That gut-wrenching SCRRRAPE against a curb is something we hear about daily. In over 15 years of repairing alloy wheels across the Greater Toronto Area, I can tell you that curb rash is by far the most common reason drivers reach out to us, and and the first question is always the same: how much does curb rash repair cost? The answer depends on several factors that most online guides gloss over, so let’s break it all down with real 2026 pricing from the GTA market.
Whether you’re dealing with a light scuff from that tight Queen Street parking spot or a deep gouge from one of Mississauga’s legendary springtime potholes, this guide covers every scenario. We’ll walk through severity levels, compare how much to fix curbed rims with DIY kits versus professional mobile service, and help you figure out the smartest way to spend your money.
How We Grade Curb Rash Severity (And Why It Matters for Cost)
Not all curb damage is created equal. When our technicians arrive on-site for a mobile curb rash repair in Toronto or other parts in the GTA, for an appointment, the very first thing we do is assess severity. This single factor determines more about your final bill than anything else. Here’s the grading system we use internally, the same one we’ll use to build your quote.
| Severity | What It Looks Like | Typical Repair Needed | 2026 GTA Price (Per Wheel) |
| ⭐ Level 1 – Light Scuff | Surface scratches on clear coat only. Paint intact underneath. No metal exposed. | Wet-sand with 800–1500 grit, polish, and seal. 30–45 minutes per wheel. | $80 – $130 |
| ⚠️ Level 2 – Moderate Rash | Paint chipped away in spots. Some bare aluminum visible. Rough to the touch. | Sand, fill minor gouges with metallic filler, prime, colour-match paint, clear coat. 1–1.5 hours. | $130 – $180 |
| 🚨 Level 3 – Deep Gouge | Chunks of alloy removed or deformed. Visible dents along the rim lip. Metal deeply scored. | Grind, reshape lip, heavy filler application, full repaint or partial powder coat. 2–3 hours. | $180 – $250 |
| 🔨 Level 4 – Structural + Cosmetic | Lip is bent or cracked in addition to cosmetic damage. May affect tire bead seal. | Straighten lip, weld if cracked, full cosmetic restoration. Half-day job. | $250 – $350+ |
Most curb rash we see in the GTA falls into Level 1 or Level 2. The good news? That means the majority of repairs land in the $80–$180 range per wheel, a fraction of what a dealership charges for a replacement rim (often $600–$2,500 depending on make and model). If you have been wondering how much to fix curbed rims on your daily driver, these numbers should come as a relief.
It is also important to understand how our mobile service model affects pricing. Because we come directly to your home or workplace and complete same-day repairs on-site, the number of rims you need fixed plays a big role in your per-wheel cost. That is why we always recommend filling out our instant estimate form – it gives us the full picture so we can provide an accurate quote. The good news for drivers with multiple damaged wheels? If you have several rims at Level 3 or Level 4 severity, bundling them together can bring your per-rim price down to what you would normally pay for a Level 1 repair, depending on your specific situation.
Six Factors That Drive Your Curb Rash Repair Cost Up or Down
Beyond severity, several other variables affect curb rash repair cost. Understanding these helps you get an accurate quote and avoid sticker shock.
1. Wheel Finish Type
Standard painted alloy wheels are the most straightforward and affordable to repair. A curb rash on alloy wheels price for a basic silver or grey finish sits at the lower end of our pricing table. Diamond-cut (CNC machined) wheels, on the other hand, require specialized lathe work that can add $50–$100 per wheel. Hyper silver, chrome, and two-tone finishes also bump the price because colour matching demands extra precision and sometimes proprietary materials.
2. Wheel Size
An 18-inch wheel has roughly 25% more surface area on the lip than a 16-inch wheel. Larger wheels – the 20-inch and 22-inch rims common on SUVs and trucks – take more time, more material, and more paint. Expect roughly $15–$25 extra per wheel when you jump from a standard 17-inch to a 20-inch rim.
3. Number of Wheels
Here’s where drivers can actually save. We offer per-set discounts when you repair all four wheels in one visit. If you’re fixing just one wheel, you’re paying the full mobilization and setup cost. Bundle two or four, and the cost per wheel drops noticeably. This is something worth asking about whenever you’re getting a quote for deep curb rash repair near me services.
