How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car? Bankrate Caret RightMain Menu Mortgage Mortgages Financing a home purchase Refinancing your existing loan Finding the right lender Additional Resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Bank Banking Compare Accounts Use calculators Get advice Bank reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Credit Card Credit cards Compare by category Compare by credit needed Compare by issuer Get advice Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Caret RightMain Menu Loan Loans Personal Loans Student Loans Auto Loans Loan calculators Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Invest Investing Best of Brokerages and robo-advisors Learn the basics Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Home Equity Home equity Get the best rates Lender reviews Use calculators Knowledge base Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Loan Home Improvement Real estate Selling a home Buying a home Finding the right agent Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Insurance Insurance Car insurance Homeowners insurance Other insurance Company reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Retirement Retirement Retirement plans & accounts Learn the basics Retirement calculators Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. How We Make Money
The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. SHARE: On This Page
Monty Rakusen/Getty IMages August 11, 2022 Mary Blowers is a former contributor to Bankrate and a freelance writer who specializes in education, travel, and money management. Mary is published on sites like Top Management Degrees, Safety.com, Reviews.com, Million Mile Secrets, and My Move. Rhys has been editing and writing for Bankrate since late 2021. They are passionate about helping readers gain the confidence to take control of their finances by providing clear, well-researched information that breaks down otherwise complex topics into manageable bites. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by and edited by , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Our loans reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most — the different types of lending options, the best rates, the best lenders, how to pay off debt and more — so you can feel confident when investing your money. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity
Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers. Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Bankrate logo How we make money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Giving your car a fresh coat of paint is a great way to make your vehicle feel new again or even improve its original appearance. Depending on the vehicle’s size and the paint color and style you choose, the cost to give your car this type of facelift ranges from just a few hundred dollars to $20,000 or more. The expense may be a wise investment, however. Not only does a new coat of paint make your car look good, but it also protects the vehicle from wear and tear and corrosive damage. Before you embark on repainting, be sure you understand what’s involved. Factors that affect cost
Size: The size and type of vehicle you drive will greatly impact the cost to paint it. Painting the body of a large SUV will cost more than painting that of a smaller coupe. Paint color: Not all paint is created equal; the color and quality of the paint will range in cost. Painting your car a basic color such as white or black will be cheaper than a less common color. Paint type: The price range for one coat of synthetic enamel paint is anywhere from $300 to $700 for an average-sized sedan, according to . High-quality paint, on the other hand, may cost several thousand dollars. Paint finish: Paint finish refers to the amount of shine that the paint has. Depending on your style, prices vary for matte, gloss or semi-gloss finishes. Paint finish costs may also include adding a coat of wax or seal your car’s paint job. The cost of a regular wax is about $100 to $200. A specialized ceramic coating will be more expensive. Caliber of body shop: Through research you may come across very inexpensive paint jobs, but beware: Price and quality of work go hand in hand when it comes to getting your car painted. If you opt for a bargain body shop, the work quality is not likely to include the same level of care and attention. Should you get professional car paint job or DIY
When deciding between professional or DIY painting, consider your purpose for painting — do you want a quick cosmetic fix before selling the vehicle, or are you working on a restoration passion project? A DIY paint fix may add some value to a dinged-up car, but it won’t ultimately improve it. While it’s possible to paint your own vehicle, it involves patience, skill and a range of paints and tools you may need to purchase specifically for the job. The result of your own paint job may not provide the high-quality vehicle facelift you are looking for. Do-it-yourself paint jobs are best suited for older vehicles or all-terrain vehicles that frequently pick up knocks and scratches. For people looking to restore a family vehicle or collector’s car to its original condition, it’s usually a better idea to employ the services of an auto repair shop where professionals apply up to 24 even coats of paint for a high-gloss, durable finish. Professional auto painting costs
Many body shops offer several levels of service to cater to customers with different budgets and requirements. The main types of paint service are: Basic: The most inexpensive paint job involves as few coats as possible, using synthetic enamel paint. For the basic job, the painters are unlikely to paint areas that are not normally visible, such as the inside of the hood. Basic costs range from $300 to $1,000. Standard: The cost of a standard paint job usually includes sanding the body and removing rust before painting to get an attractive finish. Standard costs range from $1,000 to $4,500. Showroom quality: This process involves sanding the bodywork down to the bare metal, removing all the rust and dents and then applying up to 24 coats of high-quality paint. The project may take up to a month, and the showroom-quality costs can run anywhere from $5,000 to as high as $20,000 in some cases. DIY auto painting costs
For older vehicles, the cost of a professional paint job may be excessive. In these cases, you may wish to try painting the vehicle yourself. The necessary materials are widely available from hardware and automotive stores for as little as $200. Your only other costs are in time and effort. The required materials and tools include: Gloss paint. Primer. Foam brushes. Paint trays. Masking tape. Sandpaper. Mineral spirits for cleaning. One of the biggest concerns with a DIY project is finding a location to paint the vehicle. Many professional painting and body shops have climate-controlled booths designed to limit the amount of dust and dirt that might come into contact with the paint and ruin the finish. For a DIY project, your best option is to paint the vehicle in a clean, well-ventilated garage. Tips for painting your own car
There are several steps to consider when painting your own car. Work downward. Start by painting the high spots like the roof, the top of the hood and the tops of the doors before working your way down the vehicle. Use consistent pressure. You will need to use consistent pressure while applying paint with your foam brush. Don’t use too much paint. Adding too much paint at once could create drips and runs in the finish. Aim for even coats, keeping in mind that you’ll need to make multiple passes. Be patient. You will likely want to add several coats of paint to achieve a clean finish, but you must allow at least six hours in between each coat. If these steps seem daunting but you have a small budget, consider a basic paint job done by a professional. Consider quality vs price before painting your car
Everybody wants a cost-effective service, so when you are contacting body shops to get quotes for your auto-painting project, it’s tempting to go for the lowest price offer. However, you get what you pay for. Lowball quotes may be for a low-quality paint job or inferior materials. Rather than removing trim, the painters may simply mask it off, and they may not paint areas that aren’t visible. Cheap paint jobs may also have poor taping techniques that will result in overspray on your windows or rubber fixtures. The quote may not include certain services that the auto painters charge as an additional rate, meaning they may choose to paint over problems like rust or dents rather than taking the steps to address those issues first. Before committing to a service, ask the painters what steps and details their price covers. Check if sanding and preparing the bodywork is part of the cost and ask to look at previous examples of their work to make sure that you are happy with the quality. The bottom line
When shopping around to have your car painted, remember many factors will ultimately influence the cost you’re charged, including the color paint you select, the finish and the quality of the paint. The size of your vehicle will also play a role in the price. Though you may be tempted to go for the lowest price possible, remember the final look of the paint job may suffer. You may end up with paint that doesn’t last as long or key details may be ignored or overlooked. Take the time to carefully review what’s included before making a final decision. Learn more
SHARE: Mary Blowers is a former contributor to Bankrate and a freelance writer who specializes in education, travel, and money management. Mary is published on sites like Top Management Degrees, Safety.com, Reviews.com, Million Mile Secrets, and My Move. Rhys has been editing and writing for Bankrate since late 2021. They are passionate about helping readers gain the confidence to take control of their finances by providing clear, well-researched information that breaks down otherwise complex topics into manageable bites. Related Articles