Painting a car can be as simple as getting a spray can and going to town or as complicated as sending your car off to the factory to be fully repainted with a custom paint job. Of course, those two examples represent the extreme ends of the spectrum. Most people who need their cars repainted will likely seek to get a high-quality, yet basic paint job.

A typical full-vehicle repaint will cost anywhere between $500 and $5,000. Some companies advertise full repaints for as little as $300, and you could perform a DIY paint job for as little as $100, but you get what you pay for when it comes to car paint jobs. The most expensive professional paint jobs can cost well over $10,000, depending on where you get your car painted, what kind of paint you want, and what kind of car you have.

There are a variety of factors that can dictate how much you will pay for a fresh coat of auto paint, so it is important to read further so you know what you are getting into if you need a new paint job.

### Why Would You Need Your Car Repainted?

With a high-quality paint job being so potentially expensive, there are several reasons one might want to repaint his or her vehicle.

#### A New Look

A higher quality, basic paint job will cost more than a DIY or cheap paint job, but not all standard paint jobs will cost thousands of dollars. Getting a serviceable paint job can enhance the look of your car without costing you an arm and a leg. As technology improves, there is also an increased number of affordable options for basic paint jobs on the market. To make your car unique, a paint job is perfect to do the trick.

#### Resale Value

If your vehicle's existing paint has blemishes and has faded over time, some fresh paint could get you back more in resale value than it takes to pay for a full-paint job in the first place. A car that looks like it is well-maintained is more likely to attract more buyers and more cash.

#### Paint Damage

Paint does more than just make a car look good. It protects the exterior of a car from things like rust, debris, and wear and tear over time. If your car has sun damage, thinning paint, or peeling paint, you can keep your car from becoming even more damaged by repainting it.

### What Factors Affect a Paint Job’s Price Range?

Unless you are applying touch-up paint, even a basic paint job is not a simple task. Time, prep work, and the necessary materials are all required to perform a full repaint of your car. Even DIY paint jobs can be time-consuming and tedious if you want to do a thorough job. There are various factors that can affect the cost of a full or partial repaint.

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#### Type of Paint Job

The most important factor in determining price is the type of paint job you need. Professionals at an automotive paint shop can certainly perform touch-up paintwork, but it will cost less than a full repaint of your car. Automotive parts shops like AutoZone, O’Reilly’s, and Advance Auto Parts often have the materials you might need to touch up one or two spots on your existing paint.

A showroom-quality paint job is another matter altogether. This is usually much more involved and often requires the removal of existing paint to the bare metal of your vehicle by sanding it down and starting from the ground up. Several layers of paint, including one or more layers of clear coat can be involved. This can drive costs through the roof, but they are well worth it if you have a special or collector vehicle.

#### Type of Paint

The type of paint that you choose to use will affect cost. It may not be as drastic a difference as touch-up paint versus a showroom-quality paint job, but it will certainly make a difference when the bill is due.

If you choose to use more DIY-focused paint solutions like Plasti Dip or spray paint, you can expect to pay much less than even a basic synthetic enamel paint for your entire vehicle. You can have a high-quality Plasti Dip “paint job” applied to your vehicle by a professional, but it will almost always be at a lower cost than regular paint, and it will be hard to truly replicate a good paint job with an alternative solution.  

Single-stage paint is one of the more affordable options on the market if you do not need anything fancy. It can cost less than $1,000, depending on where you go and how large your vehicle is. Dual-stage or multi-stage paint jobs where layers of color and clear coat are applied over several applications will start to get pricey, especially when the type of paint finish is factored into the cost as well.

#### Paint Finish

Most normal cars come in a gloss finish. They are the most common types of paint finishes on the market. Gloss finishes make the underlying paint look shiny. Most vehicles are either exclusively offered with gloss finishes or have several different colors with gloss finishes.

More expensive paint finishes include matte, metallic, or pearlescent finishes. Matte paint finishes are popular now. They look flat and are not shiny like gloss finishes. Automakers that currently use matte colors include Rivian, Toyota, Hyundai, and many more.

Metallic paint finishes have flecks of aluminum or other pieces of powdered metal inside of the paint layer itself. These give vehicles a depth of color that regular gloss and matte paint finishes lack, but this type of paint also drives up the price and can be even more expensive and difficult to repair. Soul Red Crystal Metallic is a good example of a metallic paint finish from Mazda, and it includes a $595 up-charge over several other color options should customers choose it.

Pearlescent paint is one step above metallic paint. Instead of metal flecks, it contains ceramic flecks that add even more depth to a vehicle’s color. This is one of the most expensive and high-end paint finishes available on the market and can come with a healthy up-charge on new car models. In the case of the Acura TLX, its pearl paint options require $600 more than the base Lunar Silver Metallic paint option.

