How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Car? DIY Car Wrap Cost
Last Updated on March 16, 2023 by Tokyo
Do you have a car but got bored of its old look? Then this is the time to change its look by spending some money on it instead of purchasing a new one. “Are you getting confused between the paint job and vinyl wrap?” in case you have less time or a limited budget, then wrapping should be your priority.
Now a question is popping into your mind “How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Car?” and “How Expensive is it to Wrap a Car?” To get the answer first, you need to decide which type of vinyl wrap you want and what is the condition of your car then, you can easily set your budget. If you want to get the estimation of cost, then go through the entire article:
What Are the Different Ways to Wrap My Car?
There are two different ways to wrap a car, such as the DIY method, and you can hire a professional. Let’s discuss both of them:
First Method: Car Wrapping by Yourself and DIY Car Wrap Cost
You can wrap your car by yourself. If you are tight on budget and have experience, then you can do it easily. First, you need to buy the below-mentioned essential material, which will be used on the wrapping by following the DIY method:
1) Hot Air Stations
The main thing to stick the wrap on the car properly is a hot air station, and without it, nothing is possible. So, you have to purchase the heat gun, and the cost of it will be about 60$ to 110$.
2) Pyrometer
If you don’t want that the temperature of a heat gun goes higher than the required temperature and will cause any problems, then you should have a pyrometer. Through it, you can do the wrap job at an ideal temperature, and you will pay around 60$ to 110$ for this.
3) Vinyl Wrap
Quality of wrap matters a lot because the low quality of vinyl will not be durable and long-lasting. That’s why It is recommended to buy the high-quality wrap that will last on your car for years.
The expense on purchase of vinyl wrap will be approx. 250$ to 1050$, and it can also go higher if the vehicle is big in size.
4) Blades
While wrapping, you will need to use a blade, and it might be possible it will be available in your toolbox. In case you do not find it there, then you will have to buy a new blade set which will be almost 35$ to 55$.
5) Squeegees
To get the even and neat finishing, you will need to purchase the kit of squeegees and tucking tools. Approximately the cost of these tools will be 60$ to 350$.
6) Overall Cost
So, if you are doing the wrap job by yourself, then the average cost will be around about 550$ to 2600$, which is affordable.
Cost of Material at Single Glance
| Material | Cost |
|---|---|
| Blades | 35$ to 55$ |
| Squeegees | 60$ to 350$ |
| Vinyl Wrap | 250$ to 1050$ |
| Pyrometer | 60$ to 110$ |
| Hot Air Station | 60$ to 110$ |
How many wraps Do I Need for my car?
The quantity of wrap depends on your car size, and to know this read the below-mentioned details:
1. Coupe
To wrap the coupe, you will need to purchase around 14m to 15m vinyl wrap.
2. Sedan
The family sedan wrap job will be done with 16m to 18m vinyl.
3. Sports Car
If you want to give the graphic or designed look to your sports car by wrapping, then 17m to 18m of wrap will be enough.
4. Mini Car
For mini car wrapping, the ideal quantity of vinyl will be 13m.`
5. Pick Ups
As we know that the pick-ups are large in size, and the quantity of wrap will be used more than small or mid-sized cars. So, you should purchase a 21 to 22 meters’ wrap for this.
Second method: Cost to Car Wrap Job Professionally
Sometimes you want to give your car a different look by vinyl wrapping, and you have no experience or time to do this job. So, you don’t have to get worried because you can get the service from professionals.
Professionals provide guaranteed results as per your requirements, and they charge the cost for car wrapping according to your car size and required preparation.
The cost will increase if you want them to customize your car with designed vinyl wraps or choose high-quality wrap. Scroll down to know the cost that will occur on different sizes of car:
1) Cost to Wrap Sedan
The sedan is the perfect car for a family, and if you want to wrap it, then you will pay for this about 3000$ to 3500$.
2) Cost to Wrap an SUV
The cost to wrap an SUV will be around about 4000$ to 4500$.
3) Two Doors Car
If you want to get a vinyl job for your compact car, then the auto wrap cost will be almost 2200$ to 2500$.
4) Compact SUV
You will spend around 3500 to 4000$ to get the professional vinyl wrap job for your Compact SUV.
5) High-End Sports Car
It is obvious that you will not like to get cheap vinyl wrapping for your expensive sports car, so it is suggested to get the high-end wrap job from a top-reviewed technician. The initial car wrap cost will be as low as 5500$, which can reach up to a maximum of 10500$ or more.
How to Protect Vinyl Wrapped Vehicle?
If you want to protect the vinyl wrapped car, then you can choose any of the below-discussed options:
1. Coats of Ceramic:
This is the best option for those who have a limited budget but remember one thing it will not be durable as compared to paint protection film because the user will need to reapply the coating again and again after 2 to 3 years in order to get the same protection and shine.
2. Papering Over
You can also apply paper over the vinyl wrap, which will protect from the dust particles, but it doesn’t provide other required protections which you get from the ceramic coating.
3. Paint Protection Film
If you are high on budget, then it is the best option for you to use paint protection or film for protection because it will stay the same even after 9 to 10 years. Vinyl wrap will not get scratches and cracks with the use of PPF.
How Much Does It Cost of full or Partial Wrap?
| Parts of Car | Wrapping Cost |
|---|---|
| Handles of doors | 120$ – 140$ |
| Side Mirrors | 200$ – 225$ |
| Hood | 300$ – 315$ |
| Spoilers | 310$ – 330$ |
| Trunk | 350$ – 400$ |
| Roof | 300$ – 315$ |
How to Get the Best Wrap Job for Your Vehicle?
Car wrapping job is a very tricky or smart job which is not easy to do by yourself then there is another option to get the service from the technician and to know which will be the best option for you follow the below-mentioned instructions:
1. Research the Top Reviewed
First of all, ask your family or friend if they have any good experience of wrapping jobs by professionals in the past. Then search on google or visit physically 2 or 3 top reviewed wrap installers.
2. Save Money
Now ask them the cost of wrap installation, then choose the suitable one that goes according to your budget.
3. Cure The Paint Issues Before Wrapping
Some believe that it is not crucial to cure the paint damages before car wrapping, which is not the truth because the peeled-off or scratched paint causes many issues in the finishing. So, if you are hiring a professional, then you should stop getting worried because they will cure the paint damage first, then they will apply the vinyl wrap on the car.
4. Quality Products
When you hire a wrap installer for your vehicle then definitely, he will use high-quality products to give you amazing results. If you ask him to use cheap material, then forget to get the required finishing, appearance, and durability.
What Will Be the Cost of Wrap Finishing?
There are a lot of variables of vinyl wrap available in different price ranges in the market. Those are discussed below in detail:
1. Matte Finishing
If you are not the kind of person who wants to give their car glossy or shiny finishing, then you can give your car a matte look by using the vinyl wrap, and the cost to matte wrap a car will be almost 2.80$ to 4.00$ per sq. Ft
2. Glossy Finishing
Do you want to give your car a glossy or semi-glossy look? If your answer is yes, then you need to select high-quality glossy vinyl wrapping for a car. The vehicle wraps cost per square foot will be 2.37$. Let’s suppose you are taking 25 per sq. ft. vinyl wrap, then you can calculate it like this 2.37$ x 25 sq./ Ft = 59.27$.
3. Metallic
To get super luxury finishing to make your car attractive then, you should look into metallic vinyl wrap finishing, which will be 12$ for 1ft x 5ft and 192$ for 5ft x 50ft.
4. Carbon Fiber
As we know, installing the parts of carbon fiber on the car to transform the car look will be an expensive procedure. So, it is recommended to use carbon fiber wrap, which will give you the required finishing. This sheet is more expensive than a gloss finish. Its cost will be 13$ for 1.75ft x 5ft and 250$ for 5ft x 50ft.
5. Satin Finish
It can’t be said that whether the satin wraps have a glossy or matte finishing, such wraps give a bit shiny but decent look. When it comes to the cost, it depends on the area for which you are buying it, which is as follows:
- The cost for 5 per square foot will be 18$.
- The cost for 125 per square will be 296$.
How to Choose the Right Color?
Choosing the right color of wrap is important because this strongly shows the personality of its user. Anyone who is paying high would definitely want the best output, so choose wisely.
Coming to the shades, each shade has its own identity, and it’s not as simple as a single shade is available in different finishing’s. Such as, a shade of blue varies with the finishing. The blue matte finish gives a bit decent look while, on the other hand, blue with metallic finishing provides a glossier and brighter look.
Now, if you are thinking of buying a more common and infamous colored wrap or buying a cheaper colored wrap that will save you time or money, then you are totally wrong. You can’t believe others’ choices blindly. You have to personalize your colors according to your liking.
If you don’t want to stand out in the crowd but also want something attractive and vibrant, then I would recommend you to make a choice of these black, white, blue and grey. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of colors’ appearance:
You can also use several software to design the color of your vehicle wraps. Although it will cost you some extra money, the results will definitely be worth every penny.
Cost of Vinyl Wraps for different colors
The following are the two most common and infamous colors to use for vinyl wraps:
How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Car in Gold?
The costs of wrapping your car in gold usually depend on the model of the car on which you are using the wraps. If you’re using a sedan and wondering what will be the cost of wrapping it in gold, you must’ve to keep a minimum of $3,000 with you or more than that.
How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Car Matte Black?
If you have a mid-size Sedan and you want to pay for it in the matte black color, then there is nothing wrong with doing it. And for the cost, I would recommend you to keep your budget at least within $500-$3000 for a complete wrap.
Which One Is Better: Vehicle Wrap or Paint?
There is a variety of ways to transform a car, such as painting or a vehicle wrap. It doesn’t mean that these are the only ways but are the trendiest ones.
Vinyl wraps are like plastic adhesives that stick to the car just as paint stickers do, and these are waterproof stickers. If you have to choose one of them, then I would definitely recommend you prefer vinyl wraps. There are many reasons behind this recommendation, including:
Is it cheaper to wrap or paint?
If you’re wondering which method is cheaper when it comes to wrapping or painting a car, definitely, it is vinyl wraps. As if you are going high-quality paint jobs, it will cost you $1,000-$5,000.
Whereas if you are doing this in a professional way, it will cost you somewhere between $2,500 to $5,000, which is almost equal to or sometimes lesser than the painting cost.
FAQ Section: How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Car?
Final Verdicts:
After reading the above article thoroughly, you must have got your answer to “How Much Does Wrapping a Car Cost?” and “How Much Is a Car Wrap?” so you can wrap your car by yourself and can also hire a professional for it.
As per my recommendations, it is the best option to get the wrap job from a professional to avoid the risks. But if you are low on budget, then you can go with the DIY method.
