How much to repaint a car?

It’s one of the reasons your car insurance premium keeps going up, and it’s also a post-Covid reality that the cost of repainting a car has never been higher. But how high are we talking?

Well, it’s complicated and one of those how-long-is-a-piece-of-string deals. That’s because there are so many variables that the otherwise simple question of 'how much to repaint a car' these days takes on a very complex answer. Actually, it’s a series of answers. Not to mention a broad range of price estimates.

Like how broad? Well, if you seek out a small, independent car painter that works from their backyard shed and operates with very few overheads, you could be repainted and away for as little as $1500. However, this is the very skinny end of things.

Ramp it up to a show-car quality paint job and you can be looking at $40,000 or even $50,000 just for the paint, and that doesn’t include any panel beating repairs. Of course, that’s a preposterous number for most of us, but even so, a 'normal' repaint on a normal car at a normal workshop is going to rush you somewhere between $5000 and $10,000.

So what are the big variables that determine how much to spray paint a car?

The first would be the cost of the labour. Preparing a car for paint and then applying that paint requires skill. Good spray painters who know how to repaint a car properly, will have spent many years learning how to do so.

As well as the actual work you’re having done, you’re also paying something for that experience and knowledge. That’s how trades work, and it’s the same with plumbers, bricklayers and carpenters.

Some cities just seem more expensive, too, and the rule of thumb is that Melbourne is a pricey place to have a car painted. So is Sydney, but that’s just car painting costs following the Sydney trend. But because of sheer volumes, you might find the average car respray cost Brisbane way, as well as Perth and Adelaide can be lower if you shop around. That’s because these cities have the harshest climate for car paint, so a higher percentage of the car population needs repainting every year.

The next variable is the existing condition of your car. If it’s not rusty and has no dents that need fixing, you’re looking good. But if there’s old paint that has to be removed back to bare metal or lots of repairs before the preparation can even begin, then that panel beating is going to be added to the price of the repaint.

Want to go for an all-out show-stopper, then factor in many more thousands to get the panels gapped properly and the final paint finish cut and buffed.

Then there’s the level of finish you want and the type of paint. A solid colour is the cheapest, but even a metallic paint can cost more than $200 a litre (and you’ll need several litres).

Looking for a high-end pearlescent paint job? Then the paint itself could cost up to a couple of grand per litre. And it’s not just the final car paint price, there’s also the primers, undercoats and other consumables to consider.

Oh, and if you want a black car, be prepared to be charged for extra bodywork and preparation as black is a very unforgiving colour to apply and needs a laser-straight car to pull it off.

Even the size of the car in question has a bearing on price. The repaint car cost on a small hatchback can be up to half the cost of a large SUV. That reflects the extra materials and the sheer surface area involved.

And don’t forget logistics. A shop to which you can drive your car and walk home means Googling car repaint near me is sometimes a good option if you’re not looking for a particular business’ signature work. Convenience often costs, but sometimes it’s the cheaper option.

Of course, if you want a one-off finish or stripes or other details added, these all add up pretty quick. Professional car painters will be able to handle these requests, but the hours will certainly add up. Keeping it simple will definitely help keep costs under control.

Speaking of workshops, there are different types of paint shops around that offer different levels of finishes. A high-volume shop that looks after mainly crash damage will be able to help you, but may not offer the detailed finish work that a specialist or high-end paint shop does.

And if all you’re concerned about is how much does it cost to paint a car, versus what quality you’ll get, then the high-volume independents that often advertise online might be for you.

When it comes to the question of how much does it cost to repaint a car Australia is very much a first world place with first world prices. Our labour rates are high globally and material costs post-Covid have ratcheted up too.

Unlike, say, house painting where there’s a reasonably standard range of industry prices, car painting is different. Do an internet search along the lines of 'painting cost calculator Australia' and you’ll get a range of sites to help you work out a reasonably accurate cost for repainting your loungeroom. But the car painting industry? No such generalisations apply.

But the variables don’t stop there. That’s because a paintjob is not a paintjob. See, you might imagine that a repaint would cover the whole car. Well, it often does, but it may not if you’re repainting a car to its original colour.

That’s when you’ll probably be offered the option of what’s called a closed-door paintjob and refers to the fact that the inner door jambs and under the bonnet and bootlid won’t be touched. The closed door respray cost will be a lot less than the cost of painting those areas as well, but if you’re doing a colour change on the car, then the full respray is the only real option.

At which point the question of how much does it cost to change the colour of your car is the one you need to be asking, because a closed door, colour change paintjob just doesn’t work visually.

In fact, if the colour change is your only agenda here, you might be better off selling the car you have and buying one in the colour you want, if that’s a practical proposition.

And what if you just want individual areas repainted? A damaged bonnet or front bumper, for instance, might be the only area that needs repainting. At that point, the bonnet respray cost, bumper respray cost or a car roof respray cost will be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to maybe a couple of thousand (again, speaking very, very broadly).

Finally, how do car buyers value nice new paint? Provided the paint is still in good nick, a car with its original, virgin paintjob is likely to be worth more than a car with new paint. That’s because buyers know that new paint can hide all sorts of flaws under that shiny new skin.

This only ramps up more the older a car gets, but it remains the fixed up, respray car cost or value can often be down on the original finish example of the same make and model. It’s something to think about before taking the plunge and committing to thousands of dollars’ worth of work.