Paint Quote - What is Reasonable?

[bluec10]

I'm finally in a position where I can start restoring my 69 GMC. It's a 36,000 mile beauty with the cleanest body I've ever seen on an unrestored truck.

A few years ago I spent $5000 to have all the rust repaired - cab corners, rockers, door bottoms, and a few other odds and ends. The repairs were well done. The truck is rust-free and VERY straight.

So...I recently had a painter come by for a quote. He's painted for years and is just starting his own shop. I saw his album of work and it is impressive. He was impressed by how clean my truck is. He took a good look at the truck and later that day I got his quote - $20,000 CDN.

Is this the going rate for a simple paint job on a near-perfect truck that's had all the rust repaired? Need some perspective here.

[truckster]

I can't really tell you if that quote is too far out of line, but... that's over $14k in my neck of the woods. I can do a whole lot of learning for $14k. So far I've put about $1,000 into buying equipment and paint for my truck. It's not where I want it yet, but I don't think I'll get to half that amount before I'm satisfied. And then I have the equipment and experience to paint my other vehicles.

[bluec10]

Originally Posted by truckster

I can't really tell you if that quote is too far out of line, but... that's over $14k in my neck of the woods. I can do a whole lot of learning for $14k. So far I've put about $1,000 into buying equipment and paint for my truck. It's not where I want it yet, but I don't think I'll get to half that amount before I'm satisfied. And then I have the equipment and experience to paint my other vehicles.

That's what I've been thinking. I restored an old Goldwing a few years ago and did all the painting myself. I was very happy with the results. Only problem is finding the space.

[bluec10]

Originally Posted by truckster

I can't really tell you if that quote is too far out of line, but... that's over $14k in my neck of the woods. I can do a whole lot of learning for $14k. So far I've put about $1,000 into buying equipment and paint for my truck. It's not where I want it yet, but I don't think I'll get to half that amount before I'm satisfied. And then I have the equipment and experience to paint my other vehicles.

I’m starting to think the same thing. I painted my motorcycle when I restored it and was pleased with the results - with a throw away Harbor Freight paint gun no less.

[chewychevy67]

That is what I expect my paint job on my 67 will cost me. I'm in saskatchewan, my truck will be 3 colors though. I know the paint ad materials have realy got expensive since covid started. I do residential paint and mine has skyrocketed. The cost is high to have fun with cars and trucks today and I dont see it coming down ay time soon.

[LS short box]

Don't know if it's an option for you but when I had my 68 C10 painted the body shop "let" me do all the block sanding. I took parts up to the shop one at a time. Primed and sanded. Primed and sanded. I can tell you no one at any body shop is standing in line to block sand. We did a skim coat of bondo. A layer of sprayable polyester and then two rounds of regular primer.
With all the materials, shop labor for painting, wet sanding and buffing it was about 6K US.
I stripped all the panels, cab and misc parts to bare metal.
It takes a ton of time to disassemble/reassemble the truck to do a a really top notch paint job.

[Accelo]

My cost was over $13,000 including the paint. That price didn't include some of the add one like the template for the letters and other work that was added in. I stripped the truck myself and most, but no all, of the body repair was completed before they started. I did complete disassemble/reassemble, this saved me a lot of money as LS short box mentioned. This was about 2 years ago and everything has gone up since then. I just purchased a higher stall converter, the price went up $100 on October 1 of 2022. I ordered it just in time to get the old price.
I agree $20K is a lot of money. I'm assuming the paint will be first class. Unlikely a first time painter could turn out a paint job like a professional on his first try. A lot to learn.

[Grumpy old man]

Post a few pictures of what your starting with , Are all the mechanicals done Suspension/ drivetrain ? Are they painting the frame ? interior? installing new glass ? seals/ emblems /trim/ Never pay big bucks for paint until everything else is done . And Never spend $20,000.00 at a brand new shop .

[bluec10]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Post a few pictures of what your starting with , Are all the mechanicals done Suspension/ drivetrain ? Are they painting the frame ? interior? installing new glass ? seals/ emblems /trim/ Never pay big bucks for paint until everything else is done . And Never spend $20,000.00 at a brand new shop .

