How much is it to paint an suv

A new paint job can make your car look like new when it’s done right, giving you greater satisfaction when you go out for a drive in Santa Monica and a higher overall payment if you sell your vehicle later on. Therefore, having a good paint job is essential to the overall quality and resale value of your vehicle. How much does it cost to get a car painted? A quick search online will show you a wide range of prices, depending on where you go and what kind of paint job you need. If you need a quick paint job so you can sell your car at a greater value, then a low-cost paint job will do just fine. However, if your vehicle needs restoration work or you want custom work done, then you should be prepared to pay more. Learn more about the average cost to paint a car with the team at Eli’s Collision Repair, then learn more about how to repair car paint oxidation.

Average Cost to Paint a Car

When you search how much it costs to get a car painted, you’ll find a broad range of prices depending on where you look. Most national chains will offer to repaint a vehicle for around $500 if you just need a basic paint job. However, professional paint restoration can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000. High quality paint jobs for luxury models, restoration, or customization can cost upwards of $5,000 in most cases. There are many factors that go into the final car paint job cost too, including labor, the type of paint, and the type of vehicle you drive through Beverly Hills.

Factors that Affect Paint Job Costs

One of the reasons that the average cost to paint a car is so broad is due to the many factors that go into a car paint job cost. Before you bring your vehicle in for car paint repair services, you’ll want to consider the following factors so you have a better understanding of how much you should expect to pay: 

• Paint Job Quality: “You get what you pay for” is a hard rule here. Professional vehicle paint jobs will be immaculate, but you’ll also have to pay more for the service. Average paint jobs or poor paint jobs will be cheaper, but your vehicle’s overall look may not be what you anticipated.  
• Vehicle Size: The size of the vehicle will also affect how much your paint job will cost. A compact or midsize sedan will cost less to paint than a full-size SUV or truck, for example. 
• Paint Color: Your chosen color will also affect your car paint job cost. Standard colors like black, gray, and white are much cheaper than specialized colors. Additionally, you’ll have to pay more if you choose rare colors used by premium automakers. 
• Paint Quality: Paint quality will also affect the average cost to paint a car. Higher quality and long-lasting paints are more expensive, but they’re usually well worth the cost since you’ll have to repaint your car far less often (if you ever need to paint it again).
• Repairs/Restoration: If your vehicle has damage like dents, scratches, or rust, then you will have to pay more in order to have those imperfections repaired before the vehicle can be painted. 
• Finishes: Some services will offer to add a finish to your vehicle after a paint job. Typically, a wax finish won’t cost you too much more and is well worth the extra cost. Other finishes like ceramic coating will cost more, but they also offer longer-lasting protection for your vehicle’s paint.

Because of the many factors that go into a car paint job cost in South Bay, you’ll want to sit down and decide what kind of paint job you really need for your vehicle. Be honest with yourself during this process. If a standard paint job will make you happy, then you could save a lot of money. However, if you want your car to shine on Downtown LA roads, then paying for professional service will be well worth the cost. 

Get a Free Paint Job Estimate at Eli’s Collision Repair

There’s a lot that goes into getting a car paint job in California. Let the certified team at Eli’s Collision Repair help you get the right paint job at the right price! You can get a free estimate online or visit one of our many locations around the Santa Monica area to have your vehicle inspected by our professional team. Contact us today to see how much it will cost to get a car painted at one of our repair centers!

loraks/Shutterstock.com

The burning sun and lashing rain take a toll on your car. Paint starts to fade, and the accumulation of dirt and scratches ages the vehicle.

Painting the bodywork is an opportunity to rejuvenate its original look or even to try out a new look with a different color. However, spray-painting any vehicle is a long process that involves special tools and skills, so it's a job best left to a professional.

Before you start contacting local auto shops for quotes, it's a good to ask yourself: How much does it cost to paint a car?

Professional painting or DIY?

While it's possible to paint your own vehicle, it involves patience, skill and a range of paints and tools that you may need to purchase specifically for the job. Furthermore, the end result may not be of a particularly high-quality, making do-it-yourself paint jobs more suitable for older vehicles or all-terrain vehicles that frequently pick up knocks and scratches.

For people looking to restore a family vehicle or collector's car to its original condition, it's usually a better idea to employ the services of an auto repair shop where professionals apply up to 24 even coats of paint for a high-gloss, durable finish.

Professional auto painting costs

Many body shops offer several levels of service to cater to customers with different budgets and requirements:

• Basic: The most inexpensive paint job involves as few coats as possible, using synthetic enamel paint. For the basic job, the painters are unlikely to paint areas that are not normally visible, such as the inside of the hood. Costs range from $300 to $900.

• Standard: The cost of a standard paint job usually includes sanding the body and removing rust before painting to get an attractive finish. Costs range from $1,000 to $3,500.

• Showroom quality: This process involves sanding the bodywork down to bare metal, removing all of the rust and dents, and then applying up to 24 coats of high quality paint. The project may take up to a month, and the costs may be as high as $20,000 in some cases.

DIY auto painting costs

For older vehicles, the cost of a professional paint job may be excessive. In these cases, you may wish to try painting the vehicle yourself. The necessary materials are widely available from hardware and automotive stores for as little as $75. Your only other costs are in time and effort.

The required materials and tools include:

• Gloss paint

• Primer

• Foam brushes

• Paint trays

• Masking tape

• Sandpaper

• Mineral spirits for cleaning

One of the biggest concerns with a DIY project is finding a location to paint the vehicle. Many body shops have climate-controlled booths, designed to limit the amount of dust and dirt that might come into contact with the paint and ruin the finish.

For a DIY project, the best option is to paint the vehicle in a clean, well-ventilated garage.

Quality vs. price

Everybody wants a cost-effective service, so when you are contacting body shops to get quotes for your auto-painting project, it's tempting to go for the lowest price offer.

However, you get what you pay for. Lowball quotations may be for a low-quality paint job, using inferior materials. Rather than removing trim, the painters may simply mask it off; and they may not paint areas that aren't visible. Furthermore, the quotation may not include certain services that the auto painters charge as an additional rate.

Before committing to a service, ask the painters what their price covers. Check if sanding and preparing the bodywork is part of the cost, and look at previous examples of their work to make sure you are happy with the quality.

Conclusion

When deciding to get your vehicle repainted, always be sure to figure out how much it costs to paint a car.

So, after finding out the costs, consider your budget carefully. If you try to get the job done as inexpensively as possible, the work may not be to a high standard, leaving you displeased with the result.

Conversely, if you look at the most expensive paint jobs, you may decide it's better to trade in your car for a new model. You also may wish to consider alternatives, such as vinyl wraps which start at around $1,500.

SEARCH RATES: Compare rates on new and used cars from nearby lenders today.

More From Bankrate.com

• Headlights too dim?
  

• 5 luxury cars from LA show
  

• What driving costs you
  

What is the cheapest color to paint a vehicle?

Can you paint over existing auto paint?