How Much To Paint A Van – Cargo and Sprinter Van?

Every vehicle at purchase comes with a clean exterior, wearing a clean coat of paint of the desired color. As with everything new, they soon become old after some years of service.

In the case of the exterior coating of a Sprinter van, it starts to fade or peel off. This often necessitates the need to repaint.

Other reasons for repainting your luxury sprinter for commercial, or personal/family luxury, or even as passenger cargo van could be accidental scratches and dents.

How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Van or Car?

So, how much to paint a van? Is basically cheaper to paint a car then a larger (longer, higher, fatter) van. Averagely, the basic price range between $310 – $950 while more standard cost to paint a van is between $1,100 to $4,750.

How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Sprinter Van?

This is an especially tricky topic in the automotive industry. Generally, the cost can be anywhere from $500 to $9,000.

DIY – Do It Yourself Options

Let’s try and be more specific. If you try to cut costs and paint your van yourself, you will spend somewhere between $500 and a little over $1,000.

However, you should note that what you will be saving is money, not time, as DIY van painting takes a considerable amount of time and effort.

Hire a Professional company

Hiring a professional to do the paint job on the Sprinter van is more expensive and could cost you as high as $6,000. Doing it yourself will save you money.

But if you earn more at your day job than you will save if you were to paint it yourself, you’re better off hiring a professional company. View what it cost to wrap one!

Cost factors

That said, there are a lot of factors that will affect the final cost of repainting your van.

First is the prevailing condition of your van and what it requires when it comes to prep, primer, and paint. Bodywork is another factor. The quality of paint used and the quality of the paint job are other determining variables.

How To Paint A Van? Vital Steps to Take

Repainting a van takes a lot of money, effort, and time. It’s a delicate process, one that has to be undertaken with a great amount of care. Every step counts.

There are 3 available methods for giving your car a new paint job:

• Spraying
• Rolling
• Wrapping

The same process leads to all three of them and they are as follows:

• Preparation Ideas

Preparation is the most essential aspect of any paint job. It’s often what makes or breaks the appearance of your car.

This is especially true if you are painting the van yourself. Every mistake or oversight here will take away from how good the van will end up looking.

• Repair dents

Remember, this is your van and you know the areas where there are dents. Before you repaint, you need to fill these dents for better results.

• Fix rusts

Find the areas that are starting to rust and stylishly sand them down. Then, apply the recommended rust preventive (anti-rust) solution.

Carefully follow it up with a primer. That should get it ready for painting.

• Strip the van

The next step is to pull (removable) components off your van as much as possible. Including lights, blinkers, bumpers, decorative strips, fender flares, spray nozzles, mud flaps, hubcaps, windshield wipers, and door handles windows if possible.

The reason for this is to avoid accidentally painting these areas. It’s also a good time to replace damaged parts.

• Sanding

Using 400- or 600-grit sandpaper and a sanding block, thoroughly sand the van (the gloss, not necessarily to metal).

The goal is to roughen the surface and give it the desired texture. The reason is to ensure the new paint firmly adheres to the van’s old layer. Do it by hand for better results.

• Clean car with silicon cleaner

First, silicon cleaners help to remove dust that results from sanding. Also, it’s a reliable way of degreasing the car as the van must be grease-free before it can be painted.

You can also wash with soap and water for a similar result.

• Drape and tape

This is where you tape over areas you don’t want to repaint, but couldn’t take off. Wrap the tires with plastic.

Carefully tape van parts like window rubber, also drape headlight and bumper with a plastic drop cloth. Stuff materials, paper for example, into those hollow holes.

• Paint

Now, it’s time for the main activity, painting. Depending on your choice, it could be spraying, rolling, or wrapping.

For spraying-painting, you will require a compressor, a spray-paint gun, and a mixing bucket (to mix the paint with hardener and thinner).

Cover your whole body with protective gear, wear a mouth cap, and keep a distance of at least 30 cm while painting.

For rolling, you will need a foam paint roller (for smooth surfaces) or a velvet paint roller (for rough surfaces), a paint basin, and newspapers (to prevent soiling the floor). Start from the car roof, apply paint crosswise, and work downward.

