There are several reasons why your bumper may need a new brush stroke. You might have brought a new bumper to fit your car or you are simply having an old rattled bumper that needs an upgrade. Whatever the reason might be, we know your main concern is how much does it cost to paint a bumper?
You can paint your bumper with the help of professionals, or you can DIY paint your bumper as well. Be it professional or DIY, we are offering you a complete breakthrough of the total cost involved in painting a bumper. In our guide, you will have all the detailed evaluations you need to know before jumping into the task.
When Would a Bumper Need to be Painted?
Does your bumper really need to be painted? Keep reading and you will know.
Your bumpers can be made of either of these materials. They are metal or thermoplastic bumpers. Modern cars are mostly built of plastic. However, if you are an antique lover, you might have metal bumpers in your garage.
Whatever the material is, you might feel the urgency to paint your bumper for any of the following reasons:
You might get into a car crash: Roads are really rusty out there. It’s not unusual to face a smash-up and end up with a dented bumper.
In this case, you need to repair your damaged bumper for scratches and cracks. After repairing, you need to repaint your entire bumper. Painting the newly repaired part only will lead to a mismatch in color with the rest of the bumper. It can also deteriorate the already existing paint of the entire bumper.
Bumper Replacement; Old Bumper
Metal bumpers get rusty with age. And thermoplastic bumper paint slowly degenerates over time. Even with proper care and maintenance, both metal and plastic bumpers will need to be renovated after a certain time.
You need to sell your car
If you ever decide to sell your car, you need to make sure that your car is in good shape. If your bumper is in poor condition, it is always wise to repair and repaint it before selling. You can always compensate for the bumper repair cost with the overall sell price of your car.
Brought a new bumper
You might know as well, new bumpers don’t come painted. You need to paint on raw bumpers to match your car’s color. If you have bought a new bumper, it is obvious that you will have to paint your bumper.
How much does it cost to paint an unpainted bumper
New bumpers are needed to be painted before installation. They come unpainted, mostly in black or raw metal color. You can do DIY or have professional help to paint your bumpers. Here is how much to paint a bumper :
DIY Costs
DIY is a clever move to avoid additional labor costs. While doing DIY paint on your bumpers, the only costs that will be added are: sandpaper (from 80 grits to 600 grits), a suitable paint, and a minimum of one painting of base and enamel paint each.
Sandpapers will only cost you 5-15 dollars while depending on the quality of paint including base and clear coat paint, it will cost you 25-50 dollars.
Hence, the entire DIY pricing shouldn’t be more than $70. However, don’t forget the buying price of a new bumper; which would range between $250-$1000.
In total, based on the new bumper cost, it can cost you up to $450 to $850; assuming the price of an average bumper.
Professional Cost
If you are planning to seek professional auto paint jobs, you must be well acquainted with some of their service and charge as well. Auto bumper repair shops like Maaco or Automotive Depot issue total pricing based on labor hour, materials used, the level, and the amount of job.
If you are about to paint whole new bumpers, it will exclude the removal charge of the car bumper; as a result, labor hours will be reduced.
With unpainted new bumpers, you will need to pay a minimum of $180-$450 in order to have a professional service; excluding the primary cost of buying a new bumper. If we add up the bumper price, the cost will surely rise up to $400-$900 at a minimum; including labor charge and other essentials.
What is The Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?
What should be the cost to paint depends on the type of vehicle you are using. Mini cars have a width of 6 feet while family cars like SUVs can be 6.5 feet in width. Then again, school buses will be maximum of 8.2 feet in width.
On average, whatever the vehicle you have, your bumper size should be within 6 feet.
DIY Cost Per Square Foot: You will need to buy at least one can/pint of automotive paint for your bumper. Additionally, you will also need a transparent clear coat to stabilize the base paint and enhance your car’s look.
If in total, you have to spend $60 to DIY, the cost per square foot would be no more than $8-$10 including paints and other materials.
Professional Cost Per Square Foot
Whether you are repainting on existing bumpers or painting on new ones, the average cost for professional service shouldn’t be more than $350-$750.
Even if you are using quality paints for painting both bumpers, then the regular painting cost per square foot shouldn’t be more than $70-$80.
Estimated Cost of Paint For A Bumper?
Bumpers don’t need primers on them; hence avoiding its auxiliary cost. You will need to pay for one can of base coat and one of the clear coats to apply on bumpers.
What should the amount of paint be? For a single bumper, 1 pint of each coat will be enough. You might as well save some of the paints for future use.
However, repainting both of the bumpers will need 1 quart of base coat and 1 quart of clear coat. This will allow you to cover both of the quarter panels after finishing the bumpers as well.
One-quarter of each base color coat and clear coat will cost you a total of $40-$45. However, if you intend to use spray paint on both bumpers, the cost will rise up a bit. For both of the bumpers, you will need to buy 2 cans of spray paint base and clearcoat.
Also, make sure you match the base color of bumpers with the color code of your car. To have an exact match, you might have to pay a few bucks more.
Estimated Cost of Labor For A Bumper?
Labor charge is issued based on hours dedicated for the task, removal, and reinstallation of bumpers, and the type of vehicles you are using.
Usually, average car models would not need more than 2-3 hours for completion. However, if it gets to Porsche or Mercedes, the hour of completion can take up to 5-6 hours.
Based on the hourly rate, the labor cost should be between $350 to $550. However, if your bumper is severely damaged, the cost may rise up to $750. Of course, you have to purchase additional parts like the rear bumper cover, hoods, fog light, etc.
Average Bumper Repaint Cost
Considering each of the factors like paint price for both base paint and clear coat, amount of preparation work, and materials, the average bumper paint job cost should be within $600-$700.
In this case, you have to take in the efforts of finding the same color shade and code for your bumpers that match your car color. This will cost you extra but however, also make sure the bumpers completely blend in with the color of your car.
Economy Paint Job
It is okay to go for moderate plans for painting bumper cover. But, with this, you also have to keep in mind that the quality offered in a low-budget painting job can often disappoint you in the long run.
Some must-do tasks like matching color codes, applying clear coats will be avoided in low-end painting projects to reduce the cost. Also, cheaper paints will be used which only results in disappointment in the long run.
In total, it won’t cost you more than $250-$300.
Premium Paint Job
A trusted and reliable body shop can offer a top-notch painting job within $600-$700.
Of course, the price is a bit higher here. However, in lieu of this price range, you will get excellent protective coverage for your bumpers; that will last longer than economical plans.
If you want another premium services-like dual-color paints or if your bumper is badly dented and you want to turn them into completely new, the prices may cross above $1000.
Can a Bumper Be Painted Without Removing It?
Yes, Bumpers can be painted without being removed from the car. You can simply mask off or cover a large portion of your car with water and paint proof cover.
Final Thoughts
Once in a few years, you will need to repaint your bumpers. It can occur due to natural catalysts like radiation or any other factors.
However, if you are involved in an accident that leads to bumper damage, a specific amount is paid under collision coverage of auto insurance. This amount can vary from $24-$30 per month. Hence, it is wise not to lag behind and have poor painting plans for your bumpers. Always try to go for the premium plans that ensure durable and almost new-like bumpers.
