One of the most common questions before booking any alloy wheel work is simply: how much is this going to cost? The honest answer is "it depends" — but with a bit of context on what drives the price, you can go into a quote knowing roughly what to expect and whether you're being charged fairly.

The Main Factors That Affect Price
Type of damage. A light kerb scuff is a different job entirely to a crack or a bend. Cosmetic damage is quick and cheap to fix; structural damage requires assessment, and sometimes specialist straightening equipment, before any cosmetic work can even begin.

Wheel size. Larger wheels (18-inch and up) generally cost more to refurbish than smaller standard wheels, simply because there's more surface area to strip, prime and paint.

Finish. Standard single-colour paint is the cheapest option. Metallics, two-tone finishes, and especially diamond cut wheels all add cost due to the extra materials or machining involved.

Number of wheels. Almost every refurbishment company offers a per-wheel discount for doing multiple wheels in the same visit, since a lot of the setup and prep work is shared across the job.

Mobile vs workshop. Mobile services often work out slightly cheaper due to lower overheads, though this varies by provider and region.

Typical UK Price Ranges
While every provider sets their own pricing, these ranges reflect what's typical across the UK as of 2026:

Type of Repair Typical Cost (per wheel) Minor kerb scuff / scratch £60–£90 Full cosmetic refurbishment (strip, repair, repaint) £80–£150 Diamond cut refurbishment £100–£190 Structural repair (crack or bend) Quoted individually, from £100+ Powder coating (full colour change) £120–£220

Multi-wheel discounts commonly bring the per-wheel price down by 10–20% when booking a full set.

Repair vs Replace: The Cost Comparison That Matters Most
This is where refurbishment earns its keep. A single replacement alloy wheel — particularly for a specific make and model — can easily run to £150–£400 depending on the vehicle, before you've even accounted for the cost and hassle of finding a genuine or compatible replacement. Refurbishment, in the vast majority of cosmetic cases, restores the original wheel to as-new condition at a fraction of that cost.

The exception is where a wheel is genuinely unsafe to repair — cracked through, badly bent, or with damage close to the tyre bead seal. In these cases, no reputable repairer should attempt a cosmetic fix, and replacement is the only safe option.

Questions Worth Asking Before You Book
● Does the quote include VAT, and is it a fixed price or subject to change on inspection?

● What does the guarantee cover, and for how long?

● Is the paint colour-matched to the manufacturer's original code, or matched by eye?

● Are there additional charges for larger wheels, unusual finishes, or difficult-to-access locations?

Getting a clear answer to these before work begins avoids the most common source of billing disputes in this line of work: a quote that quietly grows once the wheel is off the car.

The Bottom Line
For anything short of structural damage, alloy wheel refurbishment is almost always the more cost-effective route compared with replacement — often by a significant margin. The key to a fair price is asking for a proper inspection-based quote rather than a rough estimate over the phone, and being clear about the finish and number of wheels before work starts.