Cost of decent paint job
01-22-2019, 10:02 AM
#201
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01-22-2019, 10:57 AM
#202
Burning Brakes
Did you have to bring that up? I'm fighting the urge to have this done when I finish my paint. It seems like a solution looking for a problem. But Chris' car sure looked great in pics and impressed a stranger enough to pop down $300k. I do drive my cars and when we go to a few shows I may put a 1,000-1,500 miles on so if it helps keep it clean and protects my $2,500 paint job I may have to look in to it!
If it turns out okay, I'll move on to the Vette. It is a DIY project. IMHO
01-22-2019, 11:11 AM
#203
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01-22-2019, 11:16 AM
#204
Le Mans Master
$6,000 to do rear from doors back
I backed into a pole. Middle of rear between bumpers. To repair and fix cracks and other repairs done earlier and bonding strips..& clear coat base coat, put back bumpers, lights etc. Was $6,000 in Maine.
Most of cost was labor. 20-30 hrs of block sanding to make lines sharp. Two other shops in Maine wanted $ 7,000 to $10,000. If I did front Add $6,000 to $8,000. Total car would have been close to $15,000. I do not throw money away....that is what it costs to have a good job done by others.
Paint was $2,000 Spies Heckler....
jack
Most of cost was labor. 20-30 hrs of block sanding to make lines sharp. Two other shops in Maine wanted $ 7,000 to $10,000. If I did front Add $6,000 to $8,000. Total car would have been close to $15,000. I do not throw money away....that is what it costs to have a good job done by others.
Paint was $2,000 Spies Heckler....
jack
Last edited by Jackfit; 01-22-2019 at 12:02 PM.
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01-22-2019, 12:03 PM
#205
Race Director
01-22-2019, 12:06 PM
#206
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True, have you ever seen and Earl Sheib paint job up close?
01-22-2019, 12:10 PM
#207
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That reminds me of what I said in another thread about spending a lot of money on paint. Something about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Someone else said you can try but you still have a sow's ear.
DPlotkin summed it up nicely here:
Better answer for the OP might have simply been "it depends on what you have and what you want for a result -
01-22-2019, 12:16 PM
#208
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01-22-2019, 12:29 PM
#209
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I backed into a pole. Middle of rear between bumpers. To repair and fix cracks and other repairs done earlier and bonding strips..& clear coat base coat, put back bumpers, lights etc. Was $6,000 in Maine.
Most of cost was labor. 20-30 hrs of block sanding to make lines sharp. ..that is what it costs to have a good job done by others.
Paint was $2,000 Spies Heckler....
jack
Most of cost was labor. 20-30 hrs of block sanding to make lines sharp. ..that is what it costs to have a good job done by others.
Paint was $2,000 Spies Heckler....
jack
Most here are adding in the cost of extensive (unnecessary) body prep) and remove/replace trim parts, collision damage or other wear and tear and claiming that is part of the cost of a paint job.
Break out your itemized estimates that you probably insisted on before any work was started or your itemized bills bills with each and every charge on it for an accurate figure of the cost of a paint job.
01-22-2019, 12:55 PM
#210
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That reminds me of what I said in another thread about spending a lot of money on paint. Something about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Someone else said you can try but you still have a sow's ear.
DPlotkin summed it up nicely here:
Better answer for the OP might have simply been "it depends on what you have and what you want for a result -
DPlotkin summed it up nicely here:
Better answer for the OP might have simply been "it depends on what you have and what you want for a result -
01-22-2019, 01:38 PM
#211
Le Mans Master
So the paint was $2,000. What was the charge to scuff and spray. The OP wanted to know what a paint job cost, not rebuilt a recent wreck with prior damage. Even the removing and replacing of trim parts should be broken out separate from a paint job.
Most here are adding in the cost of extensive (unnecessary) body prep) and remove/replace trim parts, collision damage or other wear and tear and claiming that is part of the cost of a paint job.
Break out your itemized estimates that you probably insisted on before any work was started or your itemized bills bills with each and every charge on it for an accurate figure of the cost of a paint job.
Most here are adding in the cost of extensive (unnecessary) body prep) and remove/replace trim parts, collision damage or other wear and tear and claiming that is part of the cost of a paint job.
Break out your itemized estimates that you probably insisted on before any work was started or your itemized bills bills with each and every charge on it for an accurate figure of the cost of a paint job.
