24/7 accident line & towing
Auto Paint Shop & Car Painting in Los Angeles
Scratches, scuffs or a panel that needs paint after an accident? We match your factory color by computer and spectrophotometer, so the repair doesn't show.
- written estimate
- Free
- warranty on repairs
- Lifetime
- Google rating
- 4.9★
Auto Paint & Scratch Repair
Paint Work After an Accident
Almost every collision repair ends in the paint booth. Once a bumper, fender, door or quarter panel has been repaired or replaced, it has to be refinished so it matches the rest of the car exactly. That is where most of the difference between an average repair and an invisible one comes from.
When your car comes in after an accident we inspect every damaged panel, write a free itemized estimate that lists the paint and blending work separately, and send it to your insurance company. If hidden damage shows up once panels are removed, we document it with photos and submit a supplement so the insurer covers it. Your insurer cannot require its own network shop, so you can bring the car to us no matter which insurer you have. See how we handle your insurance claim.
How We Match Your Factory Color
Your car's paint code is only a starting point. The same code can vary from one production batch to another, and paint that has spent years in the Los Angeles sun is no longer the color it was on day one. Spraying the factory formula straight onto a new panel is how you end up with a door that is one shade off.
We read the actual color on your car with a spectrophotometer and mix the paint with a computerized system, then spray test cards and compare them to the car in daylight-balanced light before anything goes on the panel. Metallic, pearl and tri-coat colors get extra attention because the size and direction of the metallic flake changes how the color looks from different angles.
To hide the transition, the new color is blended into the neighboring panels and the whole area is covered with fresh clear coat. Blending is the reason a paint estimate often includes panels that were not damaged.
Scratch, Scuff and Bumper Paint Repair
Not every paint problem comes from a major accident. Parking-lot scrapes, keyed doors, curb scuffs on the bumper corner and scratches from a garage wall are some of the most common jobs we see in Downtown LA.
Light scratches that only reach the clear coat can often be polished out without repainting. Scratches that you can feel with a fingernail have gone through the clear coat and need to be filled, primed, color-matched and refinished. Plastic bumper covers need a flexible primer and adhesion promoter so the new paint does not crack or peel when the bumper flexes.
Clear-coat scratches:
machine polishing, often in a few hours
Deep scratches and key marks:
fill, prime, base coat and clear coat
Bumper scuffs and cracked bumper covers:
repair or replace, then refinish — see bumper repair
Dents with paint damage:
body work first, then paint — see dent repair
Step by step
How a Paint Repair Works at Our Shop
- 01
Free inspection and a written, itemized estimate (sent to your insurer if you are filing a claim)
- 02
Body work: dents pulled, damaged parts repaired or replaced with OEM parts
- 03
Sanding, primer and sealer so the new paint bonds to a clean, flat surface
- 04
Color read with a spectrophotometer, paint mixed and test-sprayed against your car
- 05
Base color and clear coat applied, blended into the neighboring panels
- 06
Color sanding, polishing and a final inspection in daylight-balanced light
Panel Refinishing and Full Repaints
Most paint jobs at a body shop are partial: one to three panels repaired and blended after a collision or a scrape. We also refinish faded or peeling panels, repaint replacement parts that arrive in primer, and paint parts that were replaced during frame and structural repair.
Every panel goes through the same steps: sanding the old finish, repairing any damage underneath, primer and sealer, base color and clear coat, then color sanding and polishing so the texture matches the factory finish next to it. Skipping any of these steps is what makes cheap paint jobs fade, peel or show sanding marks a few months later.
If you want a new color for the whole car rather than a repair, a vinyl wrap is often the faster and fully reversible option, and it protects the original paint underneath.
Pricing
What Paint Repair Costs in Los Angeles
The price depends on how many panels need paint, how much body work is needed underneath, and the type of color. Tri-coat and pearl colors take more material and more steps than a solid color. The ranges below are typical Los Angeles market prices from our collision repair cost guide; your exact price is in the free written estimate.
If the damage came from an accident, the repair is usually paid by your insurance company or the at-fault driver's insurer, and you pay only your deductible when you claim on your own policy.
| Repair | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Bumper scratch or scuff (no replacement)Color sanding, blending and paint matching | $150–$400 |
| Single-panel paint repairPrep, primer, color coat and clear coat | $300–$700 |
| Multi-panel paint work (2–3 panels)Including blending into adjacent panels | $800–$2,000 |
| Each additional blended panel | $150–$300 |
Get a free estimate
Call or text (213) 282-8201, or send us the details online. Accident line and towing 24/7.
- Leti Auto Works
- 794 Merchant St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
- Arts District, Downtown Los Angeles
- Get directions
- Shop hours
- Monday – Friday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- SundayClosed
- Accident line and towing answer 24/7.
Auto Paint & Scratch Repair — common questions
Didn’t find your question? Call us, a real person answers. 24/7 accident line & towing.
Call (213) 282-8201Will the new paint match the rest of my car?
Yes. We read the actual color on your car with a spectrophotometer instead of relying only on the paint code, spray test cards to compare against the car, and blend the new color into the neighboring panels so there is no visible line between old and new paint.
Will my insurance pay for the paint work?
When the paint damage comes from a covered accident, painting and blending are part of the collision repair and are paid by your insurer or the at-fault driver's insurer. We write the estimate, send it to the adjuster and submit a supplement if more work is found once the car is taken apart.
How long does a paint repair take?
A light scratch that can be polished out often takes a few hours. Repainting one or two panels usually takes one to three days, because primer, base coat and clear coat each need time to cure. Larger collision repairs take longer; we give you a written timeline with the estimate.
Can you fix just a scratch without painting the whole panel?
If the scratch is only in the clear coat, it can often be polished out with no paint at all. Deeper scratches need to be filled and repainted, and the color is blended into the surrounding area so the repair does not show.
Do you paint plastic bumpers?
Yes. Plastic bumper covers are repaired or replaced, treated with adhesion promoter and flexible primer, then painted and clear-coated to match the body so the finish does not crack when the bumper flexes.
Is there a warranty on paint repairs?
Paint work done as part of a collision repair is covered by our lifetime warranty on collision repairs for as long as you own the vehicle, including paint adhesion and color match.
Leti Auto Works is an auto body and paint shop at 794 Merchant St in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. We repaint damaged panels after an accident, fix scratches and bumper scuffs, and match your factory color with computerized paint mixing and spectrophotometer color matching. Paint work is done in-house as part of our collision repair service, with insurance claims handled for you.
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