Wrapping is the most efficient and cleanest method. It, however, requires a lot of practice to achieve a bubble-free state.

How To Save Cost

No matter the option you settle for between DIY or professional painting, you can always take measures to cut costs.

Doing it yourself

This is a no-brainer. Your services will be cheaper for you than, let’s say, hiring a professional outfit for the job.

Hire a chain company

If you can do it yourself or can’t find the time to, you can hire cheap. Just get a small, cheap company to do it for you under a thousand.

There are a lot of them out there. It’s often a single-stage paint process and may not be the best job in the world, but it will be decent enough and would do.

Cheap companies like these are perfect if what you need is to change your van’s color or reclaim rust.

Get multiple quotes

Don’t stick to one estimate from a single paint company when you’re looking to repaint your van. Get quotes from multiple companies. This way, you’re better to get the best paint job at an affordable rate.

FAQ about Cargo Van Repaint

Are there cargo vans that are cheaper to paint than Mercedes Sprinter ?

The simple answer is yes. Except the answer is not so simple. In the beginning, I mentioned that what it costs to paint a sprinter van and any vehicle for that matter depends on a host of variables.

They include factors like the van size such as Sprinter van size, the quality of the paint job desired, paint quality, DIY or professional service option, to mention only a few. But Ceteris Paribus, smaller cargo vans like minivans will be cheaper to paint.

Is repainting a car worth it?

It depends. If what you want is a color change or improvement, Yes, it’s worth it. But if you intend to use it to fix major dents, it’s a waste of time. You’re better off with actual metalwork by professionals.

Can you paint over existing auto paint?

No, it’s not advisable. To get a better result, you will first need to sand off at least a layer of the clear coat before you can proceed to apply paint over it. It should be noted that this is when the body panel is in relatively perfect condition.

If the panel has suffered deep scratches, or the old paint has been taken by oxidation, the best approach would be to clear the coat to get rid of damage. You will get better finishing this way.

What kind of paint do you use on vans?

Automotive paint is the kind of paint used on vans (automobiles generally) to achieve both protection and decoration. While the aesthetic appeal often takes the front seat when deciding on the best paint for your van, there are other factors.

They include the rate of drying, application process, environmental friendliness, potential health hazards, etc. options. Urethane and acrylic are popular options.

Urethane is currently the most durable paint and has quickly overtaken acrylic paints in the last few years. It will easily outlast acrylic. Most professionals prefer it as it’s the closest you can get to factory paint.

Acrylic paint, on the other hand, is typically water-based, making it less toxic than urethane.

However, acrylic polyurethane enamel paint, which is water-based, enjoys the position of the most widely used paint. The reason is its low negative environmental impact.

How much does it cost for a matte paint job?

A professionally done matte paint job will cost you anywhere from $500 to $5,000. It’snetter to check more than one shop to get good rates.

How much does it cost to respray a rear bumper?

Expect to be charged anything between $175 and $500.

How do you price a painting job?

Professional painters have an industry rate that they give, but your goal is to get the neat service at the most affordable rate. You sample a few notable shops and compare prices. Pick the most suitable to your needs and pocket.

Is it cheaper to wrap or paint a car?

Yes and no. A normal paint job is typically less expensive than a van wrap. A higher-end paint job, however, with multiple coats will cost around the same as a wrap.

How much does it cost to paint a camper van?

About the same amount it will take a Sprinter van. Please note that some companies offer Sprinter vans as camper vans.

How much paint do I need to spray a transit van?

About 6 liters of paint should be sufficient.

How long does it take to spray a bumper?

Normally, it takes about 3 hours for a layer of paint to dry.Fetching from that and the care you need for the paint to stick, I would say about a day if you’re fast. This is minus any polishing after clear coat application.

Can the bed liner be painted?

Yes, bed liners can be painted. Urethan (sticks nicely) is most suitable if you’re aiming for a particular color or want to bring to life an intricate pattern.

How much does it cost to paint a Toyota Sienna?

Painting your Toyota Sienna will cost you between $300 and $600. Please, note that this is for a professional light coating of paint. It will reinvigorate the metal shell of your van and bring some beauty to it.