Knowing how much to repaint a car is something you ought to consider because there would be times when you have no choice but to get a paint job for your vehicle. This may be due to the fact that your car was involved in an accident or your car is too old. Painting your car is also a brilliant opportunity to rejuvenate the original look of the car or just to try out an entirely new color.
No matter what your reasons are to get repainting done, knowing exactly how much you would spend will ensure that you won’t be caught off guard. Regardless of how much the whole paint job costs, it is essential to know that repainting your whole vehicle is a long and time-consuming process and involves a special set of tools and skills, which is a job that is best left to a professional. So, be ready to not have a car with you for a while.
How Much to Repaint a Car?
Factors that Affect the Prices
Before we go deep into discussing how much it is to repaint a car, let us talk about the two main factors that can affect the price of the paint job.
- Factor #1: The Prep Work
Before the repainting process begins, the whole car needs to be sanded from top to bottom. All the dings, dents, and scratches need to be repaired during this process as well. This whole process is not only time consuming but is also very labor intensive.
Another thing that needs to be done in the prep process is masking the car so that when it gets painted, parts of it that need protection from the color always stay covered. These parts include the mirrors, windows, tail lights, antennas, and so on.
A great car painter will ensure to remove the trim and will carefully mask all the surrounding areas, while those who are not that good might mask over the trim with tape. While the latter saves time, it does not give the car a professional look. The former, on the other hand, is extremely time-consuming but will guarantee you a clean and an extremely professional looking paint job.
- Factor #2: The Quality of Materials
The other factor that affects the price of the paint job is the quality of the paint used. Ensure that you speak beforehand to the shop’s representative about the paint quality they are planning on using. It goes without saying that an expensive paint will have a high-level of durability and will not chip and peel as much.
Additionally, you will also need to find out about the primer and the clear coat options. These two will add to the cost but will guarantee a high-quality paint job.
Professional Car Repainting Costs
Every car painting shop will offer you different levels of car repainting services. They are all based on different budgets and the client’s requirements. These include:
- Basic
A basic paint job is possibly the most affordable since it involves very little coats of paint on the car and uses synthetic enamel paint. If you opt for this kind of paint job, the painter is most likely not going to paint those areas of the car that are not typically visible. For instance, the inside of the hood. The cost range for a basic paint job will be between $300 and $900.
- Standard
A standard paint job is something that most people opt for, and it will include completely sanding the body of your vehicle and also removing any rust from it before the paint job so that you ultimately get an attractive looking finish. For a standard paint job will set you back anywhere between $1000 and $4000.
Opting for this kind of paint job is typically ideal as it gives you an attractive finish, which is better than a basic paint job but not as expensive as a showroom quality paint job.
- Showroom Quality
It is pretty clear that showroom quality indicates that the car will be returned back to you the same way you first received it when you bought it. The process in this involves thoroughly sanding the body right down to the bare metal, getting rid of all the rust and dents, and then applying about 24 coats of very high-quality car paint.
This whole process is extremely time-consuming, and it would typically take not less than a month. Also, be ready to shell out about $20,000, or maybe more, depending on your car.
Price vs. Quality
If you do opt for a professional service, it is essential to remember that you can only choose one between price and quality. If you opt for a price, be ready for the quality to suffer as most painters will use inferior materials and just do a quick job.
Choosing quality, on the other hand, will ensure you get the best out of the money you spend, but it will definitely cost you quite a bit and will take a couple of days for the car to come back to you. So, whatever you choose, make sure you do so wisely.
Can Car Repainting be a DIY Project?
If you are cash strapped and have quite a bit of time in your hand, then car repainting can be a DIY project. All the necessary materials to repaint your car are widely available and will cost you about a hundred dollars. You would need a primer, gloss paint, paint trays, foam brushes, sandpaper, masking tape, and mineral spirits for cleaning.
The biggest challenges of a DIY project are finding the appropriate location to do the job. Most body shops have climate-controlled booths that are able to limit the level of dirt and dust that could get in contact with the paint and ruin the whole finish. So, for a DIY project, ensure that you paint your car in a closed and well-ventilated space, such as a garage yet.
Conclusion
We hope this article gave you an idea of how much to repaint a car. Make sure to find out how much the paint job will cost you right after the painter has evaluated the car. You should also know exactly what you are looking for and speak about it with the painter right at the start.
