Where Can I Get My Car Painted?
There are several reputable places where you can have your car painted, including auto shops like Service King or MAACO, dealerships like Ford or Toyota, and local paint shops which offer paint services with a number of packages.
Auto Shop Chains
The auto shops mentioned below typically have locations across the United States and can paint virtually any make and model.
Earl Scheib
Cost: Begins at about $100, plus a required Car Prep Package that costs around $200 to $300. Other package prices are of $400 for Silver, $600 for Platinum, and $1,000 for Diamond (plus Car Prep Package).
Warranty: Varies based on the package chose one year (Silver), three years (Platinum), or six years (Diamond).
Packages available:
Silver Package: Includes two full coats of acrylic polyurethane paint in Earl Scheib colors only.
Platinum Package: Includes three full coats of paint, in most factory colors, and an integrated clear thin coat.
Diamond Package: Ads a base clear coat, Protech protection plan, and a UV protection plan.
Locations: Nationwide; although, no shop locator tool is there. You can find locations by looking online with your city or zip code.
Econo Auto Painting & Body Works
Cost: Not specified or fixed; an estimate is needed for exact pricing
Warranty: Varies based on the package selected per year (Enamel Deluxe), two years (Poly-crystalline Finish), three years (PolySupreme), or four years (Full-thane Urethane).
Packages available:
Enamel Deluxe Package: Has hand sanding, masking to protect windows, chrome, and enamel paint.
Polycrystalline Finish Package: Contains hand sanding, dual-action machine sanding, and masking to protect windows and chrome, and catalyzed automotive enamel.
Poly-Supreme Package: Contains hand and dual-action machine sanding, masking of windows and chrome, and painted with catalyzed enamel and a thin clear coat finish.
Ful-thane Urethane Package: Contains the same process as the Poly-Supreme and adds a thin coat sealer and a DuPont/Axalta urethane paint.
Locations: Southeastern U.S.
MAACO
Cost: Begins at around $300. An estimate is needed for exact pricing.
Warranty: Differs based on the package selected one year (Basic), three years (Preferred), or five years (Premium).
Packages available:
Basic Package: Includes single-stage enamel paint and exact color match.
Preferred Package: Includes single-stage paint with urethane, which stops chipping.
Premium Package: Includes a two-stage paint service.
Platinum Package: Adds a light chip/crack repair, prime and sand after the first prep, a urethane sealer, and a five-year warranty against fading and peeling.
Locations: Nationwide
Service King
Cost: An estimate is required for pricing. Additionally, Service King will not paint until the vehicle also has body damage that is repaired at Service King.
Warranty: Lifetime on workmanship but not material.
Packages Available: None
Locations: Nationwide
Factors Affecting Cost
The cost of paint alone is not the only factor to look at when calculating paint job costs. Few elements impact the overall cost of the project.
Overall Quality
Usually, the quality of the paint job you are seeking would affect the asking price, sometimes dramatically. For instance, when contracting a professional paint service, you can expect the absolute best in terms of the quality of the paint as well as the painters themselves. The finished project should look nothing short of spectacular. On the flip side, if you rather get a bargain-priced paint service, you should expect bargain-level results.
Vehicle Size
The size of your vehicle will also affect the price of a paint job. For example, a compact coupe would cost comparatively less to paint than a full-size truck or SUV. The latter vehicles are much larger, so there is more surface area that needs to be painted.
Simply, the larger the vehicle, the higher the cost of the paint job. Period.
Chosen Color and Paint Quality
However a white shirt and a yellow shirt might carry the same price tag in a department store, paint color does not work in the same manner. Color has an effect on the price, and standard colors such as black, gray, and white are much cheaper than specialized colors. Additionally, you should expect to pay higher if you choose rare colors used by premium automakers.
The paint quality will mark the cost of the overall paint job, too. Higher-quality and long-lasting paint are quite more expensive than the industry standard. But it is usually well worth it since you’ll have to repaint your car far less often – if ever again.
For example, one coat of synthetic enamel paint might cost ranging $300-$700 for an average-sized sedan. On the flip side, multiple coats of high-quality paint can run several thousand dollars or even more. You will also have to consider any additional paint art or stylistic touches you may want. Looking to add racing stripes? In several cases, you’ll need to pay a few hundred dollars extra.
Furthermore, the more elaborate the project and the higher the quality of paint, the more costly it will be.
Any Needed Repairs
If your vehicle has some surface imperfections, like deep scratches, a new paint job will probably cost you more than it normally would. Some paint services will offer to repair certain imperfections, but even those who don’t may charge extra for the project since they will have to paint around the issue or cover it up.
Some businesses may even refuse to paint a car that has a lot of surface damage as painting these areas without protection can lead to long-term damage.
Finishes
Don’t forget about finishes! Many car painting services will offer to wax or seal your car’s paint job at the end of the project. A regular wax finish won’t cost you too much, but will probably add another $100 to $200 to the final price tag. If you desire the auto body service to use a ceramic coating or other, more specialized finishes, you can expect to pay even more.
But while they may be a bit pricey, those extra coatings or specialized materials can significantly boost the longevity of your car’s paint job. It’s not a bad idea to get a coating or finish if you have the money to spare and want to avoid having to repaint your car in the near future.
When Should You Consider Painting Your Car?
There is no clear standard or timeline for when to paint your car. Most people get their vehicles repainted once every several years or so, specifically when it’s being used more for recreation or personal enjoyment than simply commuting to work.
Although, paint does more than just give your car a new look; it protects the body of your vehicle from wear and tear and helps avoid corrosive damage. Therefore, you should paint your car every five years at a bare minimum, especially if you are not waxing it regularly. If your car’s paint gets damaged from a minor accident or inclement weather, consider getting a partial paint job to take care of the damaged spots.
Is repainting a car worth it?
Painting Adds Value. By investing in repainting, you can get a higher trade-in value for an older model vehicle. Just be assured that it will be a valuable investment. If the car isn’t in better condition otherwise, repainting it may turn out to be more costly than the car is worth on resale.
How many hours does it take to paint a car?
A complete paint job with average bodywork will take about 40-80 hours, depending on your bodywork. The first step is assessing the damage and getting all the bodywork done. You can go around the car and inspect what kind of bodywork should be done on it.
Bottom-line:
There are various places where you can get your car painted, before you decide on which shop to go, you can research the shop’s history by looking up reviews on different sites such as Yelp, Google, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which has shop ratings and any customer complaints and reviews.
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