Bumper cover vs. the parts behind it
What most people call the bumper is really a bumper cover: the painted plastic shell on the front or back of the car. Behind it sit the parts that do the structural work, such as a reinforcement bar, energy-absorbing foam, brackets, and often lights and sensors.
That distinction matters. Cosmetic repair is about the cover: the plastic and the paint you can see. The parts behind it are body-shop territory. Most of the time a parking-lot bump only marks the cover, and the cover can be fixed.
What's usually repairable
Bumpers are the most common cosmetic damage Robert sees, and repairing them has been the core of his work for nearly 30 years. He stays with the kind of damage that can be done well in a driveway.
- Scuffs and scrapes, including the corner scrape from a garage wall or post
- Corner damage
- Cracks, with most cracks under about 6–8 inches repairable
- Small punctures, when the broken piece is still there to weld back in
- Some broken mounting tabs
- Small dents in a plastic bumper cover, pushed out by loosening a corner
“I try not to do a complete refinish. It's a little big for outside, so I try to stick with corner repair, dents, small dents, cracks, small punctures.”
When replacement is the right call
Some covers are past saving. Robert turns down big rips and bumpers with chunks missing. Those need a new bumper cover, and he refers bumper replacements to body shops rather than installing new covers himself.
Rebuilding a cover that's torn wide open or missing a section usually isn't worth it compared with starting fresh. If your photos show that kind of damage, he'll tell you so.
What he doesn't check: behind the bumper
Robert works with the bumper on the car. Taking a bumper off can need a lift, which isn't practical for mobile work, so he doesn't remove bumpers to inspect what's behind them.
If the impact was hard, it's worth ruling out hidden damage before paying for cosmetic work. A few signs that something behind the cover may be hurt:
- The bumper sits crooked or the gaps to the fenders or trunk changed
- The cover is pushed in and doesn't spring back
- Lights, sensors or a backup camera stopped working after the hit
- Anything is rattling, hanging or leaking
Parking sensors
Sensors don't rule out a repair. If they're working, Robert tapes them off or, when they have to be painted, uses light coats so they keep working. He has painted parking-sensor bumpers for a Volvo dealership for 15 years.
What he doesn't do is replace, program or recalibrate sensors. If a sensor is broken or the car is throwing a warning, that part of the job belongs with a dealership or body shop.
“I've been painting sensors at Volvo for 15 years. I've never had one come back saying it was too thick.”
Steel, chrome and off-road bumpers
Most bumpers are plastic, but not all. Robert can paint steel bumpers, though dents in steel are hard to remove. Chrome can't be painted. Off-road bumpers are usually powder-coated; he refinishes them with liquid paint rather than powder coat. Some textured bumpers are repairable, depending on how bad the damage is.
He also paints tow-hook covers and some bumper trim pieces, as long as they aren't chrome.
How to find out if your bumper can be repaired
Text a photo of the whole bumper and a closer one of the damage. Robert quotes from photos and will say whether it looks like a repair he can do in your driveway or a replacement for a body shop. The photo guide shows what helps, and the bumper repair page covers the full service.
Common questions: Should I repair or replace my bumper?
Is repairing a bumper cheaper than replacing it?
Usually. A repair skips the cost of a new cover and the work to paint and fit it. Robert often saves customers hundreds to thousands of dollars compared with a body shop. He doesn't publish prices; text photos for a quote.
I already bought a new bumper cover. Can Robert install it?
No. He refers new bumper covers to body shops and keeps his work to repairing the cover that's on the car.
Will a repaired bumper match the rest of the car?
Robert mixes paint on site and tints it to match your car, not just the paint code, and he doesn't blend into neighboring panels.
Written from Robert Crenshaw's own explanations of how he works. Nearly 30 years repairing bumpers, and 25 years running his own business.