4. Repair Method (DIY Kit vs. Professional)
DIY curb rash repair kits from Canadian Tire or Amazon run $40–$80 and include sandpaper, filler putty, and spray paint. They’re fine for Level 1 scuffs on a winter beater. For anything deeper, the colour mismatch and peeling that follows a DIY attempt often means paying for a professional redo within six months – which means paying twice. We see this pattern constantly. If you want the full DIY breakdown, our guide to fixing curb rash on rims walks through every step honestly.
5. Mobile Service vs. Shop-Based Repair
A common misconception is that mobile curb rash repair Toronto services cost more than driving to a shop. In our experience, the opposite is often true. Shop-based competitors charge facility overhead, and you lose half a day plus an Uber round trip. Our mobile technicians arrive at your home or office with everything needed with no hidden trip fees within the GTA. The convenience factor alone makes mobile repair the clear winner for busy professionals, but the pricing is genuinely competitive too.
6. GTA-Specific Damage Patterns
Toronto’s freeze-thaw cycle and road salt create a unique accelerant for curb rash damage. A minor scrape in September that exposes bare aluminum will develop visible white oxidation corrosion by March if left untreated. That corrosion creeps under the surrounding clear coat, turning a $100 fix into a $200+ refinishing job. This is especially brutal in areas like North York and Scarborough where road salt application is heavy and potholes regenerate faster than the city can patch them. The lesson? Address curb damage before winter hits, or at minimum before spring thaw.
Curb Rash Repair Cost: DIY vs. Mobile Pro vs. Body Shop vs. Dealer
To give you a real apples-to-apples picture of how much to fix curbed rims across different service options, here’s what we’ve seen in the 2026 GTA market. These figures reflect Level 2 (moderate) damage on standard painted alloy wheels, the most common scenario we encounter.
| Service Type | Cost Per Wheel | Turnaround | Pros | Cons |
| DIY Repair Kit | $40 – $80 (materials) | 2–4 hours + dry time | Cheapest upfront. Good for minor scuffs on winter wheels. | Colour mismatch common. Peeling within 3–6 months. Not suitable for deep damage. |
| 🚚 Mobile Pro Repair (The Rim Guy) | $130 – $180 | 1–2 hours on-site | No shop visit needed. OEM colour match. 1-year warranty. Multi-wheel discounts. | Appointment required. Heavy structural work may need pickup service. |
| Shop-Based Rim Repair | $120 – $200 | 1–3 business days | Controlled environment for complex finishes. | You lose your car for 1–3 days. Transportation hassle. Facility overhead in pricing. |
| Dealership Repair / Replacement | $250 – $500+ (repair) or $600 – $2,500+ (new rim) | 3–7 business days | OEM parts. Ideal for warranty or lease-end situations. | Highest cost by far. Long wait times. Often push for full replacement unnecessarily. |
The sweet spot for most GTA drivers is professional mobile repair. You get a factory-quality finish with the convenience of staying home or at work, and the total curb rash repair cost is typically 40–60% less than what a dealership would charge. For a deeper look at scratch-specific pricing, check out our rim scratch repair cost breakdown.
The Lease Return Factor: Why Curb Rash Repair Pays for Itself 💰
If you’re driving a leased vehicle, curb rash isn’t just cosmetic, it’s a financial time bomb. Most lease agreements in Ontario classify curb rash as “excessive wear and tear,” and the penalty per damaged wheel at lease return typically ranges from $150 to $300 per rim. On a set of four wheels, that’s $600–$1,200 in charges.
Compare that to fixing all four wheels proactively with a mobile service at $130–$180 per wheel ($520–$720 total), and the math speaks for itself. You save anywhere from $80 to $500, and you get to drive on pristine-looking rims for the remaining months of your lease. For anyone asking how much to fix curbed rims before a lease handback, this is the most cost-effective move you can make. We’ve written extensively about this in our lease return rim repair guide if you want the full strategy.
What Happens During a Professional Curb Rash Repair (Step by Step)
Transparency matters to us, so here’s exactly what our technicians do when they arrive for a mobile curb rash repair Toronto job. No mystery, no upselling.
Step 1: Damage Assessment and Quote Confirmation
We inspect every wheel under proper lighting, photograph the damage, and confirm the quote you received. If anything’s different from what the photos showed, we discuss it before touching a single wheel.
Step 2: Wheel Preparation
The damaged area is thoroughly cleaned with a dedicated wheel degreaser, not household soap. We mask the tire bead with 3M Fine Line tape to protect the rubber and ensure crisp paint edges.
