How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car Door? (2023 Estimates) - Pro Paint Corner (2023)

So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car Door?

A quality paint job on a car door will cost anywhere from$300-$1000+,but that doesn't mean you can paint it yourself for a fraction of the cost.

Scroll down for some insightful ideas that will help you plan your paint job for success.

One Thing To Consider:When hiring a pro for a custom paint job on a door, you should consider getting a full paint job while you have the car in the shop.

You will probably save in the long run, and it's a great opportunity to change the color of your car.

Average Cost To Paint A Car Door If You Do It Yourself?

Painting yourself isn't that hard to do, and you can purchase a cheap paint gun off Amazon or from your local hardware store.

A small 8-ounce can of paint easily covers a car door of 6-10 square feet, so if you purchase a high-quality base coat and clear coat for your car for $20 each you'll be spending $40 on paint for the project.

You also may need a prime coat depending on whether or not the door panel is already painted.

We'll say the average cost to do it yourself costs $100.

Thinking about painting yourself?Here are some tools and supplies you'll want to have around.

Automotive paint sprayer

If you have an air compressor already, you can purchase a cheap automotive paint sprayer from virtually anywhere and paint easily.

Paint masker

A paint masker is a great tool for covering up surfaces that you don't want to be painted.

Here's a goodpaint maskerthat will help you get the job done 10x faster. 3M also makes greatmasking tapeandmasking filmfor automotive refinishing that will help everything o smoother.

Sandpaper

You'll want to start with coarse sandpaper like an 80-grit. You could even go to the extent of grinding all the paint off down to the metal with a paint andrust stripper.

For the finest of finishes, you'll want to wet sand with 200-grit sandpaper, and don't forget to use pressurized air to clean the dust off before the repaint.

Drop cloths

Avoid overspray with drop cloths that you can throw on the floor and cover up the other car in the garage.

High-quality paint

Good quality paint supplies are 10x easier to work with, and you'll be more satisfied with the finished product after.

Razorblade

Having a razorblade around helps make the prep work go faster. Trust us, at some point in the masking stage, you'll want a razor blade to cut tape and masking film.

Body filler/filler spreaders

Want a pro tip? Fill in all the small imperfections with body filler, and sand them smooth before painting. Check out the video below to learn this technique!

Average Cost To Paint A Car Door If You Hire a Professional Company?

Taking your door to a paint company is a good idea when looking to retain the value of the vehicle, and your insurance might even require you to take it to a shop that is approved by them.

We estimate that it will cost anywhere from$200-$1000+to have your door painted depending on the quality of the vehicle and extent of the damage(if any).

Remember, the painters may want a technician to remove the door first, so this adds to the cost of labor.

Read More >> How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Car Bumper?

How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Car Door?

The price for painting a car door depends on whether or not it needs bodywork performed beforehand.

For example, maybe the door has a gigantic dent that needs to be pulled out and smoothed over with somebody filler before repainting.

Whether it's the body shop or your personal calculations, it shouldn't be hard for you to do a rough estimate based on your car and the paint it requires.

And don't forget, you can find the paint color code inside the door jamb to match the colors up to perfection.

Cost To Paint Per Square Foot?

DIY Square Footage

Let's say the average car door is 9 square feetminusthe window(~3 square feet) that won't be painted.

You won't need to buy very much paint for the door, in fact, an 8-ounce sample can easily cover up on the door twice over.

So, if we purchase 8-ounces of quality base coat($10) and 8-ounces of quality clear coat ($10), we'll be spending $40 total to paint the door.

$20 / 6 square feet = ~$3.50+ per square foot

What type of paint do you want to use?

So you're painting your Chevy, Honda, Toyota, BMW - yeah, we get it - but what type of paint are you going to use!?

Here are some ideas:

Enamel

Enamel is the classic car paint.

Urethane

Urethane paints are a strong and flexible option for car paint that is designed to withstand water and weather better than other types of paint.

Clear Coat Finishes

The typical automotive paintjob has a clear coat that further protects that paint below. You'll want at least 1-2 coats of clear coat paint after the color coat dries.

Plasti Dip

Plasti dip is a great way to cover your car in the paint for cheap. Buy 10 cans of plastic dip, and you'll have a great solution for cheaper cars that just need to be free of rust and scratches.

Truck bed liner

Off-roaders are putting truck bed liner on their body panels to make the car look more fit for the dirt and rocks.

Truck bed liner, as you can imagine, is super durable, and you won't regret applying it to your Jeep.

Ceramic Coating?

After the paint job is done and looks amazing, you are going to want to make sure nothing happens to it.

All the more reason to put a ceramic coating on your vehicle; it will protect your paint and lock it inside.

You'll save money in the long run with higher-end vehicles.

However you decide to paint your vehicle, we're sure it will turn out just fine!

Just be sure to paint in a closed environment at a temperature within the range specified on the paint you are using.

Read More >> How Much Does It Cost To Change A Car's Color?

Estimated Cost of Paint For Painting A Car Door?

You can spend anywhere from $10 a can for spray paint (1 clear coat and 1 base coat), and depending on the color of the vehicle the paint could range up to $20+ for an 8-ounce can that is sufficient to get the job done.

We'll say the estimated cost of paint is anywhere from$20-$40.

$20 would be rattle can spray paint, and $40 for higher quality car paints like enamel paint.

Estimated Cost of Labor For Painting A Car Door?

DIY Labor

You'll be saving money when painting yourself, and for painting just the door you might actually save time as well!

We'll say it takes about 3 hours for a thorough DIY paint job, but it will probably take longer considering prep work and dry times of body filler and paint layers.

Professional Labor Cost

It all depends on the number of labor hours it takes to get the job done, and each shop has its specific rates and opinions on how long it will take to paint your door.

So let's say you have a car door that has a dent that needs to be pulledplusa new paint job - now that might cost you above a thousand dollars.

How To Save Money When Painting A Car Door?

Paint It Yourself

Painting yourself is the best way to save money when painting a car door.

Just make sure you have all the right tools, and anything you don't have will be another painting tool to have around for other paint jobs.

Besides, it's better than spending money at the paint shop right?

Find Old Paint

You don't always have to purchase new paint when painting your car.

The alternative would be to search for places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigs List, and other local classifieds sections to find local sellers who have paint leftover from other projects.

Get Multiple Estimates

Getting multiple bids for carpaint jobs professionals is as easy as doing a quick Google search for body shops in the area, and asking them how much they would charge you to paint a car door.

Chain auto body businesses like Maaco might bid you for a lower price for an original paint replacement on your car door or even your entire car.

Read More >> How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Motorcycle?

Watch Instructional Videos/Read Instructional Information

Youtube and other videos will help you to get your paint job dialed in, and they could even help you with advice when hiring a professional.

You'll be surprised at how pro your paint job turned out after doing a bit of research beforehand.

You could also try a costhelper to help give you a good idea when it comes to pricing.

Questions?Why ask the body shop when you can ask an experienced source for free that will give you the right answer? We'll give you all the hints for getting a showroom-quality paint job.

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