Are you wondering how much it costs to paint brake calipers?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you’ll learn:
- The typical cost of DIY painting brake calipers
- How to save money when painting brake calipers
- How much it usually costs to hire a professional vs do it yourself for painting brake calipers
- The estimated cost of labor and supplies to paint brake calipers
And much more!
So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your brake calipers painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!
How Much Does It Cost To Paint Brake Calipers?
It will cost anywhere from $20-$500+ to paint your brake calipers depending on whether or not you hire a professional for the job.
Do you want your painted brake calipers to look like Brembos? We've done some research to help you get the job done the way you want it.
Average Cost To Paint Brake Calipers If You Do It Yourself?
Painting brake calipers yourself isn't going to cost you a lot of money, however, you will have some prep work like disassembling the wheel and caliper/brake pads and using masking tape/film to avoid getting paint on other parts of the car.
Average Cost To Paint Brake Calipers If You Hire a Professional Company?
Plan on spending ~$200 for a simple caliper paint job, and even more for a powder coat because
Most automotive shops will paint the calipers for you, but it's going to cost you about 2 labor hours for the technician to disassemble the brakes, paint the calipers, and then put them back together for you.
Read More >> What Are The Best Spray Paints For Wheels & Rims?
How To Estimate The Cost To Paint Brake Calipers?
DIY Cost Estimate
Doing it yourself will cost ~$20 for paint, and we estimate that the average person could get the job done in about 5 hours.
PRO Cost Estimate
Expect to pay anywhere from $200-$500 for an aftermarket brake caliper paint job.
A professional mechanic can disassemble your brakes in under an hour.
$1.25-$41.66 Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?
DIY Cost Per Square Foot
Since even the largest of brake calipers are pretty small, we'll estimate that each brake caliper is about 2 square feet of surface to cover, so that's 8 square feet for the whole car.
If we used this red caliper paint on Amazon that costs $10, this would be the break down:
$10 total cost / 8 square feet = $1.25 per square feet
Professional Cost Per Square Foot
It is pretty common for auto technicians to do a quick paint job on your calipers at a rate of about 2-4 shop hours.
Say you took your car to your local shop, and they charge you $200 for painting the calipers.
$200 total cost / 8 square feet = $25 per square foot
Or on the highest end, say you took your high-performance Porsche or Tesla to a pro powder coating business, and they charge you $500 for a repaint. The brakes are a bit bigger, so we'll say 12 total square feet for painting calipers with multiple pistons.
$500 total high end cost / 12 square feet = $41.66 per square foot
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Estimated Cost of Paint For Brake Calipers?
Aerosol Spray Cans
You can find a red spray paint can(like Dupli-Color) that is made especially for painting calipers for about $10/can.
You might want to buy two cans of this regular paint to be sure your brakes get a solid red coverage.
We highly recommend using simple spray paint for the job for a quick caliper paint job.
8 fluid ounces (half pint) for paint gun
You can purchase 8 fluid ounces of red paint on Amazon for ~$15.
With this type of paint, you typically dip the calipers in the can or use a brush. One can should do the trick.
Dipping the calipers in the paint works awesome, but it also requires that you completely disassemble the brakes and remove them from the car, which is a lot of work.
Powder-coated caliper covers
A more expensive option is purchasing powder coated covers that will save you money from having to contract a paint shop/disconnect brake lines for the job.
Paint Kit
Find paint kits in various paint colors on Amazon that comes with everything you need for DIYing.
Clear Coat
You might also want to apply a clear coat after painting the calipers.
Powder-coat paint
A 16-ounce bottle of powder-coat paint only costs about $20, however, you'll need other tools like a powder coat paint gun for doing a powder coat job.
Powder coat is the highest quality option when painting auto parts like brake calipers and wheels because it stands up to high heat and resists chipping better than other paints. Brakes are exposed to high temperatures with frequent use, and they also frequently get brake dust on them which must be cleaned off with a potent brake cleaner.
Read More >> How Much Does It Cost To Paint Rims?
Estimated Cost of Labor For Brake Calipers?
You'll be paying 3-4 shop hours for painting your brake calipers depending on how nice the shop is.
Technically, taking the brakes off the vehicle and re-installing them is 2 labor hours, which is anywhere from $50-$150/hour.
We estimate you'll be paying anywhere from $150-$500 on labor for brake caliper painting.
How To Save Money When Painting Brake Calipers?
Paint Them Yourself
Calipers are relatively easy to separate from the brake disc, however, if you want to completely separate the calipers from the braking system, you'll have to drain the brake fluid and disconnect the brake lines(which also involves breeding the air out of the brakes afterward).
If you already know how to rebuild/bleed brakes, we highly recommend you do the job yourself.
You should hire a professional for the job if you aren't auto savvy.
Use Google To Your Advantage
The internet will help you find the right shop for the job, help you find the right materials for doing it yourself and you can even learn how to disassemble your brakes and paint them from internet tutorials.
Find Paint Supplies On Classifieds/Marketplace
It's always worth checking the local marketplace around you to see if someone has some leftover paint materials.
You could also sell your extra paint online after you are done with the project.
Ask Questions!
Our page gives you great information on which paints and supplies to use, and we've even done our research to find you the best painters in your area.
We want your calipers to turn out impeccable. Feel free to ask us any other questions you might have. Good luck!
