How Much Does Alloy Wheel Repair Cost in the UK? (2026 Guide)

Kerbed one of your alloys pulling out of a tight parking space? Cracked a wheel on a Manchester pothole? You're not alone — alloy damage is easily the most common cosmetic job we're called out to across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. And the first question is almost always the same: how much is this going to cost me?

The honest answer is "it depends" — but this guide walks through what drives the price of every common type of alloy wheel repair, so you know what fair looks like before you pick up the phone.

Alloy wheel repair cost UK — 2026 at a glance

• Standard kerb scuff refurbishment — the smallest and cheapest job, priced per wheel.
• Diamond cut refurbishment — costs more than a painted wheel because the face is re-cut on a lathe.
• Full-set colour change — a complete strip-and-refinish of all four wheels, the biggest cosmetic job.
• Crack welding and buckle straightening — priced per wheel, with refinishing needed on top.

Wheel size (19"+ is more), finish complexity and how much damage there is set the price, and everything above assumes the wheel is repairable and doesn't need replacement. Send a photo of each wheel for a free, fixed quote.

What actually affects the price

• Type of finish. A painted silver alloy is the quickest and cheapest to refurbish. Diamond cut, two-tone and gloss black wheels take more steps and more time.
• Wheel size. Larger diameters (19", 20", 21"+) use more material and take longer to prep — expect to pay a little more.
• Extent of damage. A single kerb scuff is a small repair. All four wheels with heavy rash or curb damage on multiple spokes is a bigger job.
• Structural damage. Cracks and buckles need welding or straightening before any cosmetic work — that's an extra step on top of the refinishing cost.
• Mobile vs off-site. Mobile refurbishment saves you the trip and the loan-car juggling. We finish diamond-cut wheels on your driveway.

Standard alloy wheel refurbishment

This is the bread-and-butter job: kerb rash, scuffs, small edge damage on a painted or powder-coated alloy. The wheel is stripped back at the damaged area, filler applied where needed, primed, colour matched and finished in two-pack lacquer. Done on your driveway, it typically takes 2–3 hours per wheel, priced by wheel size and the amount of damage.

See how the process works on the alloy wheel refurbishments page.

Diamond cut alloy wheel repair cost

Diamond cut wheels — the shiny, machined-face look you'll see on a lot of Audis, VWs, BMWs and Land Rovers — are more expensive to repair than painted wheels because the face has to be re-cut on a lathe to restore that mirror finish. Diamond cut wheels also don't repair infinitely — the face gets thinner each time it's cut — so it's worth catching kerb damage early.

More on the process on our diamond cut alloy wheel refurbishment page, and our diamond-cut alloy wheel guide covers how many times a wheel can be re-cut and what we don't take on.

Alloy wheel colour change cost

Changing all four wheels from silver to gloss black, satin grey, bronze or a custom colour is a full strip-and-refinish job, priced as a set by wheel size and the finish you choose. Full colour changes are covered on the alloy wheel colour changes page.

Cracked and buckled alloy repair

A hairline crack from a pothole or an out-of-round buckle can usually be repaired rather than scrapped. Weld repairs and buckle straightening are priced per wheel. Once the structural work is done, the wheel still needs refinishing on top — so budget for both.

We don't weld cracked wheels or straighten buckled ones.

Not every cracked wheel is safe to weld. Damage on the inside rim, cracks running into the spoke or corrosion around the crack usually means the wheel should be replaced.

Should you refurbish or replace?

Refurbishment is almost always cheaper than replacement, but there are limits:

• Genuine OEM alloys are expensive to replace, so refurbishment is a no-brainer for cosmetic damage.
• Aftermarket alloys can sometimes be replaced for less than a diamond cut refurb — worth checking.
• Wheels with structural damage that can't be safely welded should always be replaced.

Mobile alloy wheel repair in Manchester & Cheshire

We refurbish alloys on your driveway across Manchester, Altrincham, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Hale, Bowdon, Prestbury and surrounding areas. No trip to a workshop, no loan car — you keep the car overnight and drive on the new finish the following day.

Send a couple of photos for a free quote →