How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car A Different Color?

Are you tired of the color of your car? Here's a guide that helps you understand just how much you can expect to pay to paint your car a different color.

Are you ready for a repaint? Have you got tired of your car’s current hue? Or perhaps you need some fresh paint for rust protection?

Whatever the reason for a fresh coat of paint, let’s get one thing clear: painting an entire car a different hue is expensive!

You’ll likely have to save up for this in the following months instead of making a hasty decision.

The process is lengthy and laborious and involves enormous quantities of paint. It must be done in a distinct environment, complete with dust sheets, particulate filtration, and full PPE, including respirators and coveralls.

Alright then. How much does it cost to paint an automobile a unique hue?

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Why Should You Paint Your Car A Different Colour?

A colored car

Unless it’s becoming especially susceptible to rust (oxidation), aesthetics is the only reason for painting your car a different color.

That’s not necessarily a damaging thing – own it!

However, know that it’s pointless for your vehicle’s continuous health and almost certainly won’t add anything to its resale value.

Paint is actually a car’s finest defense against rust. Many components are also now made of galvanized steel. Still, the dense layers of oxidation-protecting paint keep the moisture well away from any susceptible parts.

That’s why paint chips are actually more of a problem than you might think. As well as visually affecting a car, there’s now a spot for rust to get in and spread.

From an aesthetic point of view, a new coat of paint can really make a car stand out. These days, most manufacturers limit standard colors to extremely dull blacks, whites, and grays.

A new coat of vibrant purple or tangerine will make your car stand out from the crowd if that’s what you desire!

There are other ways to promote your car. A thorough clean and wax will likely have a similar impact if your coat is already in good condition.

This will probably cost you a grand total of a few bucks, too – likely around a thousandth of what you’d spend on a full respray.

How Do You Paint Your Car A Different Colour?

Close up of spray gun with red paint painting a car in special b

It’s theoretically possible to substantially reduce fees by painting your own car at home.

However, if there was ever a crucial piece of advice regarding the cost of changing your car’s color, it’s this: don’t do that!

For a start, the environmental agency of your state’s government might forbid it altogether.

There’s a lot more to painting than you might think. The layers of paint must be sprayed on and uniformly applied across the entire vehicle.

You’ll have to do this several times before there’s sufficient paint on the car to create bright, rust-preventing color.

Before you even start doing this, you’ll have to create a sealed environment filled with plastic sheets. This may involve renting a workshop or garage. You’ll also need to buy the equipment and PPE if you want to avoid respiratory failure (recommended), protect the windows, trim, and lights, and safely strip all the current paint.

Finally, you’ll need to buy the paint. Expect to pay $500 to $1,500 (yes, that’s precise) just for these materials. If you’re after a unique or manufacturer-specific color, it’ll be on the higher end or even more!

A specialized workshop will already be set up to do this for you. These professionals won’t make errors. In the unlikely situation that they do, they should offer guarantees to correct it for free.

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It is expensive.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car A New Colour?

Worker painting a red car in paiting booth using professional to

How much does it cost to get your vehicle painted a unique color?

For a professional job, which would be highly advised, you’ll new a spare few thousand dollars in your banking account.

An accurate, professional paint job is likely to cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000.

You might find less expensive options from national chains. However, these most likely only include one layer. This will be extremely prone to chips and therefore provide minimal to no rust protection.

If a company is offering a respray for a low price, ask yourself how they’re able to do that. Remember, the paint alone could cost up to $1,000, and even though trades will get it for less, they’ll still be charging labor rates. Does it seem fair and authentic?

One might easily conclude that an economical respray is even less valuable than a costly job.

What Factors Affect The Cost To Paint A Car A New Colour?

The following elements can influence the expense of painting a car a different color.

Size Of The Car

Size of Car

Although it might seem obvious, the larger the car is, the more paint is required. Since more materials are needed, the cost will be greater.

It’ll also take a technician longer to paint. Therefore, you’ll find extra hours of charged labor on your estimate and invoice.

A substantial SUV could cost 50% more than a compact hatchback because of its larger surface area.

Quality And Colour Of Paint

Quality and Color of Paint

As mentioned earlier, higher-quality paints in unconventional colors can be much more expensive than standard types. Covering a car in multiple layers of paint requires a lot of the stuff.

Manufacturer-specific paints can be the most challenging way to go since these will need to be color-matched to the specifications. Expect these paints to be two or three times the cost of regular options.

How Long The Paint Job Will Take

Paint Job Time

Of course, the larger the vehicle is, the longer a respray will take. However, other factors should also be considered.

How many additional cars are in the workshop? How many days is required for the job? How much time does the paint need to cure?

All of these will affect the ultimate price.

Repairs And Prep Work

Repair and Prep Work

Before a technician can start work painting your car, they’ll need to prepare the body. This involves carefully sanding down the existing paint and repairing any damages.

Small chips and relatively minor things won’t take much time to fix. The final paint job will look uneven if they aren’t corrected first, so it’s crucial to get it done.

More substantial impacts like dents and profound scratches will, of course, also need to be repaired by a bodywork expert. Otherwise, the paint job will scarcely be worth it.

Finally, rust. All rust must be eliminated before paint is applied. It acts as a barrier against corrosion but can’t protect your car from it if it’s already present.

This all takes time, and time costs a considerable deal of money.

Is It Worth It?

Worker using a paint spray gun for painting a car

So, is the cost of painting a car a different color worth it? With an average price of a couple of thousand dollars and from a monetary point of view… usuallyno.

Exceptions might apply: vintage cars, for example, might find their values jumping substantially with a respray. This only applies to the most precious – think Shelby Cobras, Corvette Stingrays, Ford GT40s, etc.

However, you might want to paint your car a distinctive color just for pleasure. If you have that much money to spend, why not? Your hard-earned cash is yours to do with as you wish.

There are alternatives to painting your car, such as wrapping. This generally works out much less costly and can be easily removed if necessary.

Is the cost of modifying your car’s color worth it? Well, that’s up to you.

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Benjamin Kitchen

Ben is an IMI-qualified light vehicle technician from England with experience in a fast-fit garage. He aims to help drivers worldwide with common automotive problems. You’ll often find him working with his 1.2 Vauxhall Corsa. It may have a tiny engine, but in eight years it's never once let him down!