In this post:
Do you need to paint your truck?
We have everything you need to know right here. So, let’s get down to it.
How much is it to paint a truck?
There is no straight answer for how much it costs to paint a truck. This is simply because trucks always vary in size and quality, like any vehicle. So it is all dependent on your truck.
Painting is also rather time-consuming, regardless of the size and scales of the paint job. You could be doing a minor touch-up, painting the fender, or even covering the whole truck, it is still going to take some time regardless.
There are a few things you will want to take into consideration that will give you an idea of painting costs. There are so many different things that can influence the costs of a truck paint job, these are a few of those things.
- How many layers of paint are required?
- DIY painting Vs hiring a professional to do the job.
- What color of paint have you chosen?
- Insurance, or paying out of your pocket.
- How big is your truck?
- Is there any bodywork required?
DIY- Average Costs
Painting a truck yourself can be very doable. It is recommended that if you want to give it a go yourself, use spray paint.
Some trucks or SUVs may need a quick easy layer of paint and any spray paint job can turn out just fine when done in a controlled environment like a garage.
It is also great to paint your truck a completely new color all on your own, there is nothing to say that any normal person couldn’t do an average quality paint job in their garage. Give it a go if you feel like trying it out.
There are a few things you will need if you want to try this yourself though:
- Masking tape/film.
- Sandpaper or a sanding sponge.
- Bondo with filler spreaders. (This is for filling in any small dents).
- Paint masker.
- Paint sprayer.
Do not spray your car when it is next to another car, you want to avoid any overspray at all costs as this could result in some ugly paint specs to the other car inside the garage. Make sure to do this when your garage is just home to the truck you’re painting.
Using a Pro company
There are different levels of service for getting a truck painted, let’s take a look at what these are.
First of all, you can get a cheap option from an automobile painting company. This will be around $500. It is totally fine if you want to hire a cheaper paint job for fleet vehicles and junker trucks if you just wanted to get a lick of paint on there.
The next option would be a standard service, which you are looking at being around $1000, for a new coat of paint on your truck. You may want to prepare to spend some bills for a decent service and a paint job that is worth it.
If you want even higher quality though you are looking at around $2000, or more. You can get a top-notch paint job for your truck, which is a fantastic idea if you are looking to boost the value of your vehicle.
Estimating Costs
Whatever way you go with getting your paint job done, you will want to estimate your costs. Of course, you can look around and seek out some quotes from professionals, and do some basic math if you are going to DIY it.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that will accumulate in your costs.
Paint
For an average-sized basic paint job on your truck, you will want around 2 plus gallons of primer, 2 gallons plus of a basecoat, and 2 gallons plus of clear coating.
The coats of paint you end up using are very dependent on the quality and type of paint you use, the base color, and of course, the size of your vehicle.
We say this because if you were to change a truck that had an original color of red to a lighter color, like tan, white, or even gold.
You will either need to remove the previous paint with a buffer pad, or you are going to need many more layers of paint to cover it. We vote for removing it, it will be less time-consuming and expensive.
We can only provide you with a rough estimate, for a more exact idea you need to do the math yourself, knowing the area of the vehicle that you are painting, as well as the number of square feet that your paint will cover per 1 gallon, or per can.
An automobile paint can cost anywhere between £20-$50 per gallon, so if you were to buy 6 gallons of paint for a larger paint area, then you are looking at costs between $120-$300 just for the paint, without the prep materials, such as sandpaper, Bondo, and masking tape.
If you want to stay on the safe side you may want to keep around $50 aside for the prep materials.
DIY
If you are going to DIY the job, then paint costs are price ranges are not the only things you should take into consideration.
Time is money and it can be rather time-consuming to do a paint job like this on your own, especially if you have to do it around work, who wants to spend their weekend slaving on painting their truck when they could kick back and watch some TV?
If you make enough at your job, more than it would take to pay painters then it might be better for you to hire out this job to someone else who deserves the job and needs the income.
If you do decide to give it a whirl yourself then you must be prepared to spend anywhere from 10-40 hours on this for a quality paint job. This is why it is not suited to everyone.
Hiring Professionals
If you hire a professional automobile painting service they will likely charge you by the hours for painting your truck. They will also likely give you an estimated cost upfront.
A standard reasonable hourly shop rate is between $60-$80 per hour. So, if you are told it is likely to be a 20-hour paint job at $60 per hour then you are looking at a price of about $1,200 for the whole job.
Regardless of the make and model of the vehicle, a decent auto painter will be painting until the door jams.
It can also be very useful to get multiple quotes on your paint job, it keeps the painters honest, and be clear that you are getting these multiple estimates when you talk to the professionals.
This can assist you in getting the best price you can for the highest quality. There are also plenty of sites out there that can help you find an estimate when you want to be specific. The internet is a very useful tool when you are DIY-ing or when you are seeking out a pro.
Painting per square foot
A truck can range in size anywhere between 200 square feet to 400 square feet.
If you were to paint a small truck such as a 200 square foot Ford Ranger, and if each gallon of synthetic enamel paint was to cover that 200 square foot area then you would need at minimum 6 gallons between all coats. This includes the primer, the color coat, and the clear coat.
You should therefore be ready to throw down between $100-$300 for some good paint for the whole vehicle.
Our Estimation
As we have previously stated, we cannot provide a totally accurate estimate of the cost of a paint job for your truck as it depends on many factors. With the average truck being between 200-400 square feet in size.
You should measure your truck yourself to ensure that you find the exact square footage of the surface, this is especially important if you are DIY-ing the job.
Every truck will be different and with some trucks being huge, they will take much more paint than others.
It can cost anywhere from $120-$4000 for a truck paint job. The $120 option is the cheapest, in which you make a purchase of 20 or more cans of spray paint and go wild covering up all the rust spots of your old truck.
The $4000 option is the most costly, where collision repair and additional prep work may be involved through a professional to satisfyingly do the job.
It is also worth talking to your insurer, as you may be able to get away with an incredible professional paint job at the cost of your deductible. This is something additional to consider when you are costing the job.
Cost of labor
A cheap paint shop job means hiring a reasonably priced shop that can do a decent job for a lower price, this can cost you anywhere between $300-$1000.
A quality paint job that would meet showroom quality from a high-end or even an artistic painter can cost anywhere between £1000-$4000.
Saving money
If you want to save money on your truck paint job then you can always paint it yourself if you are feeling up to it. Not every truck needs a professional paint job, even for an only work truck.
If the truck is depreciating in value but is still useable and you have no plans on selling it then you can always invest in an inexpensive paint gun.
Remember that any good repaint job will add some value to your truck, even if it is a bit junky, but a bad paint job will depreciate the value of it.
Don’t forget to get plural estimates from pros, it is the best way to get a reasonable pricing estimate when you are hiring out this work.
Prepping for paint is probably the hardest part, so make sure that if you DIY the job hat you put your head down and work hard to get this bit out of the way for the most efficient job you can.
If you want to maintain or add value to your truck though, we definitely recommend seeking out a professional to do the job.
