EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COST OF COMPLETE PAINT JOBS
Are you in need of a fresh new paint job for your car because you’re just sick of looking at that faded and cracked clear, peeling paint, or those ugly scratches? If you are, the first thought that pops in your mind is probably “yes, I do… but how much will it cost?”
Good question! Often times, when people here how much it actually costs for a complete refinish, they decide against painting the car. Skip the paint job and you’ll pay for it in the long run when your car rusts out.
The paint on your car is not there just to make heads turn. It’s there to protect that metal from oxidation damage, or rust. So if your car is valuable, it’s worth protecting your investment by getting it refinished.
The price of a paint job depends on two main factors: prep work, and paint quality.
The “cheap paint job” folks out there don’t focus on the first aspect, which is proper surface preparation. If the car isn’t sanded and prepped properly, the paint job will show it. It will also cause adhesion problems. That means your new paint job will peel off or flake long before it should.
Sanding is labor intensive. Every square inch of the vehicle’s surface has to be sanded, and several different types of sandpaper with varying coarseness must be used. There’s no way around it, and it’s back-breaking work. Every deep scratch, ding, and dent must be fixed during this stage or it will stick out like a sore thumb when the new shiny paint is put on the car.
The second is the quality of paint. There are several companies that produce automotive paint, and some work better than others. The high-quality paints will stick to the surface better, and provide many years of protection. They will also stand up to the environment a lot better, resisting the sun, acid rain, and the effects of heating up and cooling down through the seasons.
a Custom paint job I did which required extensive masking and painting time...
In order to put those two pieces of the puzzle together and complete a fresh shiny paint job, the car has to be properly masked. Everything that doesn’t get painted has to be meticulously masked off with tape and plastic wrap. And in order to get into the cracks and crevasses correctly, items need to be removed from the car, like emblems, trim, and some moldings. That takes time.
Places that do “cheap paint jobs” will skimp over these important areas, and it shows in the final product. Taking short cuts on proper preparation will also have an effect on the longevity of the paint job, so it’s best to avoid saving money on a cheap paint job because you’ll pay for it in the long run.
Now that I’ve given you a brief understanding of what goes into a good paint job, We can answer the question… “how much will it cost?”
At Color Boss Custom Auto Body Shop, a complete paint job will generally run in the $5,000 to $8,000 range. Custom and specialty paint jobs can go far and beyond that, but here’s the skinny on what you’ll get within that range.
$5,000 – Two Stage Base/Clear Paint Job
A “Two Stage” paint job basically means you have a base coat, or “color coat”, with the addition of a 2K clear coat. “2K” means you have an activator that acts as a catalyst, which hardens the clear coat. Having a good 2K clear coat provides a good deep shine and also long lasting protection against the effects of the environment, and a basic level clear coat product can achieve good results. The overall price range can vary on a basic two stage paint job depending on the condition of the car and the size of the vehicle. If any body work to fix dents or rust repair is involved, the cost for the additional work will be added.
$6,500 – Two Stage Base/Clear Premium Paint Job
If your car color is bright red, blue, green or yellow, and if it is a metallic paint, the base coat will be more expensive. This is the level of finish work for people who want to see their reflection on the surface like it’s a mirror. You might also opt for a higher quality clear coat that will last longer and stand up to the elements for a much longer period of time. Newer vehicles often have higher priced OEM paint colors, and some even use a “tri-coat” configuration with a base color, a pearl mid-coat, and then the clear coat. You can also have the clear coat wet sanded, buffed with cutting compound, and polished to have a high quality “mirror” effect that is even better than what you see on new vehicles.
It goes without saying that these are general prices, and each car will have specific needs that can affect the cost of the paint job. Things like rust repair, truck bed liners, undercoating, custom modifications to trim, or graphics can add to the price of the job.
Custom Paint
You can get fancy with the addition of mica pearls, metal flakes, and even color-changing effects. The sky is the limit on how far you can get into a job. Custom painted graphics is even a possibility. Those who love their cars have been known to drop $15,000 to $20,000 on their paint job in a heartbeat!
In Conclusion…
If you're serious about painting your car, whether it be a budget paint job or a concourse restoration project, get in touch with me via email at carlton.flowers@gmail.com and send pictures of your car. We’ll get the ball rolling and make a rough estimate, then set up a meeting time to have a firsthand look at your project!
Not local to Jefferson City, Missouri? Not a problem. We have cars shipped in to us from all over. Distance is not a problem if you're seriously looking for a top-rate job. Just give us a shout!
Carlton Flowers
Owner, Color Boss Custom Auto Body LLC
2209 Ridge Road
Jefferson City, MO 65109
