Car wraps have become very popular in recent years. Not only do they give you the ability to completely change the look of your car, but a wrap can also provide sufficient, long-term protection to your vehicle's paint and surface. These stylish yet protective layers can help prevent chips and blemishes that often occur during daily driving and exposure to the elements.
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| how much to wrap a car |
But how much does it cost to wrap a car? And what does the process involve?
Wrapping a Car: An Overview
In many ways, wrapping a car seems like a relatively simple practice. In reality, it's a task that requires both patience and expertise to perform correctly. Let's review the process of packing a car and the cost for wrapping a car.
There are a few vital questions that must be asked by both the vehicle owner and the professional who will be applying the wrap:
- What is the make and model of the car? The complexity of the design directly affects the time required to wrap a vehicle, varying the cost accordingly
- Does the car have a body kit type? Cars with custom body kits typically add to the subtleties of the wrap, largely due to the unique angles and creases of aftermarket modifications.
- What shade of vinyl would you like? Standard vinyl tints are offered in three different finishes - gloss, matte or satin.
- What parts of the car do you want to wrap? Maybe you want the full car wrap from top to bottom for commercial purposes (as a way to promote your business). Or maybe you're not looking to have your entire vehicle wrapped, but rather just apply a carbon fiber hood or red brake calipers. Each option and approach will be priced differently based on these factors.
A detailed inspection and preparation of the car before applying a wrap is essential, including checking for damage to the original paint. A vinyl wrap car will not adhere properly to the damaged surface, making it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to perform a clean and proper installation. The surface must be nearly perfect for the vinyl film to adhere and fit effectively to the car. A vehicle must also undergo a thorough cleaning process to remove any dust, dirt or grime before applying a vinyl wrap.
Vinyl Film Tools
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| automotive vinyl wrap |
In addition to acquiring the desired vinyl for your car, applying the wrap to your vehicle requires the use of several different tools:
- Squeegee
- Flextreme (a micro squeegee specifically designed for vinyl applications)
- Heat gun
- Surface cleaner
- Microfiber cloth
- Cutting tape
- Blade
- Tweezers
- Snitty blade (a safety cutter for vinyl)
- Tape measure
- Masking tape
- Gloves
- Spray bottle
- Clay bar
With careful coordination, a team of car wrap professionals can usually apply vinyl to a car body in three to seven business days. Of course, it all depends on the complexity of the body and the design (i.e. multi-colored body parts, scratches, etc.).
Most cars wrap can withstand the elements for about 3-5 years. However, to keep the wrap in the best condition possible, you need to follow a few simple steps.
First, avoid the use of automatic or drive-through car washes. In many cases, the stiff, hard brushes of these facilities can significantly damage the vinyl. This means that you must hand wash your car every time it needs to be cleaned. While you can always use a jet washer on your wrapped car, be sure to keep the spray nozzle a safe distance from the vinyl surface so that the water pressure doesn't potentially damage the vinyl.
Read also: Car Lights Dimming and Brightening: Causes and How to Fix It
Other recommendations from car wrap professionals include:
- Clean bird droppings and dead insects from the vinyl surface as soon as possible. These compounds can damage the vinyl if left untreated for long periods of time.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to the hot sun, as hot temperatures and sunlight can warp the vinyl if it is not protected from the elements.
- Whatever you do, never apply car wrap to damaged paint. As stated above, it's essentially a recipe for disaster.
Cost of car wrap
Cost of car wraps most of the costs associated with professionally wrapping your car result from the laborious nature of the process. The following price approximations generally apply to the simplest and most basic packaging applications.Once you start including upgrades such as specialty vinyl, custom designs, and wheel wraps, the price starts to rise.
Here are the average cost to wrap a car for a professional to apply a wrap to your vehicle:
- Compact car or coupe: Prices vary depending on the design, but start around $2,000.
- Family sedan: The average family sedan would cost you about $3,000.
- Compact crossover: Most compact crossovers start at about $3,500.
- Full-size SUV: A full-size SUV should start at about $4,000.
- Luxury sports car: Starting at about $5,000, expensive luxury vehicles can run up to $10,000 or more. For example, a Ferrari wrap would cost the owner about $7,000, experts say.
How long does it take to wrap a car
How Much Does It Cost To Wrap A Vehicle
Do-it-yourself options
We should start this section by saying that we strongly advise you to have your car wrapped by professionals with the experience and expertise to properly execute the application. As we have detailed throughout this article, applying a wrap can be both tedious and complicated. Therefore, you are best served to have the work done by professionals to avoid any potentially catastrophic application mishaps or errors.
However, if you feel you have the experience and technical know-how to undertake the task yourself, the costs associated with the process are lower than a professional installation.
Prices for standard 3M 2080 series gloss black vinyl film rolls range from about $36 for 10 square feet to about $420 for 200 square feet.
The average car requires about 250 square feet of vinyl to cover its entire surface. With that in mind, the standard DIY wrap car will cost you about $500 to $750 in vinyl costs. These prices vary depending on the brand of vinyl, vinyl retailer, color and design of the wrap.
Summary
Whether you employ the services of a professional or take the DIY approach, wrapping a car is a time-consuming process. If you want to take your vehicle to a professional (which we highly recommend), you'll likely spend at least $2,000 on a car wrap. The do-it-yourself approach can be much more cost-effective, but has its drawbacks and potential complications.
If you're looking to have your car wrapped in the near future, we hope we've provided you with some general information that will help you decide which approach is best for your budget and achieve your desired results. To learn more about car wraps and all things automotive, read our informative articles and guides!