Are you wondering how much it costs to paint a car hood?
You’ve come to the right place
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you’ll learn
- The typical cost of DIY painting a car hood
- How to save money when painting a car hood
- How much it usually costs to hire a professional vs do it yourself for painting a car hood
- The estimated cost of labor and supplies to paint a car hood
And much more!
So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your hood painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!
How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car Hood?
It will cost you anywhere from ~$100-$1000 to paint a car hood depending on if you paint yourself or hire a professional for the job.
Now that you've decided the hood needs paint, it's time to decide whether or not you are going to perform the labor yourself.
Our opinion? We say:
DIY (do it yourself) when it's an inexpensive car that just need the rust-covered up. You could go as cheap as buying spray paint cans and going to town.
Whether it's the hood, the front bumper, fenders, or the whole car, body paint is a time-consuming task, so hiring a professional might save you in the long run if you earn well at your day job.
Hire a pro paint shop/local shop when your insurance is covering the new paint job, and this might even include a full paint job on your vehicle all the way down to the door jambs.
Here are some good reasons to hire a pro:
- High-quality paint job - you'll get a showroom quality finish on a respray
- Pro painters are licensed and insured for business
- More attention to detail
- etc..
Let's go into detail to help give you a good idea when it comes to the cost of painting your hood...
Average Cost To Paint A Car Hood If You Do It Yourself?
It will cost anywhere from $50-$150 for you to do it yourself plus the amount of time it takes... it could take you anywhere from 4-10 hours to paint the hood of your car depending on how picky you are.
You could apply 2 coats of base coat, and one coat of clear coat or you could apply 3 coats of base coat followed by 3 coats of clear coat.
Remember, the more coats you put on your hood, the better the paint job will turn out.
Average Cost To Paint A Car Hood If You Hire a Professional Company?
Hiring a professional company to paint just the hood will cost you anywhere from $200-$1000+, depending on if there is damage to the hood that needs to be repaired beforehand.
Take into consideration also that some body shops will want to completely remove the hood on your Chevy, Honda, Toyota, SUVs, Mercedes, etc to do the job correctly, so that will add to the labor time.
Read More >> What Are The Best Auto Primers To Cover Old Paint?
How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Car Hood?
Estimating DIY Cost
You'll have to measure your hood, and then price out the paint that you are going to be using(you can find the exact color match for your vehicle by using its paint code located inside the driver's door).
Paint colors also vary the price, as some colors cost more than others.
You'll also have to pencil in the hours that it takes you to get the job done--that matters too.
You will need at least 1 quart of base coat + 1 quart of clear coat for the job.
Automotive paint ranges anywhere from $20-$50 per quart, so you'll be spending from $40-$100 on paint.
Estimating Pro Cost
Professional companies might give you different prices depending on their quality of work.
You can get the best price and quality by using Google and Yelp reviews to get different prices from bodywork/auto body shops that have a good reputation.
Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?
Let's say we are painting a sedan's hood that is 6 feet long and 5 feet wide.
DIY Per Square Foot
Let's say we bought 1 quart of base coat, and 1 quart of clear coat--this will allow for about 3 coats of each paint on the hood. (1 quart covers at least 100 square feet, and our project is 30 square feet)
$100 total cost / 30 square feet = $3.33 per square foot
Professional Cost Per Square Foot
Now let's say that we took our car to a body shop, and they charged us $400 to paint a hood that is in relatively good condition.
$400 total cost / 30 square feet = $13.33 per square foot
Read More >> How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Bumper (DIY vs. Pro)?
Estimated Cost of Paint For A Car Hood?
We're going to say purchase a solid 2 quarts of paint for painting your hood.
The price will vary depending on the paint quality/type of paint for example, a synthetic enamel paint might cost more than acrylic or one-stage polyurethane.
Generally, automotive paint costs $20-50 per quart, and you'll need about 1 quart of base coat + 1 quart of clear coat for painting the hood.
Plus, if you are painting a brand new hood that doesn't have paint, you'll also need 1 quart of primer.
That means at minimum you'll be paying $40, and at maximum $150 on paint.
And of course, if you plan on doing a rattle can job, you'll get away with about 3 cans of base coat and 3 cans of clear coat at about $5-$10 per can.
That's $30-$60 in rattle can spray paint costs.
Prep Work?
Let's not forget that you will have to perform some prep work before auto painting.
Here are some supplies you'll likely need for the job.
HVLP spray gun
The price of the actual spray gun has decreased significantly over the years, and you'll use it more than just to paint your car if you buy one. And if you are looking for a high-quality paint pistol, you might try something like this.
Sandpaper
The best automotive paint jobs are wet sanded to give the paint a smooth to the touch finish. Sanding is a necessity before painting, and sometimes even between coats.
Drop cloths
Whether it's a sheet or a professional painting drop cloth, you'll need something to throw on the ground in your garage to prevent overspray.
Body filler/filler spreaders
Does your hood have big dents or rusted-out spots? You'll want somebody filler and some filler spreader tools to help you make the car look smooth after it's painted.
Dent puller kit
Dent puller kits are relatively inexpensive, and they will help you pull dents out of the hood before painting. After you have the dents out and relatively flat, you can use the body filler to eliminate imperfections.
Tip: Don't spray paint close to other cars.
Read More >> How Much Does A Maaco Paint Job Cost?
Estimated Cost of Labor For A Car Hood?
Most shops will charge anywhere a price range of $200-$1000 to paint just the hood.
Painting the hood of your vehicle will take a professional anywhere from 1-4 hours for painting your hood, and we use hours because most body shops charge their customers in increments of service hours.
Despite the actual time it takes the painter to get the job done, the service advisor will likely sell the job in-service hours.
How To Save Money When Painting A Car Hood?
Get A Competitive Price
Getting multiple bids is the key to saving money when hiring a professional or even an amateur for the job.
There are chain companies like Maaco that will charge you the cheapest price for the work, but they might not use the same paint as you had before--they typically use a single-stage polyurethane paint that goes on in just one coat--which isn't exactly a bad thing when looking to cover up ugly spots on your car.
Paint Yourself?
The easiest way to save money when painting is to paint it yourself, but you obviously aren't going to save time because painting is a time-consuming task.
Check Classifieds/Marketplace For Paint Supplies
When painting just a single part of your vehicle, it isn't a bad idea to search for people who might have paint leftover from a different project. It might not match the paint of your vehicle, but it's a good idea when looking to go super economy mode.
Use A Cost Helper
The internet is your best friend when it comes to saving money. Whether it's purchasing the supplies from a website like Amazon, or using a cost helper to help you get a cheap paint job.
Ask Us Questions!
Pro Paint Corner is here and ready to answer all of your paint questions with over 20 years of experience in the painting industry.