#### Color

In addition to a car’s finish, a car usually comes in a color as well. Part of the cost associated with the finishes for the cars above is also related to the paint color. Standard paint colors that often do not cost extra include certain whites, blacks, and grays. If you start adding finishes to those colors, the price will rise. Bright colors like yellow, red, and orange will often raise the price even further.

Specialized colors, model-specific colors, and custom paint jobs will almost always cost more. Buyers can build a 2024 BMW M4 Coupe in Alpina White for no additional cost. Portimao Blue Metallic will cost buyers $650 extra. Going with Tanzanite Blue II Metallic will require an additional $1,950, and Frozen Portimao Blue Metallic comes with a $3,600 up-charge. Both of those colors even come with limited availability and an extended wait time from the factory.

In the most extreme cases, highly specialized paint colors like Ford’s Mystichrome can cost exceedingly more than even that: 16 ounces reportedly cost over $3,000.

It is more likely that you will be at a body shop or paint shop for a repaint than the dealer, but today’s technology often allows you to match a desired color. It may not be perfect, but any specialized color you select is liable to require some added cash.

#### Quality of the Paint Job

The quality of a paint job you get will likely be closely related to how much you pay. Having a professional paint job done to your car requires things like sanding the existing paint down the bare metal, removing doors, removing glass, and applying several different coats of paint with sophisticated equipment.

You may save a ton of money with a DIY paint job, but you will risk overspray if you do not complete all of the prep work properly. You will also need more tools than just a spray gun and some masking tape to complete a good DIY paint job. Additionally, if the quality of the paint you buy to save a buck is subpar, your vehicle may end up looking bad, even if you do a good job with all of the work.

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#### Type of Vehicle Being Painted

Typically, the more special, rare, or expensive a vehicle is, the more expensive the paint job will be. Many performance cars, supercars, and sports cars are kept nicer than regular vehicles that function as commuter cars. Therefore, higher-end new cars will offer more exclusive colors than your standard sedans, hatchbacks, and SUVs.

This also means that if a Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW, or Land Rover ends up needing a repaint or even some touch-up paint, the average cost of the necessary paint will be more expensive than the average cost it would take to repaint a Honda Civic, Kia Sportage, or Toyota Camry.

#### Size of the Vehicle Being Painted

The size of the vehicle being repainted will also likely play a role in how expensive the paint service will be. A Mitsubishi Mirage is just over six feet shorter in length than a Chevrolet Suburban. Simply by virtue of the amount of material needed to paint the Mirage versus the Suburban, the paint job cost will be much lower for the tiny Mitsubishi.

Large SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans will generally cost more to repaint than subcompact cars, subcompact crossovers, and small family sedans. Likewise, if a new paint job is only required on a single part of a vehicle or on a specific area, the cost of the work and materials will go down.

#### The Condition of The Vehicle Being Painted

Even if you are just looking for a basic paint job, the condition of the vehicle’s existing paint and bodywork could dictate how much it will cost. Cars with dings, dents, and damaged bodywork will usually necessitate more than just a new coat of paint. If the blemishes are large enough, a high-quality paint job will include fixing them before any kind of paint is applied.

The same is true if a car’s clear coat has been damaged. Paint correction work can be done in some circumstances, but if the surface paint is bad enough, a full new paint job will be required, at least for the part of the vehicle that is affected.

Touch-up paint can sometimes be used to hide small dings here and there, but you should take the car to a body shop if you see that the paint has been negatively affected. This will prevent the area from rusting further and damaging even more paint along the way.

#### Where is the Vehicle Being Painted

Different body shops are all run by different people. You can expect to get what you pay for, but the cost to repaint your car will vary from shop to shop and in different parts of the country. Included services will also be a part of the price. A shop that offers a variety of painting services plus optional ceramic coating services will likely charge more than a shop that will complete basic paint jobs and nothing else.

Shops that offer a warranty on the paint they use or the work they do will bring the price of the paint job up if it is offered as part of the total cost. Some may include a warranty at “no added cost,” but the cost may be hidden behind the other fees or labor. 

### Conclusions

There are many variables to consider when figuring out how much it will cost you to repaint your vehicle. Some will be fully dependent on your preference. Others like the size of your vehicle and shops you have available to you will be a little more outside of your control.

With the price range of a paint job being so wide, it can be daunting trying to decide what kind of paint job is best for you. It is good to know that you have so many options, though, and you can always visit your local paint shop to learn more about what you might need.

Wondering if the time has come for you to give your vehicle a new coat of paint? Find out how much a new paint job costs and what determines the final price. 

How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Car in 2024

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