Are you wondering how much it costs to paint a bumper?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you’ll learn:
- The typical cost of DIY painting a bumper
- How to save money when painting a bumper
- How much it usually costs to hire a professional vs to do it yourself for painting a bumper
- The estimated cost of labor and supplies to paint a bumper
And much more!
So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your bumper painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!
How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Bumper?
There are a couple of key factors that determine the overall cost of painting your bumper.
So let's break down the typical DIY costs as well as the cost of hiring a profesional.
DIY Costs
When tackling a DIY paint job on your car bumper, there are 2 areas to think about: The Prep Work, and the Paint Work
Prep Work
Painting a bumper correctly requires that you remove the bumper from the vehicle.
This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on your automotive experience and the difficulty of the specific vehicle you are working on.
Then, once you've prepared your vehicle's bumper to be painted, you'll need to sand off the existing paint to create a smooth paint job.
THat means you'll need some sandpaper (starting with 80 grit and finishing with a smooth 200 grit) which will typically run you anywhere between $5 - $10.
Paint Work
Once you're surface is prepped, you'll be ready to start painting.
But before you dive in, make sure you have at least 1 pint of a base coat and 1 pint of a clear coat enamel paint (spray paint cans work too if that's your preference).
Acquiring the proper paint and base coat and enamel paint will probably run you between $20 - $40.
Total DIY Cost Estimate
With the prep work and paintwork in mind, the total estimate for a DIY bumper paint job is around $60.
However, this will ultimately be determined by the cost of the paint you choose to use.
Professional Cost
An auto body repair shop will give you a quick estimate based on the quality of your vehicle, and the difficulty of bumper removal.
A bumper paint job typically takes a professional 2-3 hours to complete, and auto body shops charge each job by labor hours.
Chain auto body shops like Maaco charge anywhere from ~$50-$100 for labor, so if materials cost around $50, plus 2 hours of labor, you will be paying a minimum of $150 for your bumper to be painted by a professional as compared to a cheap parking lot job.
Estimated Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?
If the average car width is about 6 feet, and the bumper is about a foot tall, then that means a bumper is about 6 square feet.
DIY Cost Per Square Foot
You'll need at least a pint of paint to paint up your bumper plus another pint of clearcoat.
The type of paint you use should be auto paint, and more specifically you should match it up with the paint color code which can be found somewhere inside the driver's side door.
If the average cost is $40 for materials, you'll be paying $6-$7 per square foot for DIY bumper paint.
Professional Cost Per Square Foot
If the average cost for painting a bumper is $150-$300 then that means a cheaper quality paint job will cost $25/square foot, and a more expensive luxury car paint job will cost about $50/square foot.
Estimated Cost of Paint For A Bumper?
You'll need at least 1 pint of basecoat and 1 pint of clearcoat for an impressive bummer paint job.
So if you purchase something like this 1 quart can of Duplicolor automotive paint you might have enough color coat for both bumpers and even the quarter panels at a cost of around $20, but then you'll want to apply a clear coat like this Duplicolor version afterward.
In this scenario, you have purchased enough paint for both bumpers for ~$40.
That's realistic, but if you want to purchase the exact color to match the paint color code on your vehicle, you may be paying more.
Or, if you are using spray paint, you'll want about 2 cans of both clearcoat and 2 cans of basecoat.
Paint cost for a bumper in good condition should cost you under $50. You might spend a little more on sanding materials or tools and products for removing small dents with products like Bondo.
Estimated Cost of Labor For A Bumper?
Labor costs for painting a bumper depends on the quality of the vehicle, and the difficulty of bumper removal.
Easier bumpers, like a Honda or Toyota will probably be charged for less labor time (like 2 or 3 hours, for example) while luxury vehicles like BMW and Mercedes might be charged for 4 hours of labor due to the headache it might take to get the bumper off safely.
Bumper damage?
A damaged bumper from a car accident will also ramp up the labor cost.
First of all, you might have to purchase a brand new bumper and other parts of the car bumper like fog lights, ambient temperature sensor, etc. which could range up into the thousands depending on your vehicle make.
How To Save Money When Painting A Bumper?
Don't Remove The Bumper
Sure, if you have a classic or valuable vehicle, then you are going to want to paint the bumper the right way.
But what about that economy car that serves you for getting to work in the morning? You could get away with simply masking off the hood/trunk, and painting it without the hassle of removing sensors.
Use A Spray Paint Can
You don't necessarily need to use the same paint color match that is associated with the color code.
Spray paint is an easy way to paint the entire bumper without having to pull out the air compressor and paint spray gun.
Avoid The Paint Shop
Our opinion here at Pro Paint Corner is that you should only hire a professional for the job if the insurance company is involved, or if your vehicle will depreciate in value without a professional look.
For all of you who own commuter cars, junker cars, and other vehicles that are quickly depreciating in value our advice to you is to paint it yourself!
