Are you wondering how much it costs to paint a truck?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you’ll learn:
- The typical cost of DIY painting a truck
- How to save money when painting a truck
- How much it usually costs to hire a professional vs do it yourself for painting a truck
- The estimated cost of labor and supplies to paint a truck
And much more!
So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your truck painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!
How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Truck?
This is a broad question as trucks vary in size and quality. Painting is a time-consuming activity whether you are doing touch up, painting the fender, or covering the whole truck.
We've done our research to give you some ballpark answers on painting costs. Take into consideration that there are a lot of different factors. Here are some variables that you can expect when car painting:
- Size of the truck
- Layers of paint used
- DIY versus hiring a pro
- Bodywork necessary
- Insurance versus paying yourself
- Paint color
Average Cost To Paint A Truck If You Do It Yourself?
Using spray paint? We don't blame you. Some trucks/SUVs just need a quick coat of paint, and spray paint jobs can still turn out looking decent when done in a controlled environment.
We encourage you to paint your truck a different color all by yourself. We have confidence that any normal person could do an average quality paint job in a controlled environment like a garage.
Here are some supplies you'll want for the job:
- Paint masker
- Masking film/tape
- Bondo with filler spreaders (for filling in small dents)
- Sandpaper/sanding sponge
- Paint sprayer
Check out our paint supplies and tools page for more quality ideas.
Note: One of the worst mistakes you could make is spray painting your car next to another car. Avoid overspray at all costs as it could add ugly paint specs to your other car inside the garage.
Read More >> What Are The Best Auto Primers To Cover Old Paint?
Average Cost To Paint A Truck If You Hire a Professional Company?
Let's go over the levels of service for painting your truck.
1. The cheapest paint job from an auto painting professional will cost you ~$500.
It's perfectly okay to hire a cheaper painter for fleet vehicles and junker trucks if you just want to 'put some lipstick on the pig'.
2 .A standard service for a new coat of paint will be around $1000.
Plan on spending some bills for some decent service and a paint job that is worth the pain.
3 .A quality service will be $2000+
Getting a top-notch paint job for your truck is a great idea when looking to enhance the look and 'up' the value.
How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Truck?
Paint Cost
You'll want 2+ gallons of primer, 2+ gallons of basecoat, and 2+ gallons of clear coat for a basic paint job on a truck.
The coats of paint you end up applying really depends on the quality/type of paint, color of the basecoat, and size of the car.
For example, if you are changing from red paint to a lighter color like tan or white, you'll either need to remove all the previous paint with a buffer pad
We're giving you a rough estimate here - if you want to be exact, you'll need to know the area of the vehicle you are painting and the number of square feet that your specific paint choice covers in 1 gallon or can.
Automotive paint costs anywhere from ~$20-$50 per gallon, so if you buy 6 gallons, then that means you'll be paying ~$120-$300 for paint PLUS prep materials like sandpaper, masking tape, Bondo, etc.
To be safe, save another $50 for prep materials.
DIY Labor Cost
How much time do you plan on spending when painting your truck? Because price range isn't the only factor in DIY labor - time is money, and if you can make more at your job than it takes to pay the painters it might be better to hire out the work to someone who deserves it.
We recommend spending anywhere from ~10-40 hours for a quality paint finish.
Professional Paint Job Cost
Pro automotive paint service will likely charge you by the hour when painting your truck at an estimated price given upfront.
A reasonable hourly shop rate is ~$60-$80/hour, so if the painters bid you a 20-hour paint job at something like $80/hour, then they'll price you at about $1600.
Honda, Chevy, Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari--whatever car or truck you have will be painting until the door jams by a decent pro auto painter.
Tip: Always get multiple bids for your paint job to keep the painters honest. Be clear that you are getting multiple estimates when talking to the professionals. This will help you get the lowest price at the highest quality.
You might also try costhelper and other pages that help give you a good idea when getting specific. The internet is your most valuable tool when DIY-ing.
Read More >> What Are The Best Auto Paint Guns For Beginners?
Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?
A truck is anywhere from 200-400+ square feet.
Let's say we are painting a smaller truck like a 200 square foot Ford Ranger.
If each gallon of synthetic enamel paint covers 200+ square feet area that means you'll need at least 6 gallons between all coats (primer, color coat, clear coat).
You'll find automotive paint from $20-$50/gallon, so be ready to throw down anywhere from $100-$300+ on some good paint to enhance the look of your pickup or fleet vehicle.
Estimated Cost of Paint For Painting A Truck?
As stated above, the average truck is from 200-400 square feet, but measure it yourself to find the exact square footage of the painting surface. Every truck is different; some trucks are enormous and will take much more paint than others.
We estimate that it will costs you anywhere from $120-$4000+ for your truck paint job.
$120 would be the cheapest scenario where you purchase 20+ cans of spray paint and go to town covering up all the rust spots on your old junker.
$4000+ would be the most expensive cost where collision repair and other prep work might be involved to get the paintwork done satisfactorily.
Insurance? Talk to your insurance company; you may be able to get away with an immaculate pro paint job at the cost of your deductable. Just an idea.
Read More >> What Are The Best LVLP Spray Guns?
Estimated Cost of Labor For Painting A Truck?
Cheaper Paint Shop Job: Hiring a reasonably priced shop like Maaco that does a decent job for a cheaper price will cost you anywhere from $300-$1000.
Quality Paint Job: A good paint job of showroom quality from a higher-end or even artistic painter may cost you anywhere from $1000-$4000.
How To Save Money When Painting?
Paint yourself: Not all trucks need a professional paint job. Like an old junky work truck, for example.
If the truck is depreciating in value but still sea-worthy and you aren't planning on selling it, that's a great opportunity for you to invest in an inexpensive paint gun.
Heck, even a rattle can with some old paint could do a pretty nice job if you evenly apply it in a controlled environment.
Remember, a good repaint job will add value to your truck, and a bad one will depreciate the value.
Get Multiple Estimates
Getting multiple estimates from the pros is the best way to get a reasonable price when hiring out the work.
Hustle On The Prep Work
Preparing for paint is the hardest part. Put your head down and work hard to get the preparation out of the way for the most efficient paint job.
We recommend hiring a professional if you are looking to maintain the value of your truck.
