Bumper repair cost: fix it or replace it?

What a bumper actually is now

The painted part you see is a plastic cover. Behind it: a foam absorber, a steel or aluminum reinforcement bar, brackets, and on most cars since 2018 parking sensors, radar for adaptive cruise, or a camera. A hit that cracks the cover often bends the bar and shifts a sensor. That's the difference between a paint job and a parts list.

Typical ranges in the Valley

Scuffs and scratches, cover intact: repair and refinish, roughly $350 to $600.

Cracked or torn cover, nothing behind it damaged: new cover painted and installed, roughly $600 to $1,100 depending on the car.

Cover plus absorber, reinforcement or brackets: $1,100 to $2,000.

Any of the above plus sensors, radar or camera that need replacing and calibrating: add $300 to $1,200. Calibration alone is a few hundred and is required for the safety systems to work.

Repair or replace

Plastic covers can be repaired when the damage is a scuff, a small crack, or a tab. They should be replaced when they're torn, pushed through, or when the cost of repair plus paint gets within a couple hundred dollars of a new one. Our estimate shows both where it makes sense: Economy repairs and refinishes, Best Deal replaces with a recycled OEM cover, Insurance Quality replaces with new OEM and calibrates per the factory procedure.