Is the color of your old car bumper wearing out? Or does your newly ordered car bumper does not match the color of your car? You could order a new one with extra investment or paint the old bumper at almost 70% less cost than buying a new one!
But if you’re still bewildered whether you should actually paint your bumper, there are a few good reasons why you should.
For instance, you can save money if you paint your car bumper instead of getting a new one, hide the flaws on your old car bumper, etc. Now that you seem convinced to paint it all up. Aren’t you wondering-
How much does it cost to paint a bumper?
Well, if you want to answer that question, you might as well consider a few key factors. For instance, whether you are keen on doing it yourself or by a professional, the paint type, what measures you’re taking to protect it, etc.
For an average cost for DIY painting the bumper, it would be around $60-$100. If you are letting a professional handle the whole job, expect an expense of $180-$300, including the repairing if needed.
The article will give you all the information regarding:
- Estimation cost for bumper painting through DIY
- Estimation cost for bumper painting through a professional
- Paint and labor cost breakdowns for bumper paint job
- Some tips to stay on budget!
Now, let’s break down the cost estimations for you. Hop on!
Table of Contents
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Bumper: DIY Estimation
If you are keen on doing the bumper paint job all by yourself, then go for it! But for the cost estimations, don’t forget to consider two factors- the first thing you need to think about is the preparation and secondly the paint job.
Preparation
This will involve a bit of heavy work as you’ll be removing the car bumper. The difficulty level depends on your skills with vehicles and automobiles and the particular type of vehicle you are working on. On average, if you are well experienced in this department, it will not take you more than half an hour, and if you are a newbie, expect to spend around 2 hours at least on the prep work. Now that you have uninstalled the bumper from the vehicle. The following steps include-
- There will be existing paint on the bumper; you need to clean it up and create a smoother surface to paint. For this, you’ll need 80-grit sandpaper for initiating the process and finally end with 180 or 200-grit sandpaper.
- The sandpapers will cost you around $5-$15.
- After you’ve done sanding the surface, you need to clean up the mess you created. Clear all the dirt, dust, and grains to give off a smooth surface for painting.
Paint job
Now that you have a nice and fine surface to paint on, we’ll get to the fun part of the painting!
For the painting, you’ll need –
- Basecoat – 1 pint (enamel or spray paint)
- Clearcoat enamel paint – 1 pint
- Gloves
- Hard bristle square-shaped medium brushes
For the procedure,
- You’ll need to apply the base coat, enamel, or spray paint.
- Then, you can add a clear coat of enamel.
- Allow about 2-3 days to dry up
And you’re good to go!
The total cost of paints will be around $30-$60, depending on the brand and type of paint.
If you add up the total cost, it would be around $60-$100, as I said earlier.
Per sq. ft cost
When opting for a DIY painting of the bumper, keep in mind a few things-
- The average car bumper width is about 6 ft, whereas the length is 1 ft. So, you’ll need to paint a 6 sq. ft area.
- For 6 sq. ft area, the minimum amount of paint will be a pint of base coat or clear coat and another pint of your preferred paint.
- Before you jump and grab on to paint for automotive, make sure it is specifically made for automobiles. When you get to the corner of automotive paints, don’t forget to check its compatibility with the paint color code you’ll find somewhere in the side door of the driver.
- So, what would be the per square foot cost if you are hopping on the DIY project? It’ll be somewhat around $8-$10 considering the materials.
Estimating Cost of Painting A Bumper – Professional
When you take the job to a professional, they’ll look at the condition of your car, specify the type, estimate the bumper removal difficulty, and the materials cost for the job. Before you take your car bumper painting job to a professional, keep in mind the following things-
- A professional bumper paint task takes at least 2 hours and a maximum of 3 hours for completion.
- Do remember that the professional company will charge for labor on an hourly basis.
- As an average estimation of a reasonably good auto body shop, the labor cost will be around $70-$130 per hour.
- Then you have the material cost, including the pints of paint and base coat. The professionals usually go for the best quality paints, and the material cost can be around $50-$100.
Adding the values together, the total cost of getting your bumper painted by a professional would be about $180-$300.
Per sq. ft cost
If you are going for the cheap and lower quality professional bumper painting, then expect to spend $25-$30 per square ft. painting. And if you are looking at a high-end company offering the best quality paint job, then expect to spend around $40-$50 per square ft. painting.
Estimation of Paint and Labor Cost
Paint
If you want to get a pretty impressive bumper paint job done, the minor requirement for paints will be 1 pint of clearcoat and 1 pint of preferred color.
The total cost for the paints, including the base coat and clear coat, would be around $40-$60. Now, this estimation is for enamel paints you need to brush on.
In the case of spray paints, you’ll probably need about 2 cans of each clear coat and basecoat, costing you a little bit more, around $50-$70.
Besides, you’ll need other materials like sanding and dent removing tools if your car bumper isn’t in its best version. So, minus the repairing, if you have an excellent condition bumper, the material cost will not be more than $50-$70.
Labor cost
In the earlier days of just the beginning of modern car invention, bumpers were simply metal pieces that protected the car’s back from unexpected bangs and jolts. You would open up the two or four bolts, and voila! It’s out. But in recent days, car bumpers are not just an extra metal piece but a more incorporated piece attached to backup cameras, backlights, airbag sensors, warning sensors, and so on.
Now, if you’re getting your car bumper painted, then it needs to be removed too, which may include a lot of mechanical work unless you have the car model from the 60s.
Hence, depending on the integrated parts, the difficulty level will rise along with the labor time and cost.
For instance, if you have a Honda, getting off the car bumper will be easier and take no more than 2 hours, making the labor cost around $100-$150. But if you have a Mercedes, you need to safely take off the bumper, removing the attached parts safely, which will take about 4 hours maximum, making the labor cost around $200-$300.
Tricks and Tips to Save Money
If you are on a strict budget but need the car bumper painting job to get done, here are a few tips that might come in handy.
Skip the bumper removal part
If your car is your go-to vehicle to work, and that’s mostly all it does with the average looks and functions, then why not skip the whole mess of removing the bumper and all the attached systems with it? You can mask off the hood and paint the outer surface of the bumper, giving it a new look.
However, if you have a high-end or vintage vehicle, you wouldn’t probably like this idea.
Go for it yourself!
No matter whether you go to a cheaper auto body shop or a high-end professional company for painting car bumpers, it’ll cost you a good load of bucks. So, if you are a pro with automotive, then save your precious money and go for the painting job in DIY mode!
Get good coverage by spray painting.
Spray paint is a better solution offering better coverage without removing the bumper comparing to enamel if you would like to do it that way.
Ditch the color code
Yes, selecting the precisely matching color with the paint color code would be a good decision. But if you’re on a strict budget, you can just skip the step and save money by getting the closest shade possible to carry out the bumper paint.
Yes, selecting the precisely matching color with the paint color code would be a good decision. But if you’re on a strict budget, you can just skip the step and save money by getting the closest shade possible to carry out the bumper paint.
Now that you are well acquainted with the cost to paint a bumper, you can jump to the process right away. Just remember to calculate all the factors before starting the project.
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