A Breakdown of the Cost to Wrap a Car

You must have spotted a few vehicles on the road having a beautifully printed body or a chrome-like finish. This is called car wrapping, a fast-growing trend in the sector of vehicle customization. You might be thinking about the cost to wrap a car and whether it would be a good decision to try this on your car.

What is a Car Wrap?

The material of the wrap is vinyl. Wrapping a car means coating the body panels with a series of vinyl decals. What’s the specialty here?

Well, the options are literally countless and a wrapping job is cheaper than painting the car. You can not only choose from a range of colors and finishes but numerous full-on graphic treatments are also available. The choices are limitless, but the budget can increase depending on the extent of customization of the chintz.

Wrapping is completely different from a paint job because you can apply it to the existing paint and remove any time without damaging the surface. It gives the option to decorate the car with your favorite print, theme, or color that is not available in the manufacturer’s catalog.

Also, it’s a good option if you get tired of your vehicle’s current look and want to change it without buying a new one or spending a lump sum of money on the paintwork. Wrapping is great for temporary customization for mobile advertisements, public campaigns, or other purposes.

The Estimated Cost to Wrap a Car

How much to wrap a car? You might be thinking about that because it seems such a great alternative to a paint job.

Wrapping a vehicle can cost between $2,000 and $10,000, or even more, depending on the extent of customization. If you don’t want to modify the look that much, it could be a nice option for protecting the paintwork and advertising something. There is also an option for wrapping just parts of a vehicle such as the door panels or the hood, costing as low as $300 and up.

What are the criteria for the estimated cost? Well, it rests on a few factors including the size of the car, wrapping style, installation complexity, and a few more.

For example, if you have a marque such as a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, it may cost around more than $12,000 for a wrap. It’s because removing the body panels of these cars is complicated and the entire process has to be handled very carefully.

A satin or matte finish is the cheapest and it’ll cost around $3,000 to $4,000 to wrap a Subaru BRZ or a Range Rover Evoque, and the expenses will be less for a smaller commuter car.

Add a couple of thousands more to the total cost if you want to wrap the same car (a Range Rover Evoque, for instance) with a metallic or chrome finish. This is because these wrapping materials are more expensive and their installation process is a bit complex. For example, chrome wrapping sheets become lackluster when stretched or overheated. Be prepared to spend somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000 for chrome or metallic wrap.

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Factors that Determine the Cost?

So, you get an idea about the cost to wrap a car. Now, we’re going to discuss the aspects that affect the expenses.

Wrap Coverage

Of course, a full wrap will cost more than a single or couple of parts. For example, some people want to have just a customized truck or roof. Such a small wrapping job does not cost more than $500.

Vinyl Quality

You know that car wrapping is a temporary job. But some vinyl types can last as long as 10 years if you treat with care. So, high-quality vinyl will definitely cost more than its lower-quality alternatives.

Vehicle Size

The larger a vehicle, the more the expenses. Covering a mini-van or pickup will require more vinyl sheets than wrapping up a small commuter car. So, more sheets mean more expenses.

Job’s Complexity

This is another important factor that determines the cost to wrap a car. Complexity and labor, both add more numbers to the bill. Vehicles with a flat surface are the easiest to handle. But wrapping a pickup truck is tricky due to its curved surfaces. Also, luxury vehicles need special treatment due to their sophisticated paintwork.

You can wrap a car by yourself too given that you have the right tools and previous experience. In that case, you have to spend just for the wrap sheets. A compact car requires 50 to 55 feet of wrapping and a midsize unit needs about 60 to 65 feet. An SUV or pickup truck needs slightly more, approximately 75 feet.

However, professional service is recommended since any wrong step can ruin the original paintwork of the car.