Will Car Insurance Cover Paint Damage?

While dents and scratches aren’t a big deal when it comes to the function of your vehicle, they can be aggravating – especially when they just “pop up” out of nowhere. Dings, dents, and scratches can add up with time, and they can diminish the appeal and value of your vehicle. Vehicles already depreciate by around 15-25% in their first year, and having physical tarnishes can exaggerate that devaluation.

Enter auto insurance. Your auto insurance in Ontario contains coverage to protect you against the cost of physical losses to your vehicles, but it can be limited in the type of things it covers against/the circumstances in which your vehicle sustained damages.

To note – paint job costs, deductibles, & more

Before we get into whether your auto insurance will cover your paint job or not, let’s address the typical costs of a total paint job, deductibles, and some other helpful tidbits.

The cost of one synthetic enamel paint can run you between $300-$700 for a typical sedan. That’s for the entire vehicle. However, there are a lot of factors that go into judging the average cost of a paint job for a vehicle. Those include:

• The quality of the paint job
• The size of the vehicle (obviously larger vehicles will take more paint and therefore cost more)
• The colour selected and paint quality
• If the vehicle has any deep scratches or surface imperfections
• Wax or seal finishes

In some rare cases, a complete paint job – which needs a basic wax and multiple coats of paint – that is done with high-quality exclusive paint plus a ceramic coating, could cost you $5,000 and up.

Keep in mind that the insurance coverage that would apply to the cost of a paint job or to fix up minor paint damage would ordinarily be subject to a deductible. That deductible may run anywhere between $250 and $1,000 or higher. Deductibles in auto insurance work by allowing the policyholder to take on some level of risk, which they can raise by choice to help reduce their premiums. A deductible must be paid out before your insurer pays for the remaining claim settlement amount. If your deductible ends up being higher than the cost to do the paint job, then your insurance won’t cover it and you’ll be responsible for paying the entire amount.

Will auto insurance cover paint damage?  

Your car insurance may cover you for paint damage under your collision or direct compensation property-damage portion (if you are not at-fault in an accident) of your coverage. Your insurance may cover paint jobs under your comprehensive coverage if the damage was due to something non-collision.

Collision coverage (and DCPD, for not at-fault) can cover you to repair your vehicle in the event of a crash and may include compensation for fixing damaged paint. In some instances, your deductible may apply. If this is the case, you won’t be covered if the cost of damages is less than your deductible. If not, such as in the case of a not at-fault accident, you would likely be covered.

Comprehensive coverage follows the same rule. If your deductible is more than the damage would cost to repair, you won’t have coverage. But say a tree, for example, fell on your car and caused damage, the cost of a paint job might be included in your final settlement amount.

Car insurance and modifications

Certain modifications to your vehicle may not always be covered by your auto insurance. If your car gets into a wreck, your insurance company won’t cover you if your paint job changes the value of your vehicle beyond a certain point. If you’re needing a paint job after a wreck, you’re expected to repaint your car the same colour/with the same paint as it was done before, or a paint of a similar value. Carriers may limit coverage if you decide to modify your car with a custom, costly paint job.

If your vehicle was recently repainted with a custom paint job and then it gets into a wreck, your insurer may not cover you to repaint the whole car if they didn’t know about the paint job beforehand. The same goes for any modifications that you made but didn’t disclose to your insurer.

When it comes to modifications altogether, you’ll find getting the right coverage can be tough. You might even need to get specialized coverage. For example, classic car insurance may be necessary to financially protect vehicles that have special parts or modifications to keep them up and running. This usually applies for older, antique vehicles.

Will my auto insurance cover me for the cost to paint the entire car?

It depends on the extent of damages, but typically not. Your insurance company will generally only cover the cost to fix what was damaged and will not go beyond this if it isn’t necessary.

If there is a situation where your whole vehicle must be repainted, odds are that the vehicle wasn’t salvageable and was considered a total loss. If this is the case, then your insurer will reimburse you for the vehicle based on your loss settlement option so that you can purchase a new car, rather than fixing the older one.

In short, your insurer will only pay to paint the new/repaired parts. The body shop doing the repairs will likely match the new paint to the original paint. If you are concerned about a potentially uneven paint job, then give your mechanic a call to discuss.

If you’re interested in getting protected with one of the best insurers in Ontario, look no further. Excalibur has all the information you need to know about car insurance. Get a free quote to start saving on your insurance today!