Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Independent-shop door rate for your state band. Dealer rates are handled separately below.
Most states tax parts; several tax labor too. Pick the band closest to your county rate.
Result
Likely paint job cost
$4,829
Low end of quote range
$3,863
High end of quote range
$6,037
Labor
$3,864
Paint materials including tax
$965
Bodywork and trim removal
$0
Total shop hours
32.0
Share of the bill that is labor
80%
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How to use this
- 1Enter vehicle size.
- 2Enter prep hours (sanding, masking, repair) (hours).
- 3Enter spray and booth hours (hours).
- 4Enter state shop labor rate — Independent-shop door rate for your state band. Dealer rates are handled separately below..
- 5Enter shop type.
- 6Enter paint system.
- 7Enter dent, rust and panel repair ($).
- 8Enter trim, glass and handle removal ($).
- 9Enter state + local sales tax on materials — Most states tax parts; several tax labor too. Pick the band closest to your county rate..
- 10Read your likely paint job cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 11Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Paint jobs range from $500 to $20,000 for the same car, and the spread is almost entirely prep. A production shop scuffs and sprays over existing finish in a day; a quality respray strips or sands to a sound substrate, repairs dents, masks or removes trim, and lays base and clear in a booth over most of a week. The paint material itself is a minority of the bill unless you choose a tri-coat pearl or a candy. This calculator prices prep hours and spray hours separately at your state's body-shop rate, adds material by paint grade and vehicle size, and itemises bodywork and trim removal. Worked assumption for the defaults: a mid-size car, 24 prep hours and 8 spray hours at a $105 state rate uplifted 15% for body shops, single-stage-plus-clear urethane materials, no dent repair — about $4,830.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Vehicle size: Mid-size car — 1.0×
- Prep hours (sanding, masking, repair): 24 hours
- Spray and booth hours: 8 hours
- State shop labor rate: US average — $105/hr
- Shop type: Quality collision shop — 15% above
- Paint system: Base coat + clear urethane — $900
- Dent, rust and panel repair: 0 $
- Trim, glass and handle removal: 0 $
- State + local sales tax on materials: US average with local add-ons (~7.25%)
Results
- Likely paint job cost: $4,829
- Low end of quote range: $3,863
- High end of quote range: $6,037
- Labor: $3,864
- Paint materials including tax: $965
- Bodywork and trim removal: $0
- Total shop hours: 32
- Share of the bill that is labor: 80%
What each field means
Inputs
- Vehicle size
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Compact car — 0.8× material and hours, Mid-size car — 1.0×, Full-size car or small SUV — 1.2×, Large SUV, truck or van — 1.45×.
- Prep hours (sanding, masking, repair) (hours)
- The prep hours (sanding, masking, repair) used in the calculation, measured in hours. Starts at 24 hours so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 2–200 hours.
- Spray and booth hours (hours)
- The spray and booth hours used in the calculation, measured in hours. Starts at 8 hours so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–60 hours.
- State shop labor rate
- Independent-shop door rate for your state band. Dealer rates are handled separately below.
- Shop type
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Production / budget shop — 25% below state rate, Quality collision shop — 15% above, Restoration / custom shop — 50% above.
- Paint system
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Single-stage enamel — $400 material, Base coat + clear urethane — $900, Metallic or premium base/clear — $1,600, Tri-coat pearl, candy or matte — $3,200.
- Dent, rust and panel repair ($)
- The dent, rust and panel repair used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000 $.
- Trim, glass and handle removal ($)
- The trim, glass and handle removal used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–5000 $.
- State + local sales tax on materials
- Most states tax parts; several tax labor too. Pick the band closest to your county rate.
Results
- Likely paint job cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Low end of quote range
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- High end of quote range
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Labor
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Paint materials including tax
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Bodywork and trim removal
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total shop hours
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Share of the bill that is labor
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is a $700 paint job possible at all?
Because it skips prep. Scuff-and-shoot over the existing finish, tape rather than remove trim, and spray a thin single-stage in a few hours. It looks acceptable at ten feet for a year or two and it will not survive polishing.
Is a vinyl wrap cheaper than paint?
Usually comparable to a mid-grade respray, reversible, and it protects the paint underneath — but it lasts five to seven years, not fifteen, and it will not hide bodywork. Wraps make most sense on a car with sound original paint.
Where do the state labor rates come from?
They are independent-shop door rates by state band — what a non-dealer shop charges per book hour before parts. Rates cluster tightly by market cost of living, which is why the tool groups states rather than pretending each one has a single number. If you already have a quote, back out the shop's own rate and use that.
Why show a range instead of one price?
Because two honest shops quote the same job 20–30% apart on parts sourcing alone — OEM versus quality aftermarket, remanufactured versus new, and whether the flat-rate book hours match what the job actually takes on your vehicle. The range is the band most real quotes land inside; the midpoint is what to expect.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cost to Paint a Car Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-paint-a-car-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-paint-a-car-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cost to Paint a Car Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cost to Paint a Car Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-paint-a-car-calculator) (2026).