There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to give a car a facelift! Whether your car door is faded or damaged, paint is a great way to make it look new again.
How much does it cost to paint a car door, anyway? Can you do it yourself? What’s involved in painting a car door? If your car door is in need of a paint job, keep reading!
Table of Contents
What is Involved in Painting a Car Door?
Painting a car is not as simple as just throwing some paint on it! There are several steps involved.
Prep Work and Repair
Most car technicians will tell you that prep work is the most important part of automotive painting. Prep work can be simple or extensive, depending on the amount of damage on the car door.
Prep work can involve sanding, smoothing, fixing dents, removing rust, and much more. The car door will also be taped off to avoid paint overspray. The prep work process can take many hours if the car has a lot of damage.
Primer
Once prep work is complete, a coat of primer is applied to the car. This gives the car a foundation for paint and seals the metal.
Base Coat
The base coat is the colored coat of paint. There are different types of paint and qualities of automotive paint. The base coat could be anywhere from one coat to 20+ coats of paint.
Clear Coat
A clear coat seals the fresh paint and gives your car door a beautiful, shiny finish. There are usually one to three coats of clear coat.
What Does a Professional Paint Job Cost for a Car Door?
The cost to paint a door depends on the size of the door. Big doors, like the ones on a truck or van, will take more paint and time and therefore, cost more to paint than a small door on a sedan.
Low-End Paint Job
A chain like Maaco is a good source for a lower-cost paint job for your car door. Maaco will usually do some prep work on the door, and apply one to two coats of single-stage enamel paint or urethane paint to the door.
A single-stage paint has the paint color and the clear coat combined. A chain typically has its own line of paints. They may not be able to match the color of your car exactly.
These chains usually have a few levels of paint available. You should choose the level that best fits your needs and your budget. A low-end paint job for a car door at a chain will cost approximately $200-$400.
Mid-Range Paint Job
A mid-range paint job at an auto body shop will usually involve more prep work, like dent repair or rust removal. They will also usually apply primer, and multiple layers of color-matched urethane paint, and a clear coat. This will give your car door a shiny, durable finish.
A mid-range paint job will cost $300-$700, depending on the size of your door panel, and the amount of prep work and repair required.
High-End Paint Job
A high end paint job can be a work of art! Classic or show vehicle owners usually opt for a high-end paint job for their vehicles.
A high-end paint job usually includes extensive prep work. The technician may remove all the previous paint. After the prep work is complete, primer is applied. Then, they will use up to 20 coats of precisely matched urethane paint. This is followed by 6-8 coats of clear coat.
Custom details like airbrush artistry, metallic paint, or two-tone paint will add to the artistry and the cost! If you are in the market for a high-end paint job on your car door, expect to pay at least $800.
Charge for Labor
Labor will be a big part of your bill. Typically, an automotive shop will charge $50-$100 per hour for labor. It will take them 2-3 hours to paint your car door. Domestic cars like Ford or Chevy will be simpler to paint and may take less time than a foreign car like BMW or Porsche.
If you do the math, the charge for labor will be between $100-$300 of your total paint bill. Custom details will take longer, and be more expensive.
Cost per Square Foot for a Professional Car Door Paint Job
The average vehicle door is about 9 square feet, minus about 3 square feet for the window. A professional paint job will cost anywhere from $33-$135 per square foot.
Should You Hire a Professional to Paint Your Car Door?
Insurance Claim
Accidents and damage may be covered by insurance. If your car door paint job is covered by insurance, it will probably be worth your time and money to hire someone to paint the door.
Custom Paint Job
If you have a classic car, or a high-end vehicle, a professional paint job may be what you’re looking for! Custom details like airbrush details or metallic paint are best left to the professionals.
Lack of Time or Experience
Your time is valuable! If you don’t have the time for painting your car door yourself, or you are not confident about your painting abilities, it may be best to consider hiring a professional.
What Does It Cost to DIY Paint a Car Door?
Painting your car door yourself can save you a lot of money! Just how much? Let’s break down the cost of materials.
Necessary Materials
- Pick a urethane paint from a reputable paint company, like Duplicolor or Speed-o-Kote. A pint-size sample may be enough for multiple coats on a car door. A quart should be plenty for lots of coats, with some paint leftover. A quart of automotive paint costs around $20.
- Clear Coat: You will need at least one coat of clear coat. A quart of clear coat will be more than enough for a car door! Clear coat costs around $22 per quart.
- Look for a variety pack of wet/dry sandpaper. A standard pack of sandpaper costs around $15-20.
- Paint masker, tape, and masking film: You can remove the door in order to paint it. You will still need painter’s tape and masking film to cover the window and trim. These will cost around $20-$40.
- Paint sprayer: A simple paint sprayer with different nozzles will cost around $60.
- Drop Cloths: You probably already have a few drop cloths in your stash of supplies! Use these to protect your pavement.
- Protective Gear: It is important to protect your skin, eyes, and lungs while using a paint sprayer. Use protective eyewear, a mask, and wear long sleeves and pants while painting.
Optional Materials
- Rust Stripper Brush: If you have a lot of rust on your vehicle, you will need to strip the rust away with a rust stripper brush.This handy brush fits onto most standard drills.
- Air compressor and paint sprayer: An air compressor and a paint sprayer will make a difficult job much easier! Air compressors are available for rent.
- Hooded disposable paint suit: Look like a professional painter! These suits are great for keeping paint off of you and keeping hairs and dust out of your paint.
- Body filler: Sandable body filler is used to fill in large dents.
- Power sander: A power sander makes the sanding process go much faster!
Total Cost of DIY Painting a Car Door
The basic supplies to paint your car door yourself will cost between $140-$160. You will probably have materials leftover, too! If you add any of the optional materials, this cost will rise.
Cost Per Square Foot to DIY Paint a Car Door
We will use our previous estimate of 6 square feet per car door. The cost per square foot for a DIY car door paint job is $23-$26. This is significantly less than it costs to hire a professional!
Account for Your Time
Unless you are a professional automotive painter, be prepared for this project to take some time. It will probably take you about 4-8+ hours to prep and paint your car door yourself. If you don’t have this kind of time available, consider hiring a professional.
What about Spray Paint?
Spray paint is a quick, economical option if you want to skip a few steps in the car painting process. Choose an automotive spray paint. There will be limited colors available, so this is only a good option if you have a very standard car color, like black or white.
Final Thoughts
Make your car door look new again with a fresh coat of paint! Evaluate your goals for painting your car door. Do you want a custom paint job? Or, do you want to spruce it up for sale?
Your goal will help you decide if you should paint it yourself, or hire someone to get the job done. Either way, the paint will give your car door new life!
