How much does it cost to repaint the car? Here are the prices from the body shop

How much does it cost to repaint the car? Here are the prices from the body shop

Why is the paint of our car important?

Let's start by saying that the paint of our car, besides giving it a nice color, is the first level of protection for the steel of the body underneath.

If exposed directly to the elements, the steel will rust in a short time. Therefore, it is essential to repaint the car and remove all scratches to avoid having to repair much larger sections of the bodywork due to rust.


Rust is to metal as woodworm is to woodworm. If ignored, it will certainly spread to healthy body parts resulting in costly damage.

Modern cars are built with much more rust resistant sheet steel than those of the past. However, rust is still a present day problem and good paint is always the best prevention.

How much does it cost to repaint a car?

Determining how much it costs to refinish a car doesn't require a degree in astrophysics. As with all car repairs, the final cost depends on several variables.

The typeof paint, the extent of damage and the choice of specialist are the three main elements in the cost of refinishing a car.

Some people choose to do-it-yourself while others, most of them to tell the truth, prefer to rely on a specialist to repaint the cars.

Read on to find out how much it costs to refinish a car with DIY and how much it costs to have it refinished by a car refinishing shop.


Is it worth it to repaint your DIY car?

Let's assume that refinishing cars is almost an artist' s job. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a body shop's job is simply spraying paint. In reality it takes years of experience and an "expert" coat to get the paint right and judge the quality of the colors.

If you choose to do your own painting out of passion or as a hobby, no problem. It can easily become a relaxing hobby away from the electronics that dominate our lives in 2019. Just equip yourself with the right tools and have a space to set up shop.

Those who decide to go DIY to paint their car have one thing to judge. The investment in buying the right tools and the time to set up a proper space will never be less than the cost of an honest bodybuilder. This changes if you want to start a side hustle and there, the more work you do, the more the cost of the investment will pay off.

How much does it cost to paint a DIY car?

If you don't already have the "basic" tools for DIY car painting, the investment may be more than you expect.

Consumables alone (sandpaper, primer, paint, hardener, etc.) run the risk of spending up to 700 euros. However, this is only the beginning.

Then you have to buy a good compressor with a large enough air capacity to guarantee several minutes of autonomy. This is because if you use the compressor with which you inflate the football, the air jet will only last a few seconds. The paint will have time to dry on one side before you're done, creating a bad result. The compressor will cost you about 200 euros more.


Next, you'll need to equip yourself with a sturdy car paint spray gun suitable for several minutes of use, preferably with a top fuel tank (to prevent lumps forming in the colour mixture). Count another 100 euros.

We've already reached 1000 euros for tools alone. You'll have to consider the space and materials to use it for painting the car and the hours of time you have to spend. Do the math, DIY is less convenient than expected?

So it's no coincidence that after seeing how much it costs to repaint a car with DIY most people prefer to trust a specialist, paying a little more but also getting a much better result.

How much does it cost to repaint a car from the garage?

The price of repainting your car in the body shop can vary from 300-400 euros to several thousand euros. As I said before, to know how much it costs to repaint a car you have to consider several variables:

  • Cost of laborper hour - a body shop in the center of a big city, such as Barcelona or Madrid, can easily charge more than 60 euros, without VAT! When demand exceeds supply, it is inevitable that prices will rise, simple law of the market.
  • Area to be repainted - if the area to be repainted can be separated, such as a bumper or engine hood, the body shop can handle it more simply, spend less hours isolating the other parts and perhaps not have to take up your paint room. Result, savings for you! If you have to repaint the side of the car instead, with the same area to be repainted, the cost will go up.
  • Type of car - the bigger the car, the more paint and man hours will be needed to prepare and paint the vehicle.
  • Type and brand of paint - to give an example, pearlescent paint can take up to 50% longer than metallic paint. We are not talking about cars with a "limited series" colour which can double the cost of the litres of paint needed.
  • Number of colours: correcting a stripe running across the bonnet and wheel arches in two different colours (also common on small cars like the Ypsilon) involves twice as much work. The bodybuilder has to isolate a part, paint it and let it dry and then repeat the process.

How much does it cost to paint a typical scratched car?

The cost of paint scratches is one of the most common requests made when it comes to auto body repairs.


Sooner or later everyone notices a bad scratch on the side of their car. Someone worries and ignores it while others take the car straight to the shop.

The cost of painting scratches depends a lot on the type of scratch on your car. If the scratch is superficial and in an inconspicuous area, you can also proceed with a do-it-yourself refinishing kit.

If the scratch is much heavier and involves the lower layers of the bodywork, then the cost can easily triple due to the hours of preparation required for painting.

The best person to make an estimate of how much it costs to repaint a car and remove the scratches is always the body repairer. Therefore, our advice is to rely on a good auto body repairman to get an idea of the cost of paint scratches.

How to get an honest car refinishing quote?

Given the many factors that determine the cost of refinishing a car, the risk of receiving a higher estimate than expected is high.

A body shop friend is always helpful, but unfortunately, not everyone has one.

With us at Pistonudos you can quickly find the best body shop in your area that is willing to do the job at the right price and without any doubts about their quality. To request a paint quote for your car, click here.

How much does it cost to repaint a car in Spain?

Repainting a car in Barcelona tends to cost more than the paint shops in neighbouring municipalities. This is true for all big cities where the cost of labor and the rents of the premises touch record figures which consequently increase the price of car repainting and maintenance operations in general.

It is impossible to say how much it costs to refinish a car without first checking the condition of the underlying bodywork and the number of hours needed to do a good job. Sometimes the estimate is so high that it even exceeds the value of the car itself, making it an unwise choice unless you are particularly fond of the car.

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