Trucks with a proper overall build quality and boast quality components can surely outlive the paint they have on their bodies. However, once the paint does start to chip and peel, it will leave the inner metal exposed. And exposed metal and air do not go that well. Air has moisture, which will make the metal catch rust.
Well, you would not want rust on your precious truck, right? Now, it is not possible to paint one specific area of the truck. If you want to repaint it, you got to do the whole thing. And you might be wondering how much to paint a truck.
The cost is usually the first thing that people think about when they think about repainting their truck. Nevertheless, the good thing is that you have stumbled upon the right source to find out how much it does cost. And that is not the only info we will provide here. You will find the rest of the related information too.
How Much Will It Cost to Paint a Truck?
Before we get into anything else, let us get into the topic we have in our hands. That would be how much does it actually cost to paint a truck. Well, even though it might seem easy to get an estimated value, in reality, there are many things that can make the price fluctuate a lot.
But you do not have to worry because we have done good enough research to provide you an estimated value for the overall task. But before we do offer you that information, we would like to make sure that you know about what can make the price fluctuate.
a) Size
The price can go up and down depending on the size of the truck. Usually, the larger trucks will need more supplies, which means the cost of painting them will be relatively higher than the trucks of medium size.
b) Layers of Paint
Usually, during the painting session, there are going to be multiple layers of paint on the body. And for each of the coating, the price is going to go a bit up.
c) Labor Cost
If you do not have any prior experience in painting a car, chances are you would need to rely on a professional. And that would add the labor cost, which will increase the total amount of cost required.
d) Repairs
Generally, before painting the body, all of the imperfections need to be off the body. By imperfections, we are indicating the rust, scratches, dings, and dents that might be on the body. And this process is going to cost money as well.
e) Insurance
If you can get the insurance to cover the cost of the paint, the overall cost will be cheaper than you paying the fees.
f) Paint Color and Type
The cost of the paint is not the same either. There are differences between the finishes as well. Each of the finishes will have a different cost. Also, the same thing goes for the color of the paint.
Would I Be Able to Paint the Truck by Myself?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to paint the truck by yourself. All you would need the right tools and some right guidance. In fact, the importance of guidance is a little bit low here because we believe any average person can do a proper repaint on the truck. You are just going to need the right tools.
Now, you might be asking what tools are we actually talking about. Well, those are as follows:
- A paint masker
- Bondo that comes with filler spreaders
- Masking film or masking tape
- Sandpaper or sanding sponge
- Paint sprayer
These five are the things that you would need to carry out the painting tasks by yourself. And the best part is that you would be saving a lot of money on the labor cost as you are going to do all the labor by yourself.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Truck Professionally?
Now, if you are not at all confident about your ability to paint the truck, you might be looking at the services that different brands offer, right? Well, the cost for those will vary a lot. And the cost will highly depend on the quality of the service. That being said, the average cost of each of the service is as follows:
The Cheapest
If you do not care about the quality at all and want just to get new looks on your car as cheaply as possible, you would be looking to spend about $500. This service should be available in most auto painting professional services.
- Standard
The cheapest might not be the service you are planning to settle on. Well, if that is the case, then you might be looking to get something that is average or a bit higher than average. Well, you would be venturing on the standard service cost then. And this segment would cost you around $1000.
- Premium Quality
If you want to get good quality paint on the body, then you would have to opt for a proper service provider. And that is not all. You would have to bear the cost of the premium paint. For that reason, this service might cost you as much as $2000. In some scenarios, it might cost higher than that.
How Much Paint Do I Need to Paint a Truck?
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To get a basic paint job on the truck, you would need at least two gallons of primer, two gallons of clear coat, and two gallons of basecoat. That means you would require a total of six gallons of liquid. On that note, the quality of the coats will highly depend on these.
The higher the quality of the primer, the better the best gloss black spray paint is going to stick on the surface. And the better the quality of the base coat, the higher the chances of the paint coming out exquisite. Also, the higher the quality of the clearcoat, the more durable the overall coats are going to be.
Considering all of these, we would recommend would be to get high-quality paints, primers, and clear coats. And on average these, go for $20 to $50 per gallon. Also, as you are looking to get at least six gallons, the cost is going to be from $120 to $300. However, these numbers can bump up if you get high-quality ones.
Additionally, you need to factor in the preparational materials. Those would cost at least $50. And in some cases, the total cost of those materials might even cost as much as $100.
How Much Time Will It Take to Paint a Truck?
If you are planning to do the painting by yourself, you would be saving yourself the labor cost. However, you would have to put on the effort by yourself. With the right tools, you are looking to spend about 10 to 30 hours of time. However, if the tools are not that easy to maneuver, you might have to spend more than 40 hours.
How Much Will It Cost Me for Each Square Foot?
Generally, a truck is going to be from 200 square feet to 400+ square feet. Let us say that each gallon of paint can cover 200+ square feet of area. In that sense, you would need at least 3 gallons of all coats to cover a small truck that is around 200 square feet large.
And each gallon of paint is going to cost you around $20 to $50, which we mentioned earlier. Also, for three gallons, you are going to need to spend around $60 to $150. So, for each foot, you are looking at from 30 cents to 75 cents. On that note, if you happen to get the high-quality ones, the cost is going to go up.
Tips to Save Money When Painting
Before you head right into getting your truck painted, we would like to offer you some tips that will help you save some bucks to restore the overall looks of your vehicle. And they are:
i) Do It Yourself
If the truck does not have that much damage, then we would highly recommend doing the paint by yourself. It will save the labor cost, and most importantly, you could get a good deal off the paints, which the service centers are not going to bother one bit about.
ii) Get a Paint Gun
On that note of doing the paint by yourself, you should get a paint. This tool will make the painting task feel like a piece of cake. And most importantly, the coats are going to come even.
iii) Get Multiple Estimates
Consider the offerings of different brands and get multiple estimates. Lastly, measure the pros and cons of each and make the right choice.
Final Words
Hopefully, the information we included in this article gave you insight into all the things you wanted regarding how much to paint a truck and the things related to it. By using this information wisely, you can save yourself a handsome amount of cash.
