How much does it cost to repair or apply gelcoat on a boat?

Budget roughly £150 to £400 for a small professional gelcoat repair, £30 to £80 for a basic DIY repair kit and consumables, or £10,000 to £25,000 for complete topsides gelcoat replacement on a straightforward 30ft boat. First check whether the surface is oxidised, cracked, worn through or detached, because sound gelcoat can often be restored for a fraction of the recoating cost.

Assess the gelcoat damage

Wash a small area thoroughly, remove surface contamination and try a marine cutting compound on a test patch. If the colour and gloss return, there is probably enough useful gelcoat left to make polishing the sensible starting point. Avoid aggressive sanding until you know how much thickness remains, particularly around chines, corners and previous repairs.

A scratch that catches a fingernail may need filling, but that test alone does not establish its depth. Look for exposed glass fibres, soft laminate, movement around fittings and cracks returning through an earlier repair. Star cracks around a stanchion base can indicate loading or flexing. Covering them without correcting the cause usually means another repair later.

Gelcoat is the pigmented outer surface of a fibreglass moulding, not structural reinforcement. Damage extending into the laminate needs glass-and-resin repairs before cosmetic finishing.

Repair and restoration budgets

These are UK planning allowances, including VAT where charged, rather than fixed quotations. Unless stated otherwise, they exclude lifting, storage and substantial laminate repairs.

• DIY chips and short scratches: £30 to £80. This covers a small repair kit, abrasives and polishing materials. Buying separate colour-matched gelcoat, catalyst and tools can take the total above £100.
• One accessible professional repair: £150 to £400. Even a small chip needs preparation, colour matching, curing, levelling and polishing, so minimum charges account for much of the bill.
• A cluster of chips or a deeper scrape: £400 to £1,200. Allow more where the repair crosses a stripe, curved edge or moulded non-slip surface.
• Local damage involving laminate: £800 to £3,000 or more. Access, drying and the amount of damaged glass matter more than the visible scratch length.
• Compound and polish on 30ft topsides: £500 to £1,200. Heavy oxidation needing careful wet sanding may increase this to approximately £1,000 to £2,500.

Having several chips repaired in one visit generally offers better value. Ask whether the price includes polishing the surrounding panel. A shiny repair in an otherwise chalky hull will stand out.

Full topsides recoating costs

For complete topsides recoating on a 30ft boat, allow £10,000 to £25,000 initially. Extensive stripping, damage or awkward access can push the bill higher. This covers the hull sides above the waterline, not the deck, underwater hull or entire boat.