How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car

If the paint on your car is peeling, or you have scratches or rust, or you just don't like the color of your car anymore, you can get a new paint job done. A new paint job can greatly improve the looks of your car, and make the difference between feelings of shame and pride while drive your vehicle.

Typical Cost Of Painting A Car

A car paint can cost as little as $250-400 at the national car chain MAACO, to as much as $4000 at a custom body shop.

Included In The Cost

  • You will get your car sanded to remove old paint, grease, and dirt. This will make the paint stick better to your car.
  • the parts that don't need painting will be removed or covered. This can be quite labor intensive, and is something you might be able to do yourself to get a discount.
  • Usually get 2 layers of paint on your car.

Consider These Factors

  • If the shop needs to do a lot of extra work, such as removing parts separately, it will cost more.
  • Also, if you want your car to be a completely different color, it will be more expensive.
  • The size of the car will be of influence on the price. Obviously, a larger car will be more expensive than a small one, as more paint and time is required to fully cover the body work of your car.

Additional Costs

  • To have an even better job done, you can ask for extra layers of paint (instead of two layers). This will be more expensive, but also provides a paint job that lasts longer.
  • There are different types of paint. A higher quality paint will be more expensive.
  • A layer of clear coat on top of the spray paint can give your car paint more protection, as well as extra shine.
  • If the car needs some repair in the body work before it can be painted, it will cost more. It will cost up to a couple of hundred dollars to fix dents and scratches.

Tips Before Getting Your Car Painted

  • Make sure that you check out the warranty terms. Normally, you would get a warranty that lasts a couple of years. This sounds like quite a while, but a bad paint job might last less than three years. Therefore, a couple of years of warranty will give you the piece of mind that the job will be done well.
  • When you visit a body shop, make sure to inspect the painting booth, to see if it is dust-free and clean looking. If they have recently done a car paint, you can look at that car to see how clean the work was done.
  • Get 3 or 4 price quotes from different shops, as prices may vary as well as quality, even within chains.