Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

How to repair small paint chips on my car?

I live out in the country, and many of the roads are just gravel. I have several paint chips all over my car. How can I repair the small paint chips on my car?

avatar
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Gravel roads can do a lot of damage to your paint job! Fortunately, if caught early, fixing paint chips can save you a ton of money over having to get your whole car repainted. Here is a short list of the tools you will need:
  • Touch up paint in a matching color
  • Paint primer
  • Matches
  • Polishing compound
  • Denatured alcohol
  • Soft rag
Once you have the supplies gathered, just follow these steps and your paint will look as good as new:
  • Clean all of the paint chips with soap and water.
  • Rub a small amount of polishing compound over the chip and wipe away any access.
  • Clean the chip and the immediate surface around it with a small amount of denatured alcohol.
  • Take the match and dab small amounts of the paint primer in the chip and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Put a layer of paint on top of the primer, and then add a second coat about an hour later.
  • Let the spots cure for a few days, and then follow up by smoothing the spots out with the polishing compound again.
Tada! You have just saved yourself a small fortune! Keep in mind that this type of damage would be considered wear and tear. However, if there is a wind storm or any severe weather that causes a lot of paint damage at once, you can file a claim for paint damage under the
comprehensive
portion of your
car insurance
policy.
Since you are taking such good care of your car, now is an excellent time to take care of your car insurance! If you want to save money on car insurance, the
Jerry
app is a good place to start. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy. The average Jerry driver saves $879 a year on car insurance!
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings