How much does it cost to get truck painted

If you are thinking about changing the paint job for your truck, chances are you’ve been asking, “How much does it cost to paint a truck with a different color?” Perhaps you intend to boost its resale value or maybe you simply want your vehicle to appear like new again. Many truck owners with similar projects start by browsing auto paint shops near me services to find out how much does it cost to paint a car.

If you’ve tried to ask for a standard Maaco paint job cost before, you may have been told that the cost often varies by the categories of paint jobs they offer, influenced by the durability and appearance of truck paint colors, and whether it is metallic, gloss, or a color match. Also, the cost to repaint a truck the same color is different from changing the paintwork altogether. To help you set the expectations and plan finances for this project, we’ve done all the homework so you have a rough idea of what the venture will cost you in dollars and time.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Truck: Everything To Know

No matter whether you own a Sports Utility Vehicle, a pickup truck, or sedan, looks have always been vital to vehicle owners. And before you even consider changing your vehicle’s color, we recommend that you first learn how to wash a car properly. In addition, you may want to consider vinyl wrapping your car to protect your new paintwork, and avoid driving a luxury truck with faded colors and scratches all over. You’ve probably come across vehicles with a thin film over the paintwork only that you didn’t realize it.

If this sounds like a tenable option, you’ll also want to know how much does it cost to wrap a car so you can make an informed decision. If you owned Jeep Gladiator and tried asking, “how much does it cost to paint a jeep?” You’ll realize that it’s an expensive investment worth protecting with a cost-effective vinyl car wrap.

Do It Yourself or Professional Paintwork?

That aside, you are still wondering how much does it cost to paint a truck to give it the original style quotient. While repainting or an entire color change is a great option, there are still some factors to consider. And the largest consideration to make when assessing the cost to paint a track a different color is whether to make it a DIY project or hire a professional.

Obviously, a professional is going to be more expensive, although you are likely to get a showroom-like finish. Various credible sources show that changing the color can improve a car’s resale value. Using a pro is particularly important when looking to improve the truck’s looks for better resale value down the line. Typically, expect to spend between $300 to more than $10,000 for expert paintwork. At the higher end is where you’ll find quality-grade paints like multi-colored, metal flake, and tailored paint jobs. There’s no point in spending that much except when prepping your truck for a show.

If you have the equipment, patience, and ability, you could do the job at home for much less with a similar result and a fun project. You’ll spend anywhere from 100 dollars to 1500 dollars for supplies, based on what’s already there. Note that without a well-ventilated room free of debris and dirt, it’s probably a good idea to let an expert do the paint job. The other instance we discourage you from painting the vehicle yourself is if you are looking for a collector quality finish. It’s almost impossible to find to achieve a durable, high-gloss finish you desire from your home garage, so biting the bullet and seeking professional assistance would help.

To help you figure out how much does it cost to paint a truck, this guide will provide an estimate for the two options.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Truck A Different Color: Doing The Job At Home

Let’s start with changing your truck’s paintwork color from home because this is where you should be very careful. Unlike seeking professional help, there’s no room to demand a refund for inferior quality work when doing the job yourself. But if you can get it right, it’s a great way to keep the costs down, especially if you own an old truck that may not make financial sense to have an expert changing the paint.

So, we’ll ask the question, “how much does it cost to paint a truck with a different color from your home garage?” The biggest cost factor in a DIY paint job is the amount of paint your truck will require. Many of the trucks require about 192 oz. to 224 oz. of paint, comprising the clear coat, color, and primer.

However, the amount might be less or more for your case, depending on your truck’s size and the specific color. The paint color is an essential factor to put into consideration, since getting a paint color worth $25 more per ounce than another might see you spending an additional $192 on the project just for the paint color. Normally, it would cost you about $600 for a do it yourself truck paint job if you already have most of the required tools.

What You’ll Need For A DIY Truck Paint Job

You will need equipment if you believe you are sufficiently skilled to undertake the trouble to change your truck paint at home. Don’t worry if you can’t afford all that’s needed. The good news is that you can always rent the most expensive items instead of buying to save money.

List Of Essential Tools

1. Air compressor
2. An electric sander and pads
3. A metal grinder
4. A car body filler with a putty knife
5. Paint sprayer
6. Hand sandpaper in five grits; 2000, 1200, 120, 1500, and 600
7. The painter’s tape

Apart from tools, you will need the following parts for a successful truck paint job at home.

List of Essential Parts

1. Car paint
2. Paint thinner
3. Primer
4. Clearcoat
5. Respirator filters

How To Paint A Truck With A Different Color From Your Home Garage

You didn’t think we would be so mean as to leave you with a list of tools and accessories without telling you how to use it. So, let’s see how to earn your money’s worth by giving your truck a color change at home with a near showroom quality finish. Before you begin, keep in mind that you will need two things above everything: space and time.

