HOW MUCH DOES FRAME STRAIGHTENING COST?
On our published sheet: minor unibody pulls run $1,800–$3,500, moderate structural work $3,500–$7,000, and severe collision rebuilds $7,000–$18,000+; body-on-frame trucks typically land at $2,500–$6,500. The computerized frame inspection itself is free — so you never have to guess which tier you’re in. On an insurance claim, your out-of-pocket is typically just your deductible, once.
The Longer Answer
WHAT MOVES A FRAME BILL FROM $1,800 TO $18,000
Frame cost is really three costs stacked. Measurement comes first: the vehicle goes on a computerized bench and gets compared against its factory dimensions to the millimeter — that diagnostic is free at our shop, because nobody should pay to find out whether they have a problem. Correction is the middle layer: calculated pulls that bring the structure back to spec, which is where the minor-to-moderate tiers ($1,800–$7,000) live. Replacement drives the top tier — when sections are kinked or the steel itself can’t be safely pulled, structural pieces are sectioned or replaced at factory seams, and severe rebuilds reach $7,000–$18,000+.
Two honest engineering notes. Unibody vs body-on-frame matters: most cars and crossovers are unibody (the “frame” is the whole structural shell), while trucks and some large SUVs ride a separate ladder frame — different repair logic, and the published truck band ($2,500–$6,500) reflects it. And not every piece of modern steel may be pulled: certain ultra-high-strength structural sections are engineered to be replaced rather than straightened — heat or force would compromise them — so an honest estimate sometimes says “replace at the factory seam” where a cheaper quote says “pull it.” The second quote is the expensive one, eventually.
“Frame damage” also isn’t an automatic death sentence — that’s folklore. The real question is arithmetic: repair cost against the car’s actual cash value (Texas totals at 100% of ACV), which is why the free measurement matters so much — it turns a scary word into a number you can decide with. Diminished value after structural repair is a separate, legitimate question with its own answer in our DV guide, and the full equipment-and-process story lives on the frame straightening page. Whatever shop does the work, §1952.301 makes that choice yours, not your adjuster’s.
Related Questions