How much does it cost to respray a car?

Cars can be personalised – and one of the best ways to do that is to respray it.

In this car maintenance guide, we look at the average costs and how a mechanic will carry out the process of respraying a vehicle.

What is a car respray?

A car respray is the process of applying a fresh coat of paint to a vehicle using spray techniques, usually to restore its appearance, change its colour, or repair damage.

Although the process of repainting a vehicle to restore or change its appearance, can cosmetic or to fix an issue before selling, it is important to understand what is involved.

The mechanic will sand down old paint, repairing imperfections, applying primer, and spraying new paint layers followed by a clear protective coat.

Resprays can be full, covering the entire car, or partial, focusing on specific panels like doors or bumpers.

People choose resprays to fix scratches, dents, faded paint, or simply to refresh the look.

What are the benefits?

Benefits of having a car resprayed include improved aesthetics, protection against rust and weather damage, and potentially higher resale value.

Costs vary depending on car size, paint type, and labour, with professional work ensuring a smooth, durable finish compared to DIY attempts, which often risk uneven coverage and reduced value.

How to respray a car

When it comes to a mechanic carrying out a car respray, these are the steps they need to take:

Preparation

They will assess the bodywork for any signs of damage, dents, rust, or issues with the current paintwork.

Following this, they will remove any parts to ovoid overspray. They will then clean and degrease the areas.

Sanding is crucial step to smooth the surface and remove any other imperfections.

It is also at this stage where and dents will be filled in and repaired.

Painting

The mechanic will then need to cover all the windows, tyres, and areas that the paint shouldn’t end up.

Next step is the apply the primer to seal the surface. This also helps improve the bonding of the paint to the bodywork.

Once a base coat in the chosen colour is applied, several other thin layers are needed.

Following this, a clear coat is added for protection and durability.

Car respray

Before the car can be driven away, the paint must be allowed to dry. This curing process often includes using heating lamps and controlled conditions.

The vehicle will need a polish and to have parts reassembled.

A final inspection is needed and then the car can be taken back out on the roads.

• Car depreciation – six ways to wipe the value off your car
• How to remove scratches from your paintwork
• Car rust guide – how to remove and prevent it

How much does it cost to respray a car?

According to the latest data from whocanfixmycar, the average cost to respray an entire vehicle can range from £900 to £1600.

However, this total can range due to many factors including make, model, age, condition and type of respray carried out on the vehicle.

Here are the average replacement cost:

^{Source: whocanfixmycar, November 2025 (figures rounded to nearest number)}

Single panel respray cost

If you are looking to pay for a single panel on your vehicle, then whocanfixmycar states that you can expect to pay between £363 and £669.