Ample time is required for:

• Sanding
• Undertaking repairs
• Painting, and
• Drying your truck’s paintwork 

Time is a crucial factor that can save you a lot of losses in damaged or smeared paint. Space is also important because painting your truck is time-consuming. You will need a safe and secure place to keep the truck while doing the paint job without risking damages to the paint or disturbing your neighbors.

Now that we’ve served the caution, let us begin!

1. Ensure your workspace is free of dust and dirt by giving it a thorough cleaning.
2. Sand your truck to achieve a smooth metal layer. Consider working methodically, especially when you don’t have much use for the car as it will take time. You’ll want to clean your truck after each garage visit to prevent oxidation and rusting.
3. With the help of a clean rag and paint thinner, wipe down the truck to remove all paint deposits.
4. Use tape and old newspapers to seal off the areas you don’t intend to spray like wheels, windows, and trim pieces.
5. Follow the factory guidelines to mix the paint color with thinner.
6. With moderate but smooth motions, start spraying on the paint color. You may need between three and four coats to achieve a standard-quality spray painting. Also, each coat may require anywhere from 30 minutes to the whole day to dry.
7. Use the 2000-grit or finer-grit sandpaper to even out any flaws in the paintwork before you spray on the clear coat.
8. Spay on the clear coat and allow up a day for your truck to cure.

Safety Tips for DIY Car Painting

You will be handling a lot of chemicals and paint in this project. Therefore, you’ll want to be extra careful when going about your work. To ensure you get through the car painting process alive, Carsplan.com encourages you to observe these safeguards:

• Be in proper eye and body protection throughout your work: Put on nitrile gloves, hooded coveralls, a respirator, and safety glasses.
• Operate in a well-ventilated room: Inhaling the paint fumes can excite you for a moment, but it can damage your brain cells.
• Keep away from too much heat: Avoid spraying on with open flames nearby or other reactive chemicals with paint.

If you elect to get professional help, you will have to choose from different service levels.

• Basic Truck Paint Job: With a few coats of paint, basic paintwork is the least costly option. At this level, you will mostly receive synthetic enamel paintwork, only taking care of the truck visible sections. With a single synthetic enamel paint coat cost ranging from 300 to 900 dollars, and $566 averagely, you might spend between 500 and 1500 dollars for the most basic paint job.
• Mid-Level or Standard Paint Job: The majority of standard paint jobs use higher-quality paint. They also offer extra prepping such as sanding and removing dents and rust. You should prepare to part with anything between $1,000 and $4,000, or $1,826 on average, depending on the condition of your truck.   
• High-Quality or Showroom-Quality Paint Job: This starts with sanding the bodywork down to the smooth metal. After that, the auto shop will work on any dents or rust, before spraying on multiple paint coats. Such a project can take up to one month and drivers have reported having spent from $2,700 to $8,000, and an average cost of about $9,000. However, some multi-coat, top-notch paint jobs with extras like metal flake, candy coat shades, and racing stripes can add to the price tag to cost as much as $20,000.

Factors That Influence Car Painting Price Quotes

As with many products and services, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth in terms of figuring out, “how much does it cost to paint a truck with a different color?” While you can jump in and out of a cheap auto shop for just $450, you shouldn’t expect to get a top-quality job. Paint job price quotes will vary depending on the following factors:

1. Your Truck’s Size: Changing the paint on a Honda Ridgeline will be less expensive than painting a Ford F-250 with a different color, mainly because the F-250 has a larger surface area for the paint to cover.
2. Additional Prep Work and Labor: If must pick a few dents and scratches each time you leave the parking lot at your local grocery, then prepare to spend a bit more to fix damages before your truck gets a color change.
3. Paint Color: Going for a common color like grey, white, or black is the best way to save on paint costs. But if you are looking for a specific color, like the ones used by premium car brands, you should expect to spend more. In addition, changing your truck’s color will need a bigger budget due to the extra work of painting the door jambs, engine area, and other parts.

Things To Remember When Changing Your Truck’s Color

Many truck owners have thought about changing their car’s color, although only a handful of them eventually do it. There are a few reasons for that, mostly relating to time and finances. It means changing your vehicle’s color is more involving than simply repainting the same shade.

