Running Costs
What Kerb Damage Costs to Put Right
A standard refurbishment is 60 to 110 pounds a wheel, a diamond cut face 100 to 150. Doing one wheel costs more each than doing four, and that is the whole decision.
Kerb damage is the most common cosmetic cost on a low, wide car with expensive wheels, and it is one of the few bills in supercar ownership that stays in three figures. UK refurbishment is published at 60 to 110 GBP per wheel for a painted or powder coated finish and 100 to 150 for a diamond cut face, with a full set of four at 200 to 400.
What it costs, by finish
| Work | Per wheel | Four wheels at that rate | Published set price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painted or powder coated, standard | 60 to 100 | 240 to 400 | 200 to 400 |
| Painted or powder coated, 17 to 19 inch | 80 to 110 | 320 to 440 | |
| Diamond cut face | 100 to 150 | 400 to 600 | |
| Diamond cut, higher published range | 120 to 150 | 480 to 600 |
Diamond cut work costs more because the machined face has to be re cut on a lathe rather than simply refinished. At the midpoints, 90 for a standard finish against 125 for diamond cut, the premium is 35 per wheel, or 140 across a set, which is 38.9 per cent more.
Why one wheel is the worst value in the price list
Almost every workshop prices a set more cheaply per wheel than a single one, because the setup, masking and booth time are spread across four rather than carried by one. The published set price of 200 to 400 against a per wheel rate of 60 to 100 shows the effect at the bottom of the range: 200 for four is 50 each, below the 60 single wheel floor.
That produces an unintuitive rule. If two wheels are damaged, the cost of doing all four is often close to the cost of doing two, and it removes the mismatched finish that a partial job leaves. If one wheel is damaged and the others are unmarked, doing one is right, and it will be the most expensive wheel on the invoice.
What moves the price on a supercar wheel
- Severity. A light scuff on the rim edge is quick work. Deep gouges, corrosion under the lacquer or a wheel that has oxidised all over need substantially more preparation before any colour is applied.
- Diameter and finish. The published brackets stop at 19 inches, and wheels on this class of car are frequently larger, with staggered sizes front to rear and specialist finishes.
- Tyre removal. A proper refurbishment means the tyre comes off, which adds fitting and balancing, and on this class of car raises the question of whether the tyre should go back on at all given its age.
- Structural damage. A buckled or cracked wheel is a different job from a cosmetic one, and on a car of this weight and speed it is a safety decision rather than an appearance one.
What it is worth against not doing it
Kerbing is one of the few visible defects a buyer prices immediately, and it is cheap to remove relative to almost every other cost on this site. A full set refinished at the published 400 upper bound is 0.2 per cent of a 200,000 car and less than a fifth of one set of tyres at the published 2,500 to 4,500 USD.
Against that, published trade discounts for cars carrying visible unanswered questions run into double digit percentages. Kerbed wheels do not carry a documented penalty of their own, and they are the first thing a viewer photographs.
Questions readers ask
How much does alloy wheel refurbishment cost?
In the UK, 60 to 100 GBP per wheel for a standard painted or powder coated finish, 80 to 110 for 17 to 19 inch wheels, and 100 to 150 for a diamond cut face. A full set of four is published at 200 to 400.
Why is diamond cut more expensive?
The machined face has to be re cut on a lathe rather than refinished. At the midpoints that is 125 per wheel against 90 for a standard finish, a premium of 35 per wheel and 140 across a set, or 38.9 per cent.
Is it cheaper to do all four?
Per wheel, yes. Setup, masking and booth time are spread across the set, and the published set price of 200 for four is 50 each, below the 60 floor for a single wheel. Two damaged wheels often cost close to what four would.
Do these prices apply to a supercar?
They are the starting point rather than the answer. The published brackets stop at 19 inches, and larger diameters, staggered sizes and specialist finishes all sit above them.
Does the tyre have to come off?
For a proper refurbishment yes, which adds fitting and balancing. On a car in this class it also raises whether a tyre near its age limit should be refitted at all.
Is it worth doing before a sale?
It is among the cheapest cosmetic corrections available. A full set at the published 400 upper bound is 0.2 per cent of a 200,000 car and less than a fifth of one set of tyres at 2,500 to 4,500 USD, and kerbing is the first defect a viewer notices.
Sources
- Same Day Car Paint, alloy wheel refurbishment cost UK, for the 60 to 100 GBP per wheel standard rate, the 200 to 400 set price, the 100 to 150 diamond cut rate and the effect of damage severity.
- The Wheel Specialist, alloy wheel refurbishment cost, for the 80 to 110 GBP rate on 17 to 19 inch wheels, the 120 to 150 diamond cut range and the set against single wheel pricing.