What a full car respray actually costs.
A full respray runs 1 000–8 000 € for a whole car. A full wrap runs 1 300–7 000 €. Below: what each band buys, how long it lasts, and the real UK and US market ranges in pounds and dollars. Updated Sep 2026.
Respray vs wrap.
| Criterion | Full respray | Full wrap |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 1 000–2 200 € Small car, solid colour, independent shop. Minimal prep, clean result. | 1 300–2 200 € Small car in an entry-level film. Entry films last 2–4 years. |
| Quality | 1 800–4 000 € Proper prep and correction, saloon/estate, standard or metallic finish. | 2 000–4 000 € Premium cast film (3M, Avery, KPMF…), saloon-size car, handles and trim removed for the pose. |
| Premium | 3 000–8 000 € SUV, sports or luxury body, pearl/multi-stage colour — and no fixed ceiling above this. | 3 500–7 000 € SUV or sports body, exotic finishes — colour-flip, chrome and textures add 20–40% over gloss. |
| Lifespan | 10–20 years A quality respray ages like factory paint — decades with care, less if prep was skipped. | 5–7 years Typical real-world for quality film; manufacturers rate up to 8–10 years on vertical panels, exotic finishes 2–4, roofs and bonnets roughly half. |
| Reversible | Permanent. Going back means painting again. | Removable with heat within the film’s rated life; manufacturers only warrant clean removal on sound factory paint. |
| Repairs | A damaged panel is blended and repainted — any body shop can do it. | A damaged panel is re-wrapped — but an aged wrap next to fresh film can show. |
Ranges compiled from published French and Belgian shop pricing and manufacturer datasheets. Whole-car figures, EUR incl. VAT; big-city shops (Paris intra-muros) typically run 10–20% above these. Your car, its condition and your postcode decide the real number; your shop quotes it.
Car respray cost in France.
These are the figures French and Belgian shops publish, VAT included, for a whole car. Central Paris runs about 20% above them; Lyon, Bordeaux and Nice about 10–15%.
- Full respray
- 1 000–8 000 €
- Budget 1 000–2 200 €
- Quality 1 800–4 000 €
- Premium 3 000–8 000 €
A quality respray ages like factory paint — decades with care, less if prep was skipped.
- Full wrap
- 1 300–7 000 €
- Budget 1 300–2 200 €
- Quality 2 000–4 000 €
- Premium 3 500–7 000 €
Typical real-world for quality film; manufacturers rate up to 8–10 years on vertical panels, exotic finishes 2–4, roofs and bonnets roughly half.
Ranges compiled from published French and Belgian shop pricing. Carross.eu,Reparauto,Covering.fr.
Car respray cost in the UK.
UK body shops average around £2,800 for a full respray, and a wrap in cast film lands in much the same territory. Your postcode and the state of the paint underneath move the number most.
- Full respray
- £500–£15,000
- Budget £500–£1,500
- Quality £1,500–£3,500
- Premium £3,500–£15,000
A quality UK respray runs 10–15 years; a cheap single-stage job starts going flat in 2–3.
- Full wrap
- £1,000–£6,500
- Budget £1,000–£1,800
- Quality £1,750–£3,200
- Premium £3,000–£6,500
Standard film is rated 3–5 years in UK weather; premium cast film goes 7 and beyond.
Ranges compiled from published UK shop prices and 2025 cost guides. WhoCanFixMyCar,Monster Wraps,Evolve Wrap,Airtasker UK.
Car respray cost in the US.
US shops quote before tax and bill by the hour, so the gap between a chain-store repaint and a proper refinish is wider here than anywhere else. Wraps start higher and top out lower.
- Full respray
- $300–$20,000
- Budget $300–$1,500
- Quality $1,000–$4,500
- Premium $5,000–$20,000
A professional repaint holds 5–10 years; OEM-grade refinishing with full prep goes 10–15.
- Full wrap
- $2,000–$10,000
- Budget $2,000–$2,500
- Quality $2,500–$6,000
- Premium $6,000–$10,000
Quality cast vinyl lasts 3–5 years through US sun and road salt; premium film 5–7 if it is garaged.
Ranges compiled from published US shop prices and 2025–2026 cost guides. J.D. Power,AAA,Metro Restyling.
What drives the price.
- Surface and shape
- A city car and an SUV are different amounts of paint or film. Deep curves, spoilers and door shuts add hours either way.
- Preparation is the labour
- Prep is 40–50% of a respray’s hours — rust, dents and old paint all bill. A wrap needs sound paint underneath; film amplifies chips, it doesn’t hide them.
- Finish choice
- Metallic adds 10–20% to paint, pearl 20–40%. On film, matte and satin are near gloss prices; colour-flip, chrome and textures run 20–40% over.
- Disassembly
- Handles, mirrors and trim come off for a clean job — shops quote it separately, typically 50–400 € on a wrap.
- Who does it
- Independent body shops bill roughly 45–75 €/h, networks 65–90 €/h, dealerships 80–120 €/h — same paint, very different totals.
- Where you live
- Big-city premiums are real: roughly +20% in central Paris, +10–15% in Lyon, Bordeaux or Nice.
Specced shows you the colour on your own car, so you walk into the shop already decided. The ranges above are what shops charge; take the render in and get the exact quote for your car.
Questions people ask about cost.
See it before you spend it.
The cheapest place to change your mind about a colour is a photo. Upload one, pick a paint or a film, get a photoreal render back. Free, no account.