That’s why you should consider these five points before painting your truck in a different color:

1. No matter how slight a change of color you want, you’ll have to do away with the entire old paintwork. Ignore this step and you’ll have the old color showing up each time you open the truck’s hood or door. Besides, if you are considering a drastic color change for your vehicle you might also experience serious transition-clash from the old to fresh colors.
2. Painting a truck in a different color is not just costlier but also time-consuming. It is because the proper color change will require painting the inside areas of the truck’s trunk lid, door jambs, engine bay, among other hidden interior surfaces.   
3. A vehicle’s color change will cost more because it needs extra effort and time. Due to the various dynamics surrounding a truck’s color change, you can easily spend as much as the cost of top-notch standard paintwork, or perhaps even more, based on how extreme the color change.
4. Painting your truck in a different color can influence its resale value both ways. A color change is associated with increased resale value for the latest or more mainstream trucks. But if you are looking at a collector’s truck model, a shift in color can affect its selling price significantly.
5. Update the necessary documentation to reflect the change. Make sure to update the color change in your truck’s registration and any other documents like insurance cards. This point brings us to the next important subject matter.

Understand The Regulations for Changing Vehicle Colors

Another crucial consideration before getting your truck paint in a different color is the regulations for changing auto colors. You are not alone if you’re learning this for the first time, but it’s an absolute necessity. And as a responsible American citizen, you wouldn’t want to do anything that goes against the motor vehicles act, although there’s no regulation compelling you to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles about changing a car color.

While notifying the DMV may not be necessary, it’s best to keep your auto insurance of the changes you are making to your truck. This is because your insurance prices will be calculated using variables the insurer already knows. Remember that your insurance provider understands how much it costs to paint a truck in a different color, which they’ll award you should your vehicle get an accident.

You shouldn’t lose sleep because of this. Just determine what color you want to be painted on your truck. After that, you can complete all insurance changes online, thanks to improving customer management portals in the industry. But if you are not a tech-savvy client, you can still visit their office in person for the same.

What Could Ruin Your Freshly Painted Truck?

If you have just paid hundreds to a few thousand dollars to have your truck painted in a different color, it’s an investment you wouldn’t want to see going down the drain. It means you’ll want to take every possible measure to make sure the glossy paintwork stays fresh for the longest time. Well, you can start protecting your new car paint by never doing the following:

Driving Unnecessarily

You are likely to ruin your truck’s new paint job if you frequently drive off your compound. We recommend that you ample time for the car to rest, probably for the first two months, to be sure that the new paint cures as desired. 

Leaving the Paint Shop Immediately

No matter how much you trust your local body shop, it’s always best to spare a few minutes to inspect your vehicle. Check your truck to ensure that there are no imperfections and that the overall quality meets your expectations. To get value for money, never leave the auto shop unless you are pleased with the work.

Washing the Truck Instantly

For the new car paint to cure and set as intended, it’s best not to wash your truck for at least thirty days.

Parking Under Trees

Be sure to keep off parking areas with higher odds of bird droppings or tree sap ruining your fresh paint job.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does it cost to paint a pickup truck?

The cost of painting a pickup truck will vary depending on several factors, such as your location and vehicle size. It will also cost you more if your pickup truck has dents or chips. And there’s the aspect of choosing the type of paint for the job. We recommend that you drive to your local body shop for an accurate paint job quote.

How long does it take to paint a truck?

It may take from forty hours to a month to complete a paint job on a truck, based on different variables. For example, the local body shop might use twice less the time you’ll use to paint the vehicle yourself. This is due to better equipment, more time, and a dedicated workforce. It will also depend on the quality of service you are getting, with custom paint jobs that involve sophisticated designs sometimes lasting more than a month.

How much does it cost to get a truck hood painted?

Painting your truck’s hood and probably some touch-ups to the door dings should cost between 200 and 1000 dollars. But the real cost will vary depending on the amount of prep needed, your location, and other factors.

Is a Maaco paint job worth it?

Yes, a Maaco paint job is worth it at the price points. If they can paint your car for just about $300 and another one of a similar brand at nearly $4,000, it simply means you get what you paid for. The lower price points are for budget customers, although the company uses lower quality paint than it does for standard paintwork costing $2,000 or more.

Can you paint over existing auto paint?

You don’t want the headache of attempting to match the new paint to the existing one on the vehicle. For that reason, we recommend that you do away with the primer to remain with the bare metal before you start to paint your car.

Conclusion

You’ll want to avoid making any commitment unless you have a proper answer to the question, “how much does it cost to paint a truck in a different color?” If you are going the professional way, it’s best to get numerous quotes and assess the reputations of body shops you are considering. And if you trust your skills to tackle the project from home, be sure to follow through the steps for the DIY auto paint job. Besides, sticking to the safety precautions can mean the difference between life and death if you are doing the work yourself. Finally, take the best possible care of your new paintwork and avoid doing things that might ruin it, like washing the truck immediately after leaving the auto shop.

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