I only backed into the pole.....but it cracked the bonding strip..and cracked a few spots..I took off all the trim....lights etc. They did a great job....but as you know.....the painting is the least of the labor...the prep was done properly to insure that I would not have clear coat cracks....and other prior blemishes that all our cars have once you strip the paint and see 50 or more years or wear and tear...
Jack
Last edited by Jackfit; 01-22-2019 at 01:44 PM.
01-22-2019, 02:07 PM
#212
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...but it cracked the bonding strip..and cracked a few spots.
...but as you know.....the painting is the least of the labor...
the prep was done properly to insure that I would not have clear coat cracks....and other prior blemishes that all our cars have once you strip the paint and see 50 or more years or wear and tear...
Jack
Not all cars have clear coat. Not all cars have been wrecked and/or have wear and tear on the body.
That's why you need to back out all those costs separate from the paint to get the cost of a paint job..
01-22-2019, 02:34 PM
#213
Racer
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01-22-2019, 02:35 PM
#214
Race Director
So basically Jacks cost for paint ONLY was $2000 for the back half of the car?
I suspect the front half half would be more than that, what with doors, hood, headlight buckets etc. Maybe $5000 total???
I suspect the front half half would be more than that, what with doors, hood, headlight buckets etc. Maybe $5000 total???
01-22-2019, 03:09 PM
#215
Melting Slicks
I can see that there are no body shop owners here involved with this discussion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
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01-22-2019, 03:41 PM
#216
Safety Car
I can see that there are no body shop owners here involved with this discussion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
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01-22-2019, 04:22 PM
#217
Race Director
I can see that there are no body shop owners here involved with this discussion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
So I wish to state that no body shop can survive on selling labor only. This is a well known fact of any shop owner.
The only profit that the shop realizes is from the sale of parts.
Labor rate only pays for the overhead.
You cannot profit on paint jobs unless you obtain a proper labor rate to overcome the parts profit loss.
So, if there are any body shop owners here that want to dispute this fact, that they can live on paint jobs alone, please state so and tell me the secret.
I really doubt that all the "expert advice" that has been discussed here is from experts, but is little more than uninformed opinion.
Isnt a paint only job mostly labor ?
If I am understanding your post correctly the profit on the job would have to come from the cost of the paint materials.
01-22-2019, 04:41 PM
#218
Melting Slicks
That is where the profit of a shop comes from.
In the case of a paint job, the rate must be high enough to make up for no parts profit.
The cost of the paint is marked up of course, but the shops cost of the paint is very high also, and the profit on the paint does not go far enough to give the whole job profit.
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01-22-2019, 05:01 PM
#219
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The question was, "how much is a decent paint job", not how much profit does a shop with too much overhead have? Not how much is collision repair.
If a shop has too much overhead and can't make a profit on paint jobs alone, looks to me like he should turn the work away and do something else instead of burdening the customer with his fixed, "too high" costs. .
Commercial businesses are not the only place to get a quality job, no mater what your standard is.
Just because an employee is paid retirement, SS, medical insurance, workman's comp and unemployment insurance is no guarantee he does better work that the guy that gets paid $15/hour per my previous post on the chopped, shortened and amazing Chevy coupe.
If you had a shop and had a basic charge for a paint job, would it be the same for both these vehicles? The paint cost is almost the same, the spray labor is almost the same. What is the difference? Not likely the paint or the labor to spray is much different.
01-22-2019, 05:04 PM
#220
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I don't see why anyone would take offense to any of the comments. The OP's question is far too vague to answer, at least without an extensive list of qualifications. One cannot call a reputable body/paint shop and ask, "How much for a decent paint job?" without the shop taking a thorough look at the car and understanding the client's expectations. Some people think a single stage spray after taping off brightwork is a "decent" job. Others think decent means a multi-stage, sanded finish with matching jambs and no sign of taping. It's largely subjective. Obviously, the labor and resultant costs are dramatically different. And replicating a factory paint job is much closer to the latter in terms of cost, even if it cost only $35 back in the day. Also, just because one guy wants the latter doesn't make him a "showoff" any more than a $5k budget makes another guy a cheapskate. Some people have unlimited budgets. Others don't. Some see only flaws in their cars. Others enjoy the positives. So much is relative.
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