Investing in a custom paint job or even a respray to refresh the same color painted on at the factory is a big investment that should only be done after a lot of consideration.
In some cases, the paint is a necessity after an accident, fender-bender, or when some other damage is done. In any case, paint should always be applied as soon as possible to areas of bare and exposed metal in order to prevent rusting.
Because rust can be inhibited but never stopped, it is important that you reduce the chances of oxidation setting in. You can do this by repairing scratches with clear nail polish and larger areas with rust-inhibiting spray paint.
Let’s consider some other important questions regarding car paint cost and an overview of the process below.
Will You Sand My Vehicle Before Painting It?
Yes.
There is no way to build a foundation for the paint to stick if we don’t thoroughly sand it to the appropriate course roughness.
This gives the paint some cliffs and crevices for it to penetrate and latch onto for a stronger adhesion bond. It’s the same idea behind Velcro, which is essentially thousands of tiny hooks that are able to latch onto the thousands of tiny loops for an adhesive bond.
Sanding also has the dual benefit of reducing surface contamination of wax and other chemical residues that may linger after the initial prep work. However, the more sanding we have to do, the higher the cost to paint a car.
We can do additional sanding procedures after the new paint is sprayed to smooth the paint out even further. The difference between our highest-grade paint jobs and basic paint packages turns on the hours of sanding and refinishing requested.
If you sand a vehicle enough, you can obtain a glassy showroom finish that is superior to the factory finish.
However, it is a very careful process that requires appropriate curing times and careful sanding to ensure that none of the sandpaper winds up embedded in the new paint. It can be tedious and time-consuming to produce ultra-smooth finishes that are fit for a high-end auction house.
How Long Will The Paint Last?
The biggest factors that affect the quality of the finish are UV radiation and weather.
A vehicle that is parked in direct sunlight and exposed to acid rain, bird droppings, tree sap, pollution, and other factors will degrade significantly faster than one that is garage-kept and parked in the shade.
This is why they call a lot of show cars garage queens. They are usually stored safely in the garage and only brought out briefly for their car show beauty pageants when the weather is nice. Any serious car collector stores their vehicle and rarely if ever drives it.
Why Does it Cost So Much to Repair a Small Ding?
A small ding is a big project because there are a lot of tedious steps involved.
The auto-body shop technician is paid for his man-hours more than materials. The cost to paint a car from top to bottom is a more involved job but can be simultaneously worked on by several technicians at a time.
Because a lot of the time in the painting is waiting for the paint to cure, that time is a little different if it is a whole car or a little ding. Having the vehicle taking up space in the paint booth or bake booth to protect it from the weather and to set properly prevents us from taking on other jobs.
Even a ding has to be sanded down adequately for the body filler compound to bond.
Then, the fiberglass body filler resin must dry.
After it is done, it needs to be sanded down again to smoothly blend with the vehicle.
Next, it needs a second layer for smoothness or glazing coat applied. This also must set and then be sanded down again.
Finally, the repair is ready for primer and paint, which must be carefully color-matched to ensure that it is flush with your paint color even if it is faded from UV-radiation over the years.
How Much Does it Cost to Change the Color of My Car?
Changing the color of your car requires some additional prep work. You can’t just sand down the color coat and apply a fresh color coat.
Instead, you have to apply a primer that is opaque enough to cover the original color entirely.
Then, you have to build up fresh layers of the color coat to get a rich and even finish.
Finally, in either case, you have to apply several coats of clear coat. The number of man-hours involved and the type of paint all lead to additional charges when you change the color.
Of course, there are two different types of color changes.
If the new colors clash, you should consider having the door jambs, trunk interior, and under the hood sprayed to match. This will provide a greater level of uniformity so that the repaint job isn’t obvious. Although it is something to brag about if you have the luxury of having your car painted, you may feel a greater level of pride when you have the job completed more thoroughly.
In any case, the car paint cost for our services is less than the car paint cost when you do it yourself. This is because you simply cannot afford all the quality tools you need to even do a basic paint job.
Even then, the car paint cost is multiplied many times over by the learning curve, no matter how talented you may be. For this reason, our car paint cost is very affordable.
How Long Will it Take to Paint My Car?
The great majority of vehicles will be finished in as few as 2 to 3 days. It is even possible to have the work completed in two full business days by dropping the vehicle off when we open and picking it up later the next day.
Of course, you should always expect delays of an additional day or two when parts need to be ordered or laborious bodywork is needed.
Rest assured that our auto-body shop prides itself in being punctual and efficient. We know how much time should be allocated to any task and have a habit of maximizing our own efficiency without sacrificing the quality of our work.
In essence, we have so much experience and the processes entirely streamlined to ensure that you are not waiting prolix periods of time without a vehicle.
Conclusion
The cost to paint a car is determined by a number of esoteric factors.
Our auto-body shop is well-equipped to handle the universal number of tasks that are a part of any paint job. Our auto-body shop saves you time and money by doing things right the first time for lasting results.
You can choose from our urethane paint lines for a durable finish that is hardened for the industry, enamel finishes, or two-stage base and clear coat packages.
The difference between the paint used at our auto-body shop and spray paint is that our paint has a hardener which gives it a solid and durable finish.
Spray paint kits for your car will not hold up to long-term wear and tear. The cost to paint a car using spray paint is probably more when you consider how many cans you need. We also have a bake booth to ensure the ideal level of humidity and temperature for each application.
The cost to paint a car is worth it when you obtain the personal satisfaction of a good looking fresh vehicle years after the warranty has expired.
Don’t let your car be a roadblock for you.
