Thread: whats a good price on a paint job

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I am strictly a custom or resto guy. Good materials... and the time to do it right. I am cheap for the trade, at $35 an hour... or $30 for repeat customers. (Many pros are at $50 to $100 per hour.) I do not mark up materials at all. Many of the "custom jobs" will also include complex graphics. As a result of this, the jobs usually run between $7500 and $25000.

I also do a fair number of pre-war street rods. These cars usually need to be blown apart for paint, and need a lot of body work.... so they will usually be double the amount of hours... and maybe 50% more materials.

Sounds like a lot of money, but I have spent as much as $7K on materials... and 8 months work... to complete the worst of the worst. I must be doing something right, because my customers come back 95% of the time, and recommend me to friends.

Of course you can get a car done for $300-$500... but they will cut the labor and materials to the bone...or worse! The old rule "You get what you pay for" can bite you in the butt, HARD! The next "repaint" often requires repeating the painting costs AGAIN... PLUS having to pay more to remove all of the old paint!!!

If builder want to save $$$, you should consult with your painter about color choices, and other compromises that can produce a stunning job, at a lower cost.