As a car owner, there are a few circumstances that might require you to repaint your car. The cost of doing so depends on the details of the job. The cost tends to be higher than imagined, but as the experts say, much of that cost is due to set up. That may be something you can do on your own to lower the price.
Repainting After Repairs
When someone is in an accident and has to replace or repair a piece of their car, it’s often advised to repaint the whole car instead of trying to get a door or hood to match a 5 or 10 year old paint job. This is the reason repainting shouldn’t be done just to change your car’s color. When you go to resell, your buyers will want to know why your work was done. They may assume there was an accident when there wasn’t, and when your Carfax history doesn’t show a record of accidents, they may doubt you’re being honest about anything else.
If you’re having your car painted during repairs and the cost is covered by insurance, there really is no reason to try to do prep work on your own. You will be responsible for paying a deductible – or not, if repairs are covered by someone else’s insurance – and that deductible will not be affected by the savings of doing any work yourself.
In situations where insurance is not footing the bill, expect to pay $1000 to $2000 to paint a whole car, and $4000 and up to significantly change the color or add special elements like pearl-coating.
Repainting to Fix Minor Flaws
Scratches, dings and rust also motivate car owners to get quotes for repainting. Owners should get a second opinion before going ahead with these kinds of painting repairs. In some instances, problems can be adjusted without expensive overhauls. Paintless dent repair, also called PDR, is just one fairly new and popular method that is considerably less expensive than traditional techniques.
In the event that painting is needed, it is often recommended to repaint the whole car. Again, that takes cost into the $1000+ range for a lasting, quality job. One of the few ways to cut costs during the process is offering to do some of the set-up yourself. Generally this includes taping and sanding, jobs that may be done off- or on-site depending on the shop’s procedures.
At the very least, you can ask if there’s any work you can do to cut your own costs. The worst you can be told is “no” and even then chances of a discount are likely.
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