Investing in a custom paint job or even a respray to refresh the same color painted on at the factory is a big investment that should only be done after a lot of consideration.
In some cases, the paint is a necessity after an accident, fender-bender, or when some other damage is done. In any case, paint should always be applied as soon as possible to areas of bare and exposed metal in order to prevent rusting.
Because rust can be inhibited but never stopped, it is important that you reduce the chances of oxidation setting in. You can do this by repairing scratches with clear nail polish and larger areas with rust-inhibiting spray paint.
Let’s consider some other important questions regarding car paint cost and an overview of the process below.
Shouldl I Sand My Vehicle Before Painting It?
Yes.
There is no way to build a foundation for the paint to stick if we don’t thoroughly sand it to the appropriate course roughness.
This gives the paint some cliffs and crevices for it to penetrate and latch onto for a stronger adhesion bond. It’s the same idea behind Velcro, which is essentially thousands of tiny hooks that are able to latch onto the thousands of tiny loops for an adhesive bond.
Sanding also has the dual benefit of reducing surface contamination of wax and other chemical residues that may linger after the initial prep work. However, the more sanding we have to do, the higher the cost to paint a car.
We can do additional sanding procedures after the new paint is sprayed to smooth the paint out even further. The difference between our highest-grade paint jobs and basic paint packages turns on the hours of sanding and refinishing requested.
If you sand a vehicle enough, you can obtain a glassy showroom finish that is superior to the factory finish.
However, it is a very careful process that requires appropriate curing times and careful sanding to ensure that none of the sandpaper winds up embedded in the new paint. It can be tedious and time-consuming to produce ultra-smooth finishes that are fit for a high-end auction house.
How Long Will The Paint Last?
The biggest factors that affect the quality of the finish are UV radiation and weather.
A vehicle that is parked in direct sunlight and exposed to acid rain, bird droppings, tree sap, pollution, and other factors will degrade significantly faster than one that is garage-kept and parked in the shade.
This is why they call a lot of show cars garage queens. They are usually stored safely in the garage and only brought out briefly for their car show beauty pageants when the weather is nice. Any serious car collector stores their vehicle and rarely if ever drives it.
Why Does it Cost So Much to Repair a Small Ding?
A small ding is a big project because there are a lot of tedious steps involved.
The auto-body shop technician is paid for his man-hours more than materials. The cost to paint a car from top to bottom is a more involved job but can be simultaneously worked on by several technicians at a time.
Because a lot of the time in the painting is waiting for the paint to cure, that time is a little different if it is a whole car or a little ding. Having the vehicle taking up space in the paint booth or bake booth to protect it from the weather and to set properly prevents us from taking on other jobs.
Even a ding has to be sanded down adequately for the body filler compound to bond.
Then, the fiberglass body filler resin must dry.
After it is done, it needs to be sanded down again to smoothly blend with the vehicle.
Next, it needs a second layer for smoothness or glazing coat applied. This also must set and then be sanded down again.
Finally, the repair is ready for primer and paint, which must be carefully color-matched to ensure that it is flush with your paint color even if it is faded from UV-radiation over the years.
How Much Does it Cost to Change the Color of My Car?
Changing the color of your car requires some additional prep work. You can’t just sand down the color coat and apply a fresh color coat.
Instead, you have to apply a primer that is opaque enough to cover the original color entirely.
Then, you have to build up fresh layers of the color coat to get a rich and even finish.
Finally, in either case, you have to apply several coats of clear coat. The number of man-hours involved and the type of paint all lead to additional charges when you change the color.
Of course, there are two different types of color changes.
If the new colors clash, you should consider having the door jambs, trunk interior, and under the hood sprayed to match. This will provide a greater level of uniformity so that the repaint job isn’t obvious. Although it is something to brag about if you have the luxury of having your car painted, you may feel a greater level of pride when you have the job completed more thoroughly.
In any case, the car paint cost for our services is less than the car paint cost when you do it yourself. This is because you simply cannot afford all the quality tools you need to even do a basic paint job.
Even then, the car paint cost is multiplied many times over by the learning curve, no matter how talented you may be. For this reason, our car paint cost is very affordable.
How Long Will it Take to Paint My Car?
The great majority of vehicles will be finished in as few as 2 to 3 days. It is even possible to have the work completed in two full business days by dropping the vehicle off when we open and picking it up later the next day.
Of course, you should always expect delays of an additional day or two when parts need to be ordered or laborious bodywork is needed.
Rest assured that our auto-body shop prides itself in being punctual and efficient. We know how much time should be allocated to any task and have a habit of maximizing our own efficiency without sacrificing the quality of our work.
In essence, we have so much experience and the processes entirely streamlined to ensure that you are not waiting prolix periods of time without a vehicle.
Conclusion
The cost to paint a car is determined by a number of esoteric factors.
Our auto-body shop is well-equipped to handle the universal number of tasks that are a part of any paint job. Our auto-body shop saves you time and money by doing things right the first time for lasting results.
You can choose from our urethane paint lines for a durable finish that is hardened for the industry, enamel finishes, or two-stage base and clear coat packages.
The difference between the paint used at our auto-body shop and spray paint is that our paint has a hardener which gives it a solid and durable finish.
Spray paint kits for your car will not hold up to long-term wear and tear. The cost to paint a car using spray paint is probably more when you consider how many cans you need. We also have a bake booth to ensure the ideal level of humidity and temperature for each application.
The cost to paint a car is worth it when you obtain the personal satisfaction of a good looking fresh vehicle years after the warranty has expired.
Don’t let your car be a roadblock for you.