How Much Does It Cost to Repaint a Car?

Are you contemplating whether to sell your car and buy a new one? Or perhaps, you want to repaint your car, but you are not sure how much it will cost. How much does it cost to repaint a car?

An inexpensive repainting of your car will cost about $600. A mid-level repaint job with rust removal can range in price from $1,000 to $4,000. A high-quality repaint can cost $4,000 up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Generally, the higher the cost of a repaint job, the longer the paint job’s quality will last. A cheap, $600 repainting of your car will start to show signs of wearing out after about three years. More expensive repainting jobs will last longer.

The cost of getting your car repainted will vary for each shop. It is best to get a quote from more than one shop so that you can compare and decide which shop will provide the best value.

Read on to learn more about the cost to repaint a car and how to save costs.

How Much Does It Cost to Repaint a Car?

A cheap repainting of your car will cost about $600. A mid-level repaint job with rust removal can range in price from $1,000 to $4,000. And a high-quality repaint can cost $4,000 up to tens of thousands of dollars.

The cost would depend on the type of paint you’ll use, whether you will repaint it yourself or have a shop repaint it. Of course, you can save on cost if you do the repainting yourself, as the labor would not be added. To repaint the car yourself, you must truly know what you are doing.

how much does it cost to repaint a car

How Much Does It Cost Repainting the Car by Yourself (DIY)?

There are some ways you can save money, and that’s doing the repainting yourself. All you really need are the proper materials, a bit of patience, and know-how, and you’re good to start painting. Nevertheless, you have to be careful about doing it yourself because it may not always turn out the way you expected it to be.

If you decide to get a repaint, it’s always best to look for the best prices with excellent services, so that when your car gets repainted, the results will last longer. See to it that you take extra care of your car after you had it repainted so that the paint will not fade away over the years.

how much does it cost to repaint your car

Should You Repaint the Whole Car or Some Parts of It?

Before repainting your car, you must first look at the damages your car has. If it only has some minor chips and cracks, then repainting the entire car clearly doesn’t make sense. You can either touch up the hood, repaint it, or fix the door dings. This job will only cost about $500 to $1,100.

Also, the price still depends on the damages that need to be repaired. Another thing to consider is your surroundings, whether you live in a hot or cold place. The sun can have intense and damaging rays, which can lead to faded and hazy paint. And cold areas could promote rust formation.

How much to repaint a car? A cheap repainting of your car will cost about $600. A mid-level repaint job with rust removal can range in price from $1,000 to $4,000.

Next, let’s look more into the average cost to repaint a car.

How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Truck?

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Professional Repaint Your Car?

As discussed above, you can spend around $600 to $1,000 or more when hiring a professional car painter to repaint your car. It could even cost more when the person is a notable name in the profession.

Professional Painter Cost vs Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Cost  

If you compare the cost between the two, the DIY car repaint cost is less expensive, from $457 to $518, compared to $599 up to $7,500 cost for a professional service. Therefore, you can choose the DIY if you are short of cash. However, if money is not a problem, you should choose a professional to do the job for you.

How Can You Keep the Cost Low When Repainting?

Do-it-yourself is the best way to repaint a car when your budget is low. This method can also directly control what paint to use, where to buy your materials, and how much paint to use. The downside to DIY is that you may commit mistakes due to your insufficient experience.

You can solve this issue by practicing how to repaint and acquiring all the information you need before starting the task.

Let us now proceed to some tips that you should observe when repainting your car.

High Build Primer [When to Use and Best Automotive High Build Primers]

Tips for Repainting Your Car

1. Know Your Budget

Your budget is one crucial thing to take note of. You have to set aside the money for you to get the best repaint possible. While a cheap repaint is fine, especially if your car is an older model, you would surely want the best paint for your newer car. Using cheap paint doesn’t damage your car, but at least choose a classy paint color.

How much does it cost to repaint a car the same color? It is generally the same cost to repaint a car the same color or a different color. The average cost can range anywhere from $600 to $1000 depending on where the car is repainted.

If your car has a higher value or is a collector’s item, then going for a cheap repaint can ruin the car and possibly decrease its worth.