Good advice, especially the last line. His work is good, no doubt. But there is a lot more to working with a shop than pics from an album.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Post a few pictures of what your starting with , Are all the mechanicals done Suspension/ drivetrain ? Are they painting the frame ? interior? installing new glass ? seals/ emblems /trim/ Never pay big bucks for paint until everything else is done . And Never spend $20,000.00 at a brand new shop .

I like what Grumpy says. Painters generally ask for lots of markup and then cut cost from there.

If you're picky and have lots of cash to spend the local I was referred to here starts at 10K and goes up from there. They do not get lots of these types of jobs so if they care about their reputation the money is there. Doing production work for insurance companies is a complete different ballgame, and that is where the steady income is.

A guy I knew, as an auto painter says it's very difficult to do both at a shop meaning restos and collision repair. It's a very different animal.

Find someone who can earn your trust, respect, and can trust his warranty at his word.

[70cst]

After reading this thread ... lots of variables but ... you get what you pay for. Depending on the quality of paint... I would contact your local Street Rod Club ... or Car Clubs in your area - they would have places you could go for a quote.

[CG]

Sometimes I think places quote high because they don’t want to do a job. Then if the person says ok let’s do this then it becomes worthwhile to do a job they really didn’t want to.

[purple gas]

It's always good to get more than one quote.
It's also super important to get in writing what will be done, what materials will be used, and how long it will take. If they won't put that in writing, walk away.
I got a car painted years ago, it turned out stunning, but the 10 days - 2 week timeline turned into 5 months.
The price of paint jobs is why I'm going DIY.
A. At my age I don't need a trailer queen I'm afraid to drive.
B. I'm a cheap bastard and not paying north of 10 k to have a shiny toy.
C The last paint job I did turned out quite decent. Not pro quality but I've seen some pretty crappy jobs people have paid good money for.
In Saskatoon.

[70cst]

Originally Posted by CG

Sometimes I think places quote high because they don’t want to do a job. Then if the person says ok let’s do this then it becomes worthwhile to do a job they really didn’t want to.

Bingo!

[Grumpy old man]

Trying to compare prices from around the country/ Canada won't work way too many variables to get any kind of real numbers to be of any help to anyone wanting to have their truck painted , Here in Knoxville there is one guy who does nothing more than repair/replace sheetmetal no finish body or paint work at all and he's booked months in advance . The local high dollar restoration shops are booked and Very expensive . The best way to find a good body man is to find your local car clubs and ask the "regular guys" who to use , There are more than a few guys working from their backyard shop who do excellant work and your not paying for someones fancy shop on the main st in town . there won't be a latte machine in the corner but who actually drinks lattes ? You'll probably pay in cash ,there won't be any credit card machine , The OP said he already had the metal work done and paid $5,000.00 and now the bodyman wants another $20,000.00 to finish it without assembly ? That's just crazy . There comes a point when you'll have so much money involved that it just won't be worth it and you'll have a trailer queen .

[chevmn]

Another thing came to mind, if you have a different shop do the paint than did the metal/body work, you would likely never get either to stand behind their work, and if you had issues a week, month, etc down the road, they would point fingers at the other shop. About 40 years ago I had a Chevelle repainted, and a week or so later the paint started cracking. I know now he painted acrylic laquer over top of an enamel repaint job (he should have known better). Not knowing what the real issue was, I took it back, and he agreed to repaint.....he simply sanded, and threw yet another few coats of lacquer over top which made it even worse. Needless to say I learned a tough, expensive lesson ($1,000 paint job at the time) as i decided to strip it down and paint myself. I think grumpy old man is right to talk to locals - they will know who can do the best work, and you be surprised to find it may not be the "restoration shop" with the paint booth and latte machine :-). Although it might just be an employee of the high $$ shop who is willing to make a few extra $$ on the side in the evenings and weekends.

[Grumpy old man]

watch all the stout customs videos . one guy working alone ,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ke57Q2xd_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqB9YupQG-M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7TxGtVlG8s






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQW1Wyi-ZqM

[Richard]

Probably not to far off the mark if it needs some body work and primer. My two tone 72 was almost 18k usd with me putting in about 350-400 hours of work at body shop on the truck. Had my 94 repainted at another shop about 3 years ago because my painter was not available. Was almost a scuff and shoot, still about 8k. Other estimates were as much as 12k. I did all the tear down. Clear is already failing in several places. One of the main reasons I chose a pricey imported single stage paint on the 72.