Step 3: Sanding and Surface Repair
Starting with 180-grit wet sandpaper, we smooth out the jagged edges of the curb damage. For deeper gouges, we apply Evercoat Metal-2-Metal aluminum-reinforced filler to rebuild the lip contour. Once cured, we work through progressively finer grits, 320, 400, 600, until the surface is perfectly flush with the undamaged rim profile.
Step 4: Priming
A self-etching primer bonds to the bare aluminum and provides a stable base for paint adhesion. This step is what DIY kits often skip or cheap out on, and it’s exactly why DIY repairs tend to peel.
Step 5: Colour-Matched Paint Application
Using a computerized colour-matching system, we identify the exact OEM paint code for your wheels. The base coat is applied in thin, even layers using professional HVLP spray equipment, not rattle cans. Multiple light passes prevent runs and ensure even coverage.
Step 6: Clear Coat and Curing
A UV-resistant automotive clear coat seals everything in. We use an infrared heat lamp to accelerate curing in the field, which achieves the same cross-linked hardness as an oven-baked shop finish.
Step 7: Final Inspection and Cleanup
Tape comes off, surrounding areas are cleaned, and we do a final quality check under natural light. You inspect the work before we consider the job complete. This thorough process is why professional curb rash repair cost tends to deliver far better longevity than a weekend DIY attempt, and why drivers searching for deep curb rash repair near me increasingly choose mobile specialists over generic body shops.
When Curb Rash Repair Isn’t Worth It (And What to Do Instead)
We’re in the business of repairing wheels, but we’ll be the first to tell you when it doesn’t make financial sense. If your rim has a structural crack running through a spoke, or if the wheel is severely bent to the point where the tire bead can’t seal, cosmetic repair alone won’t solve the problem. In those cases, our wheel repair service can address the structural issue first, or we’ll recommend replacement outright. Safety always comes first, no exceptions.
Similarly, if you’re on your third or fourth repair of the same wheel and the alloy is thinning, it’s time to retire that rim. According to Transport Canada’s vehicle safety guidelines, compromised wheels are a serious safety concern, especially at highway speeds on the 401 or DVP.
Five Ways to Prevent Curb Rash in the First Place 🛡️
Prevention is always cheaper than repair. Here are the habits we recommend to every client:
Use your backup camera religiously. Most curb rash happens during parallel parking. If your car has parking sensors or a backup cam, trust them.
Check tire pressure monthly. Underinflated tires sit lower on the rim, increasing the chance that the wheel lip contacts a curb. A simple tire gauge from Canadian Tire costs $8 and saves hundreds.
Avoid low-profile tires on daily drivers. Less sidewall means less buffer between the curb and your rim. If aesthetics aren’t critical, opt for a taller sidewall for city driving.
Consider rim protectors. AlloyGator and RimSavers create a sacrificial rubber strip around the rim lip. They’re not pretty, but they absorb curb contact before the alloy does. Around $60–$100 for a set of four.
Address damage early. A $100 Level 1 repair today prevents a $250 Level 3 repair next spring after salt corrosion does its work. When you factor in the curb rash on alloy wheels price escalation from ignored damage, early action is always the smarter financial move.
Why GTA Drivers Are Choosing Mobile Curb Rash Repair Over Shop Visits
The shift toward deep curb rash repair near me searches tells us something important: drivers want convenience without compromising quality. And honestly, the traditional model of dropping your car at a shop for two days just to fix a cosmetic scuff doesn’t make sense anymore.
Our mobile technicians cover every corner of the GTA, from Oakville to Markham, from Barrie to Burlington. We arrive with professional-grade equipment, OEM colour databases, and the same materials used in body shops. The difference is we set up in your driveway or office parking lot, and you’re not stranded without a vehicle. For the full picture of what we offer on-site, visit our mobile wheel repair page.
If you’re weighing whether that scuff on your Audi Q5 or Tesla Model Y is worth fixing, the answer is almost always yes. The curb rash on alloy wheels price for a professional mobile repair is a fraction of the depreciation hit you’ll take on resale day or lease return. And if you’re in the GTA, you don’t even have to leave your house to get it done.
Ready to Get Your Wheels Looking New Again?
Curious about your specific curb rash repair cost? Send us a photo of the damage through our instant quote form or call us at 416-876-6549. We’ll give you an honest assessment and a no-obligation price within hours – no pressure, no upselling, just straightforward answers from a team that’s been restoring GTA wheels for over 15 years.
For more on related repair costs, explore our guides on wheel scratch repair pricing and rim scratch repair: DIY vs pro.
