How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Bumper?

The price of having a bumper painted depends on many factors and ranges from $300-$2,000. Options range from DIY to using an auto paint shop.

Your car’s bumpers are vital safety components with a prominent aesthetic that can make or break the overall appearance of your vehicle.

A bumper paint job generally won’t break the bank, but whether a DIY or a professional paint job, it’s essential to get it right to save money and maintain your vehicle’s overall appearance.

A car, SUV, or truck bumper needing a paint job is not something you can swiftly remedy with some duct tape and a Sharpie, especially when you consider safety factors and the aesthetic impact on the car. A front bumper paint cost is especially worth it just to maintain the overall exterior look of the vehicle.

Can you handle the job yourself? Most likely. But the cost to have it done at a local body shop or by a sizable chain professional auto painter may be sensible enough to consider.

Although many factors exist, including DIY vs. professional body shop, the cost range to paint a bumper is $300-$2,000.

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Painting A Bumper: Methods and Options

There are various methods to fixing your bumper, which includes:

  • Paint/repaint the bumper yourself
  • Replace with a new bumper
  • Salvage a used bumper from eBay or a junkyard
  • Use a local auto body shop

Bumper Paint Cost: Do It Yourself vs. Using a Professional Body Shop

Automotive Body Repair

Whether it’s a DIY project or a professional bumper paint job, patience is essential because painting a bumper generally requires waiting 24 to 48 hours for multiple coats of primer, paint, and protective clear coat to dry.

There are additional concerns when considering the average price to paint a bumper. We’ll cover them here and review the costs of different car bumper painting options and methods.

Plus, we’ll share real-life experiences by fellow vehicle owners who have also wondered: How much does it cost to paint a bumper? Their stories reveal the subtleties and verified tips to successfully give a bumper a new paint job.

Reasons To Paint A Car Bumper

Painting Blue Bumper

There are many reasons why a car owner may want to entirely repaint a bumper, usually for practical or aesthetic reasons. Vehicle owners have cited fire damage and severe paint chipping as practical reasons for a paint job for their bumpers.

Aesthetics may be another reason to paint a bumper, such as color-matching the bumper color with the vehicle’s body color. And occasionally, minor everyday dings, dents, and scrapes to a bumper may need more than a swift touch-up.

But is the expense of repainting a bumper worth it?

Should I Repaint Or Replace A Bad Bumper?

Repairing Front Bumper

When looking to paint a bumper, you must first decide whether you want to replace or repaint the bumper. Unsurprisingly, the cost difference is considerable.

The price to replace a new bumper on most typical consumer cars can range from $800 to $2,000, which includes the cost of installation.

Using a secondhand bumper salvaged from a scrap yard can save you a lot and typically costs $50 to $500 for consumer and high-end vehicles. Installation can add another $200 to $500.

Painting over a damaged bumper unquestionably will reduce the value of the vehicle.

But if you’re replacing the bumper with a new one or the paint job is purely for aesthetic reasons on an undamaged bumper, its resale value is either unaffected or influenced very slightly.

Cost To Paint Bumper: Materials And Time Commitments

Handing Over Money Cost Price

A lot of skilled car repair workers can replicate the original color of any vehicle. This is another advantage of going to a professional. Nevertheless, seeking help from your nearby car component shop to find the exact shade should be effortless.

The cost of painting or repainting a front or rear car bumper varies considerably and generally ranges from a few hundred to a couple thousand, depending on numerous factors.

Car owners in popular automotive forums consistently mention paying $300 to $2,000 to have their bumpers professionally painted at local auto body shops. Many vehicle owners say they’ve found more affordable deals at chain auto body shops.

You can do a bumper paint job in a few particular ways, and costs vary significantly. Various factors affect cost, like using an independent body shop over a chain auto paint shop. And a DIY bumper paint job can cost half the price of a professional job.

A large auto paint shop offers complete car paint services for about $700. People on online forums mentioned paying about $250-$300 for painting their car bumpers at the same shop. A luxury car owner claimed that their bumper was repainted in a day and cost approximately $250.

However, if you do it yourself, you can save money. A DIY bumper paint job is likely going to cost you around $200-$250 for supplies, which primarily include:

  • 3 to 4 cans of spray paint
  • primer
  • clear coat
  • masking tape
  • sandpaper
  • drop cloths

Cost To Paint Front Bumper

Rear Bumper

So, how much does it cost to paint a front bumper? When it comes to having a local auto body shop spray paint a front bumper, you can expect to fork out around $700.

The consensus from auto body shops when I inquired about how much it costs to paint a front bumper is between $500 and $800. However, I am cognizant of instances where owners reportedly paid between $1,200 and $2,000 to paint their forward bumper.

If the front bumper has an uneven surface and needs resurfacing due to chips and nicks from rocks and road salt, you’re looking at expenses closer to $800. The cost may also be higher if color tint matching is crucial.

A vehicle owner mentioned in an online automotive forum that he paid $300 to get his car’s front bumper professionally repainted to cover fire damage. He reportedly received quotes of $400-$900. These figures align well with what most other car owners say in prominent automotive forums.

Cost To Paint Rear Bumper

Rear Bumper

How much does it cost to paint a back bumper?

According to my inquiries with a dozen of automotive shops, painting a rear bumper costs between $300-$550.

I personally know a Beemer owner, who paid $550 for a rear bumper paint job that included some slight bodywork on the bumper.

Conclusion: Bumper Paint Job Costs Vary, But Expect To Pay Between $300-$700

Damaged Rear Bumper

How much it costs to get a bumper painted depends on multiple factors.

Fortunately, if you find yourself faced with a bumper needing a paint job, numerous options are available. Whether your solution to paint a bumper includes purchasing a couple of cans of spray paint or hiring a professional, most people expect to pay at most $1,000.

A friend of mine with a Lexus LS reported quotes ranging from $850 to $1,450 to have his bumper painted at local body shops. However, some car owners reportedly got by with a $250-$300 amateur job.

You don’t necessarily have to remove the bumper to paint it completely. If you are tight on time or space, you can always use masking tape. But a trip to a chain auto paint shop may cost you a little above a do-it-yourself job, with the average chain bumper paint job costing $300-$500.

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David M. Ciminelli

David M. Ciminelli is a Southern California-based journalist and longtime auto enthusiast who has contributed to a plethora of popular automotive sites.