2. Decide Whether the Damage Needs a Total Repaint

Determine whether the damage needs a total repaint or just a bit of spray. You have to consider this factor to avoid spending money on a full repaint, which your car does not need. It is also smart not to get an old car repainted, as you could be spending money on an old engine that would soon conk out.

3. Wear the Proper Protective Gear When Repainting

Ensure your safety by wearing protective gear when repainting your car. The paint’s fumes can be toxic when exhaled and can be dangerous when amassed inside the body. You could wear a face mask, a pair of thick gloves, eye protection, and an appropriate working apron. This way, your vital body parts are safely protected.

4. Work in a Well-ventilated Area

When working with chemicals, you have to make sure that you are in an area where there are no animals or children around you. Your working area should not be a closed space, so you will not breathe in the fumes. It would help if you worked in an open space so that the wind would drive away the toxic fumes.

There are newly invented paints that are odorless but do not get deceived, as they still contain hazardous chemicals that can be volatile or flammable.

the cost to repaint a car

5. Don’t Work Near Flames or Other Chemicals

Paints contain ethanol, a type of alcohol that is explosive and volatile. So don’t work near a fire or any other chemicals. A chemical reaction may occur, leading to combustion or explosion. Be careful about where to place the paint. Place it in a cool shady area, away from heat or warm temperature.

6. Don’t Cover up Damaged Areas

When repainting your car, you should never paint over a damaged area. If there is a dent or crack, repair the damaged area first before applying paint. When you ignore these small repairs, it could become worse and would rust over the years.

This occurrence would lead to more expenditures in future repairs. And it could cost you more than what you would have spent for the minor repair at the onset.

7. Remove Dents and Rusts Before Sanding

Before repainting through the DIY method, repair the dents, and get rid of the rusts. After all dents and rusts are dealt with, sand the car’s surface several times until it becomes clean and smooth. You can sand the car’s surface twice in a circular motion. Remember to remove plastic and chrome parts.

After you have sanded the surface, including the rusted areas, you must apply a primer to make the surface smoother and ready for painting. Work the primer carefully over the car’s body until it comes perfectly smooth.

8. Cover the Parts You Don’t Want to Be Painted

You can cover the parts you don’t want to paint with a newspaper and masking tape. Be careful not to include areas that you should paint. The TCP Global Paint Spray Gun would help you paint the difficult-to-reach car parts. Spray the exposed areas evenly, taking care not to smudge the paint.

9. Hold the Spray Gun 6 Inches Away

When painting, hold the spray gun at least 6 inches away from the car’s surface. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in using the paint. Spray evenly using a sweeping motion and moving from side to side. Usually, you can spray the surface evenly with three to four coatings. Nonetheless, you can do more coats if you are not contented with the result.

10. Dry the Paint Thoroughly

After you have painted the whole car, you must allow the paint to dry thoroughly. This can take from 30 minutes to an hour. You have to follow the instructions correctly, or else your hard work would go down the drain.

11. Consult a Professional When in Doubt

Proceed only with the DIY method when you are sure you can successfully complete the repainting task. Otherwise, it is not too late to consult a professional for the job. If you have to spend twice repainting your car because you messed up in your DIY repainting, it would be a disaster.

Conclusion – How Much Does It Cost to Repaint a Car?

What is the average cost to repaint a car? A cheap car repaint can cost you around $599 to $690. It may be affordable, but the paint may only last a good 2 or 3 years. A mid-level repaint job with rust and dents removal could cost you $1,000 to $3,600, with an average of $1,300. A high-quality repaint would last longer but more expensive, costing $2,400 up to $7,500.

Doing it yourself is less expensive, as it would only cost you from $457 to $518. However, a bit of skill and experience is required. If you want to save on cost in repainting your car, you can acquire the skill by practicing on surfaces similar to your car’s exterior.

Use the materials presented above to facilitate your work and ensure that you are using quality products to paint your car.

Have fun repainting!

Related reading:

Bullet Holes in Car – How to Repair

What Does Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) Cost?

Is It Illegal to Drive Without a Front Bumper?

Is Neo Chrome Good on Vehicles?