The cost of respraying a car can range from a few hundred pounds for an individual panel to several thousand pounds for a complete vehicle.
As a rough guide, current prices at White's Bodyworks are typically:
Prices last reviewed: September 2026
These figures are indicative rather than fixed prices. The largest part of a professional respray bill is often not the paint itself, but the preparation required to get the bodywork ready for painting.
If you would like a quotation for a specific vehicle, see our car respray service or send us photographs and details of the work required.
Two apparently similar cars can require very different amounts of work before they are ready for paint.
The main factors affecting respray cost are:
A straight, rust-free car with sound existing paint is generally much cheaper to prepare than a vehicle with dents, corrosion, stone chips, damaged panels or poor previous repairs.
Any problems beneath the paint need to be dealt with properly before refinishing. Painting straight over corrosion or damaged bodywork may look acceptable initially but is unlikely to produce a durable result.
There is a major difference between refinishing one damaged panel and repainting an entire vehicle.
If only a door, wing, bonnet or bumper is affected, localised repair and refinishing may be all that is required. In other cases, deterioration across several panels can make a larger respray more sensible.
Rust removal, welding, dent repair and replacement panels all add labour before painting can start.
A car that initially appears to need only fresh paint can therefore become a larger project once old coatings, filler or trim are removed and the underlying metal can be inspected properly.
Where necessary, we can carry out body repairs before the vehicle moves on to preparation and paint.
Larger vehicles usually require more preparation time, paint and materials.
A small hatchback will generally cost less to respray than a large estate, SUV or van, assuming they are in similar condition.
Complex panel shapes, additional trim and awkward areas can also increase the amount of labour involved.
Respraying a vehicle in its existing colour is normally less involved than carrying out a complete colour change.
For a convincing colour change, visible areas such as door shuts, panel edges, the boot opening and sometimes the engine bay may also need refinishing. That requires additional dismantling, masking, preparation and paint.
Paint materials vary in price, while metallic, pearlescent, specialist and custom finishes can require more time and care to apply.
A particularly high standard of finish can also involve additional preparation and finishing work after the main paint stages are complete.
At White's Bodyworks, respraying an individual panel such as a door or bonnet will typically cost around £350–£500.
The exact price depends on the panel, the amount of damage present and whether repair work is required before painting.
For example, refinishing an otherwise sound replacement panel is a different job from repairing a dented or corroded panel before paint.
If the damage is relatively localised, see our dent and scratch repair service as a full respray may not be necessary.
For an average-sized vehicle, a professional full respray can start from roughly £2,000 where the existing bodywork is in good condition and only minor preparation is required.
Where the car has a few dents, small areas of corrosion or minor welding requirements, a figure closer to £2,800 may be more realistic.
Vehicles needing extensive rust repair, welding, replacement panels or correction of poor previous work can exceed £4,000.
More involved projects, including some classic cars and specialist finishes, can reach £6,000 or more.
The important point is that a full respray cannot be priced accurately from the size of the car alone. The condition underneath the existing paint often determines how much labour the job ultimately requires.
Much of the difference between a cheap respray and a more expensive one comes down to what happens before the colour is applied.
A professional job may involve:
Skipping these stages reduces labour but can also reduce the quality and longevity of the result.
A low advertised price is not automatically a problem, but it is worth finding out exactly what is included.
Ask whether the quotation includes preparation, dent repairs, corrosion treatment, removal of trim, materials and finishing. A cheaper quotation may simply be based on doing less work before paint is applied.
It is also useful to look at examples of previous paintwork and, where possible, inspect the workshop and facilities being used.
A respray that needs substantial correction shortly afterwards is rarely inexpensive in the long run.
In pure labour terms, carrying out the work yourself can obviously reduce the cost. However, a full respray requires suitable equipment, paint materials, personal protective equipment and somewhere appropriate to spray the vehicle.
There is also the cost of correcting the finish if something goes wrong.
For enthusiasts researching the process, our guide to respraying a car yourself explains the main preparation and painting stages.
That depends on the vehicle and why you own it.
For an ordinary older car with a relatively low market value, the cost of a full respray may exceed any increase in resale value. Localised paint repairs can sometimes make more financial sense.
For a cherished vehicle, unusual model or restoration project, resale value may not be the only consideration. Owners may simply want to preserve the car or return deteriorated paintwork to a condition they are happy with.
Classic vehicles can also require more extensive preparation than modern cars. If that applies to your project, see our dedicated classic car respray service.
Photographs can give a bodyshop a useful initial impression, but an accurate quotation often requires the vehicle to be inspected in person.
Paint can conceal corrosion, previous filler and historic repairs, so there may be limits to what can be established before preparation begins.
When asking for a quotation, explain:
This makes it much easier to establish the likely scope of the job.
White's Bodyworks carries out professional car resprays in Sussex, from individual panels and paint repairs to complete vehicle refinishing.
Send us some photographs, the make and model of the car and a description of what you would like done. We can then advise whether an inspection is needed before providing a firmer quotation.