[Palf70Step]

Probably close to a good paint job now days. Things you can do sometimes to reduce cost is remove/replace all the trim yourself. There is a fair amount of man-hours involved in that, especially if you have all the trim like my truck. $$ for man-hours and supplies have gone up significantly in the last year or so. Like others have mentioned, if you can, get more than one quote.

[LockDoc]

-
A friend of mine is rebuilding a '57 Chevy. It will be black with a red interior. He just bought a QUART of name brand red paint from Arnold Motor Supply and the cost was $521 and some change. He does his own painting so no cash output for labor but WOW.....

LockDoc

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
A friend of mine is rebuilding a '57 Chevy. It will be black with a red interior. He just bought a QUART of name brand red paint from Arnold Motor Supply and the cost was $521 and some change. He does his own painting so no cash output for labor but WOW.....

LockDoc

Yup, red and yellow cost the most. Just my luck, my truck is orange.

[Jason Banks]

I think we still need more info on the scope of the paint job. You mention rust repair on cab corners, rockers, door bottoms, and a few other odds and ends, those areas will all likely need some body work or additional time to perfect. Does it include taking the entire front sheetmetal apart and taking the doors and bed off? Are you painting underhood, inside cab, inside bed? Taking the glass out? Taking weather stripping off?

In the fall of 2020 I painted one of my trucks EVERYWHERE, full dissassembly, painted inside cab, under dash, inside fenders, grill, bottom of hood, I mean EVERYWHERE. For that paintjob I spent at least $5000 on basecoat, clearcoat, primer(epoxy and 2k), body filler, glaze, Featherfill G2, seam sealer, tape, masking paper and plastic, thinner, gun cleaner, reducer, wipes, degreaser. I'm probably missing something, but there are tons of materials needed to do a top notch job, I do have some supplies left over and a shop will benefit some form being able to use leftovers on something else, but not very much.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by bluec10

I'm finally in a position where I can start restoring my 69 GMC. It's a 36,000 mile beauty with the cleanest body I've ever seen on an unrestored truck.

A few years ago I spent $5000 to have all the rust repaired - cab corners, rockers, door bottoms, and a few other odds and ends. The repairs were well done. The truck is rust-free and VERY straight.

So...I recently had a painter come by for a quote. He's painted for years and is just starting his own shop. I saw his album of work and it is impressive. He was impressed by how clean my truck is. He took a good look at the truck and later that day I got his quote - $20,000 CDN.

Is this the going rate for a simple paint job on a near-perfect truck that's had all the rust repaired? Need some perspective here.

Little confused rust free 36k unrestored truck but you spent 5k on rust repair already ? So it’s a partially restored truck

Is this the same shop that did the rust repair ? If not a lot of shops will be reluctant to even touch it . We wouldn’t paint a vehicle that someone else had prepped. Reason being it’s our reputation that was on the line . That being said the price of paint and the cost of doing business have skyrocketed the past 10 years .

Are they just tapping and shooting or are they disassembling? Single stage or bc/cc there are so many variables it’s hard to say if it’s a fair or high price. I would get other quotes from other shops then you can compare

[bluec10]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Little confused rust free 36k unrestored truck but you spent 5k on rust repair already ? So it’s a partially restored truck

Is this the same shop that did the rust repair ? If not a lot of shops will be reluctant to even touch it . We wouldn’t paint a vehicle that someone else had prepped. Reason being it’s our reputation that was on the line . That being said the price of paint and the cost of doing business have skyrocketed the past 10 years .

Are they just tapping and shooting or are they disassembling? Single stage or bc/cc there are so many variables it’s hard to say if it’s a fair or high price. I would get other quotes from other shops then you can compare

I think you’re right. The amount of labour is the variable I need to understand better. Funny - he was working at the shop where I had the rust repair done before he opened his own place.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by bluec10

I think you’re right. The amount of labour is the variable I need to understand better. Funny - he was working at the shop where I had the rust repair done before he opened his own place.

At least he will know what has been done on the truck