150–450 | $200–600 | $300–850 |
| Crack or gouge repair | $400–900 | $550–1,200 | $800–1,800 |
| Full bumper replacement (change cost) | $550–1,150 | $750–1,550 | $1,050–2,200 |
| Add: parking sensors or radar recalibration | +$250–600 | +$250–600 | +$250–600 |
Repair (bumper stays on the car): 350 to 900 dollars economy and mid-range, 900 to 1,800 luxury. This covers scuffs, dents, short cracks, and tab repairs where the cover is structurally sound.
Bumper change cost (full replacement): 550 to 1,150 dollars economy, 750 to 1,550 mid-range, and 1,050 to 2,200 luxury, including a new cover, clip kit, paint, and installation. The bumper change cost is the right path when the cover is torn, crushed, has shattered mounting points, or a sensor housing molded into the cover broke in the hit.
One rule of thumb from the lift: if repairing the cover would cost more than about 60 percent of a new painted cover, replace it. The repair rarely holds its shape as well, and the resale hit is not worth the small savings.
What pushes bumper replacement cost up after teardown
A bumper hit that looks purely cosmetic often hides damage that only shows once the cover comes off. Three things routinely move a bumper quote after teardown.
The reinforcement bar and absorber. Behind the plastic cover sits a steel or aluminum reinforcement bar and a foam or honeycomb absorber. A firm hit bends the bar even when the cover springs back. Replacing the bar and absorber adds 150 to 500 dollars.
Sensors, cameras, and radar. Parking sensors, backup cameras, and the radar modules for cruise and emergency braking are mounted to the bumper or its bracket. A cracked sensor is 90 to 300 dollars each, plus the recalibration cycle every modern car needs after the cover is refit.
OEM vs aftermarket cover. A genuine manufacturer cover with the correct sensor cutouts and factory paint prep costs 20 to 60 percent more than an aftermarket cover. On a car under about five years old, OEM is usually worth it for fit and paint match.
Get an exact cost to fix your bumper from photos
You do not have to drive in for a real number. Most shops, including ours, write a follow-up quote from 4 to 6 good photos, usually within 30 minutes during business hours. Send these so the number comes back tight:
- A wide shot of the whole end of the car with the damage.
- A straight-on shot of the full bumper.
- A close-up of the worst damage with a coin or pen for scale.
- An angled shot along the bumper to show dents and waviness.
- The license plate, so the shop can pull your VIN for parts.
For drivers anywhere on Long Island, send the set through the contact form and we will come back with a written bumper repair price within 30 minutes during the workday.
Want a firm number instead of a planning range? Our shop writes free written bumper quotes within 30 minutes for any drivable vehicle. Send a few photos and we will get you a price you can actually plan against.
Damage went beyond the bumper? Use the broader car repair cost estimator for doors, fenders, hoods, and full-body damage, or the car paint job cost estimator if you are respraying more than one panel.
Not at fault? After the repair, run the diminished value calculator to estimate the resale value the at-fault insurer owes you on top of the bumper repair itself.