---
title: "Panel Refinishing"
source: https://fleetrepairshops.com/services/paint-refinishing/panel-paint
business: OCRV Fleet Repair Shop
location: Yorba Linda, CA
serves: Irvine, California
phone: (714) 909-1844
---

# Panel Refinishing

Panel refinishing prepares and sprays individual panels after repair or replacement. It covers substrate preparation, primer, color, and clear, with the sprayed area extended into adjacent panels as far as the color and finish require to keep the repair invisible.

Range: $500 to $5,500

Collision estimates for insurance claim walk-ins carry no charge. Systems estimates are $150 and diagnostics are $285 per hour, both credited against an authorized repair.


## The process

Panel refinishing follows the same discipline as a full respray, just over a smaller area. Substrate preparation, sealer, primer, color, clear, then cut and polish to blend the new clear into the surrounding surface.

The area we spray is determined by where the finish can be blended, not by where the damage was. On a large flat side that can mean spraying well beyond the repair.

- Substrate assessment and preparation
- Primer system matched to the material
- Color application with blend into adjacent panels
- Clear application across the blend zone
- Cut and polish to unify the finish

## Substrate differences

Steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and composite all need different primer systems. Using an automotive primer on a fiberglass cap or a composite trailer wall produces adhesion failure, usually within the first year and usually starting at an edge.

We identify the substrate first and select the system accordingly, which is unglamorous and is the main reason a refinish holds.

## Questions

**How much of the vehicle do you have to spray for one damaged panel?**

It depends on the color and where the panel boundaries are. A solid color panel bounded by body lines can often be done alone. A metallic on a large flat side will need blending into the neighbors.

**Can you refinish just a door?**

Yes, though on a metallic we will usually blend into the adjacent panel so the edge does not show.

**How long until it can be washed?**

Gentle hand washing after about a week. Avoid pressure washing and any wax or sealant for thirty days while the finish fully cures.

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OCRV Fleet Repair Shop, 23281 E La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Phone (714) 909-1844. All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility.