Going rate for a good/great quality paint job. (Restomod)

Friend of mine and his brother are helping their dad build a 53' Chevy pickup. After a lot of debate they decided to order all new sheet metal (cab, hood, fenders bed etc) as opposed to the sheet metal work and prep that was needed to get the original body ready for paint.

So my question is, what is a good price for a full paint job on a brand new bare metal body? And to clarify, they're not looking for absolute show quality perfection in the paint job, but they do want it to look damn good. Somewhere around $12,000 is what they've been told a good high quality paint job will cost. That just sounds outrageous to me but what do I know. This truck isn't getting built to keep dust off the shop floor, it will get driven on the roads once or twice a week.

Any painters out there that could shed some light on this? Also, any recommendations on the best person or business to go to for a higher end paint job like this?

Pic attached is roughly the color they're planning to paint the truck.

$4500 is a BARE MINUMUM for a truck $8500-$15,500 is the going rate for show quality work

I'm gonna say between 5000 and 7500. Lmc's sheet metal usually isn't just bolt it on and have good gaps. There will be a lot of hrs in massaging and tweaking the parts to get them to fit right.

Good luck!!! I've never dealt with or know of a trustworthy paint & body person/shop. I even have family that has a large business. Anytime someone asks me about a good paint/body shop I say no and get back to me if you have a good experience somewhere. Seems someone is always extremely over due on their time frame and or cutting corners somewhere. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's quality work.

We turned down full paint jobs at my family's shop on a weekly basis. That **** is a lot of work.

GONOVRIT said:

Good luck!!! I've never dealt with or know of a trustworthy paint & body person/shop. I even have family that has a large business. Anytime someone asks me about a good paint/body shop I say no and get back to me if you have a good experience somewhere. Seems someone is always extremely over due on their time frame and or cutting corners somewhere. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's quality work.

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We lose 5- 30,000 dollars a month because our manager demands paint and body perfection and our owner considers having a bodyshop at his dealership a customer convenience not a money making machine

85toyo said:

We turned down full paint jobs at my family's shop on a weekly basis. That **** is a lot of work.

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I need to get with you about fixing the right rear corner of the bed on my GMC, when I get some time, and money.... it's only been smashed 6-7 years now.


Set all that new stuff outside and let it rust up for a year or so, then put it together and have the whole "patina" paint job that everybody likes these days.

grcthird said:

I need to get with you about fixing the right rear corner of the bed on my GMC, when I get some time, and money.... it's only been smashed 6-7 years now.


Set all that new stuff outside and let it rust up for a year or so, then put it together and have the whole "patina" paint job that everybody likes these days.

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I wish I could help but we closed the doors to the shop when my grandad decided to retire and almost all of the equipment involving body work was sold. Sucks pretty bad since I need a bumper cover painted right now :****:

We still have a pile of attachments left over from 4 car-o-liner frame machines that need to find a new home.

I also turn paint jobs down every week I wont even price one anymore not done any all overs in about 10 years now 99% of shops dont have enough guys to put on a job like that and stay on it till its finished because it wont pay the bills you have to do the collision work first to keep up the work flow the number one thing the general public does not understand is the cost of material and labor in doing paint and body repair for some reason they think they we are still should be charging like we are living in the 1960s
Im surprised that he quoted you a price most all the people that would even consider doing a job like that would be done by the hour plus material

So I'm curious... if paint jobs like these can cost anywhere from $8,500-$15,000, why is it so hard to find someone out there with the skills and work ethic to do these kind of jobs. I realize there can be a ton of prep and elbow grease that go into quality paint jobs but if you're averaging $80-$100/hr that's worth it no question especially when it's a cost plus materials job. Right?

Any recommendations? Anybody with personal experience or know someone that got a great paint job and is willing to recommend the painter for us to contact?

Also, for those with knowledge of the paint business, what do we need to know and look out for? Are there certain questions we should know to ask? Is there a minimum number of base coats and clear coats you would recommend, etc etc. Basically any red flags to look out for?

Thanks for yall's responses, I appreciate the info

Where are you located?

tallnate said:

So I'm curious... if paint jobs like these can cost anywhere from $8,500-$15,000, why is it so hard to find someone out there with the skills and work ethic to do these kind of jobs. I realize there can be a ton of prep and elbow grease that go into quality paint jobs but if you're averaging $80-$100/hr that's worth it no question especially when it's a cost plus materials job. Right?

Any recommendations? Anybody with personal experience or know someone that got a great paint job and is willing to recommend the painter for us to contact?

Also, for those with knowledge of the paint business, what do we need to know and look out for? Are there certain questions we should know to ask? Is there a minimum number of base coats and clear coats you would recommend, etc etc. Basically any red flags to look out for?

Thanks for yall's responses, I appreciate the info

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Counting bodywork and trim it is very easy to rack up 200 hours in an all over job... Our primer alone is almost $400 a gallon, so a $8,500 job - $1000 in materials leaves $7,500 or $37.50 an hour, plus you have super expensive equipment & facilities so you have about $20 an hour to pay your body men & painter. HA!!!! Try to find a painter who will work for that. PLUS, white people who spend that kind of money are never happy so you get to do some of it twice, cutting into even more of your "profit".

So, why screw with a job that takes up so much room & time when you could hang 15 bumper covers in it's spot that you get in from used car dealers that you make $100 each off of? Even at a low guess: 10 bumpers a day = $ 1,000 profit vs. all over paint job that takes 20-25 business day that you may make $1000 off of if you don't lose money

$20,000-$25,000 in your pocket or $1000 or less, which would you prefer?

85toyo said:

Where are you located?

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South Nashville / Nolensville area

85toyo said:

Where are you located?

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He's in Nashville, TN but would travel for the right person I'm sure.

Very accurate ^^^

Especially the white people that pay for that kind of work will almost guarantee having to do some work twice.

I would say to the original poster that you need to research in your area every shop that claims to do classic car restoration/paint jobs. Then visit every single one in person. Then ask to see their finished products.

After that entire experience, I truly believe you won't have many more questions if any on who to choose, what you may pay.

The guys in my huge metroplex that can even hold a candle to full quality paint work I can count on less than one hand.

Though there are a million guys who can make $250k+ plus a year doin half ass bumper corners. It's just what the market has become.

muddinmetal said:

Counting bodywork and trim it is very easy to rack up 200 hours in an all over job... Our primer alone is almost $400 a gallon, so a $8,500 job - $1000 in materials leaves $7,500 or $37.50 an hour, plus you have super expensive equipment & facilities so you have about $20 an hour to pay your body men & painter. HA!!!! Try to find a painter who will work for that. PLUS, white people who spend that kind of money are never happy so you get to do some of it twice, cutting into even more of your "profit".

So, why screw with a job that takes up so much room & time when you could hang 15 bumper covers in it's spot that you get in from used car dealers that you make $100 each off of? Even at a low guess: 10 bumpers a day = $ 1,000 profit vs. all over paint job that takes 20-25 business day that you may make $1000 off of if you don't lose money

$20,000-$25,000 in your pocket or $1000 or less, which would you prefer?

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200 hours / 20-25 business days.. that's hard to grasp. I mean I guess I could see that if it was a nightmare job requiring tons of body work, rusted sheet metal removal and repair and so on. But this truck is all brand new sheet metal straight from the supplier. No dents, no bondo, no old paint, basically just needs cleaning prep, primer, base coat, clear coat.

I def understand the potential frustrations with a customer that expects perfection and how that could be a total pita. But like I said, they're wanting a good quality paint job that will last first and foremost. Absolute show room quality perfection won't be the expectation. $7,000-$8,000 is a much more doable budget for them than a $12,000-$14,000 job.

LightBnDr said:

Very accurate ^^^

Especially the white people that pay for that kind of work will almost guarantee having to do some work twice.

I would say to the original poster that you need to research in your area every shop that claims to do classic car restoration/paint jobs. Then visit every single one in person. Then ask to see their finished products.

After that entire experience, I truly believe you won't have many more questions if any on who to choose, what you may pay.

The guys in my huge metroplex that can even hold a candle to full quality paint work I can count on less than one hand.

Though there are a million guys who can make $250k+ plus a year doin half ass bumper corners. It's just what the market has become.

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Yeah agreed, that sounds like the best course of action and is what we were planning to do. Was just hoping someone might reference a painter they've had a good experience with or possibly reference someone or somewhere we didn't know to check with on the work.

tallnate said:

200 hours / 20-25 business days.. that's hard to grasp. I mean I guess I could see that if it was a nightmare job requiring tons of body work, rusted sheet metal removal and repair and so on. But this truck is all brand new sheet metal straight from the supplier. No dents, no bondo, no old paint, basically just needs cleaning prep, primer, base coat, clear coat.

I def understand the potential frustrations with a customer that expects perfection and how that could be a total pita. But like I said, they're wanting a good quality paint job that will last first and foremost. Absolute show room quality perfection won't be the expectation. $7,000-$8,000 is a much more doable budget for them than a $12,000-$14,000 job.

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There are a couple of good shops around here that would tackle a truck needing very very little body work for $4000-$5000

Re:

Man......reading all this is depressing as I would like to get a repaint on my dads old 70 cuda.

No body man I know or a painter will just simply skuff and shoot a job like this remember this if nothing else ! the time in the prep all the filling sanding priming blocking is what makes the job you can pay whatever for the paint and clearcoat but if the time is not spent on the prep it will not turn out good I can 100% guarantee this and I think I can safetly say that these other guys will agree with this also