How much is a paint job on a car?

A paint job can mean a bumper corner, one panel, or the whole car, and the price is completely different for each. One panel is a day or two of work. A full respray is a week or more of stripping, sanding, priming and painting every panel. We quote each car from photos or in person rather than off a price list, because two "paint jobs" are never the same. Here's what decides the number.

What are you painting?

• A scratch or scuff on one spot: a small localised repaint, blended into the panel. The cheapest paint job there is.
• A bumper: common and quick. Plastic needs a flexible primer and the bumper comes off the car. See bumper repairs.
• One panel (a door, guard, bonnet): the panel is prepped, painted and blended into the panels next to it.
• Several panels: more prep, more masking, more time in the booth.
• A full respray: every panel, inside the door jambs, under the bonnet edges, with trim and glass removed or masked. The biggest job we do.

The colour

Solid white or black is the simplest. Metallics and pearls cost more because the flake has to be laid evenly and matched with test cards. Three-stage pearls (some whites and reds) take the most work. If you're changing colour completely, the door jambs, engine bay and boot have to be done too, which roughly doubles a respray. Our colour matching guide explains why.

The prep

Paint is only as good as what's under it. A panel with peeling clear coat has to be sanded right back. Dents have to be fixed first. Rust has to be cut out. A car with good paint that just needs a colour refresh is far cheaper to respray than one with sun damage and old repairs. Prep is usually most of the labour on a full job.

The car

Bigger cars have more panels and more surface. European and luxury cars have more trim to remove and more complex paint systems. Older cars often have surprises under the paint.

What's included in a proper job

• Panels removed or masked properly, not painted around
• Sanding, filler where needed, primer, guide coat and block sanding
• Colour matched to the paint code and tested on a card
• Colour and clear sprayed in a booth and baked
• Blended into adjoining panels on partial jobs
• Polished and checked outside in daylight

A cheap respray skips the prep and sprays over the old paint. It looks fine for a few months and then peels. If a quote is far below the others, ask what's being skipped.

Insurance or your own money?

Paint after an accident is usually part of an insurance claim. A full respray because the paint has faded is not covered; that's a private job. Our guide on claiming or paying privately helps.

Get a price for your car

Send photos through the quote form: one of the whole car and close-ups of what you want painted. For a full respray we'll ask you to bring it to Moss St so we can check the panels. More on the spray painting page, or call 0402 106 456.