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 gives you real 2026 UK price ranges for 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: roughly £70–£120 per wheel
• Full set of 4 alloys refurbished: roughly £260–£440
• Diamond cut alloy refurbishment: roughly £120–£180 per wheel
• Alloy wheel colour change (full set): roughly £400–£700
• Cracked alloy weld repair: roughly £60–£120 per wheel (before refinishing)
• Buckled alloy straightening: roughly £70–£120 per wheel

Prices vary with wheel size (19"+ is more), finish complexity and how much damage there is. The numbers above assume the wheel is repairable and doesn't need replacement.

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, corrosion under the lacquer 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, but truly heavy diamond-cut damage sometimes needs off-site lathe time.

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 and costs £70–£120 per wheel depending on size.

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 because the face has to be re-cut on a lathe to restore that mirror finish. Typical UK cost is £120–£180 per wheel. 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.

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. Expect £400–£700 for a full set depending on wheel size and finish. 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 typically run £60–£120 per wheel and straightening a buckle is a similar figure. Once the structural work is done, the wheel still needs refinishing on top — so budget for both.

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 — £300–£800+ each — 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 →