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Car Wrap Cost: How Much Does it Cost to Wrap a Vehicle?
Wrapping a vehicle with specialized films is a top solution if you want to preserve the vehicle’s appearance for years. It’s also an opportunity to personalize the car’s exterior and emphasize your individuality despite the whole car wrap cost.
If you aim to preserve the pristine appearance of your four-wheeled companion or want to further stylize it, you’ve probably already considered how much does it cost to wrap a car and whether using vinyl films is the right choice.
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Undoubtedly, the effect that vinyl provides is worth it. Despite the relatively high cost to vinyl wrap a car, the film offers powerful possibilities for customizing the vehicle’s exterior and partially protecting the original paint. Read more about these and other advantages in the following material.
Practical Benefits of Car Wraps in Chicago
What does it matter how much does a car wrap cost if it allows the car owner to stylishly customize their vehicle and get a new look? Not only that, wrapping is advantageous for several reasons:
- Paint protection: The vehicle wrap film is applied over the paint, ensuring that it stays original and looks new for a longer time.
- Styling of the car or its elements: You can change the color without painting, which is much cheaper, or modify specific body components (such as chrome strips, door handles, etc.).
- Body customization: In addition to color change, you can choose textured vinyl and letters and stylize the car in a specific format, such as honeycomb, camouflage, two-tone gradient, and more.
Moreover, the car wrap price includes partial protection of the original paint with the film, but there are nuances that we will discuss further.
Difference Between Protective and Vehicle Graphics Films
Before answering how much to vinyl wrap a car, let’s define what types of coatings exist and their differences. The vinyl car wrap cost depends on the type of film applied to the vehicle.
Typically, three common types of wraps are distinguished:
1. Protective Film: This transparent Paint Protection Film (PPF) has a thickness of about 3-5 mm, effectively shielding the metal and paint from damage and UV exposure. It usually covers the entire vehicle body, so it’s not disassembled during the process.
2. Decorative Vinyl: A relatively thin film, single-colored, multicolored, or textured, used to cover the entire body or specific elements. It provides conditional protection against mechanical damage due to the material’s thinness.
3. Hybrid Material: Specialized films like carbon fiber can be used to wrap body elements or the interior. They are resistant to external damage but only partially protect the paint and metal.
A protective film is simply applied to the entire car without disassembling the paint job. Therefore, the average cost to wrap a car is lower than working with decorative vinyl. Vinyl wrap cost is higher because wrapping involves disassembling the body, interior, etc., depending on the complexity of the wrap. We will discuss the nuances of this process later.
Formats of Vinyl Vehicle Wraps
Car wrap prices depend on several factors, including the complexity and type of coverage for the vehicle, its size, and more. How much is car wrap – this depends on the quantity of film used and its type. We tentatively classify formats based on several criteria:
Film volume and type of vehicle for full vehicle wrap:
- Sedans
- Hatchbacks
- SUVs
- Pickups
- Trucks
- Vans
Parts to be wrapped:
- Entire body
- Bumper/side skirts
- Spoiler
- Roof
- Interior plastic
- Doors
- Decorative elements
- Hood/trunk
- Windows
- Headlights
Type of film:
- Solid color vinyl
- Protective clear film
- Gradient
- Two-tone vinyl
- Carbon
- Decorative vinyl
This leads us to the answer to the question, “How much does it cost to have a wrap put on a car?” The average price to wrap a car starts from $100 and varies up to over $4,000. The full car wrap cost begins at $3,800, depending on the body type and the complexity of the work (specifically related to paint wrap for cars).
If you think the auto wrap cost is excessively high, we invite you on a tour of the actual work process, which will help explain these prices.
Vinyl Vehicle Wrap Installation, or What’s Included in Car Wrap Cost
The car wrap estimate is determined by several factors, including:
- Type and quantity of the film (usually no less than 3m).
- Time spent on the job.
- Complexity of services.
- Process intricacies.
- Structural peculiarities of the vehicle.
So, before criticizing how expensive is it to wrap a car, answer the question, “How much would I charge for this job?” Well, you might agree with the car wrap quote when you see how professionals carry out the film application.
Defining the Format and Type of Film
The preliminary consultation is free; it determines how much is a car wrap job will cost the owner. This stage helps specialists establish the following:
- What type of film to order.
- The amount of vinyl needed for wrapping the car.
- What exactly will be wrapped.
- Whether internal work is needed or only the body will be covered.
- How many elements need to be wrapped separately.
Based on the consultation results, the owner receives an initial custom car wrap cost and decides whether to proceed with wrapping the vehicle. If the answer is affirmative, the professionals order the vinyl and set a start date for the work, the day the vehicle is to be brought to the workshop.
Disassembling the Car Body
The full car wrap price is not high due to a desire for workshop profits; rather, it’s determined by the job’s complexity.
To wrap a car in vinyl while preserving its appearance, the film must be meticulously applied to each vehicle element, bending it at the junctions of components. For instance, to wrap the front part of the body, the following must be removed:
- Bumper
- Headlights
- Radiator grille
- Hood
- Fenders
All of this takes time and places personal responsibility on the professionals performing the disassembly. This is where the majority of the vehicle vinyl wrap cost comes from.
Vinyl Vehicle Wrap Installation
It’s not enough to simply take a piece of film and stretch it over a specific body component. It’s crucial to apply it correctly, expel all air, and smooth out every bend on the element, tucking vinyl seams under the inner part of the hood or bumper.
This process takes lots of time, concentration, and effort, which directly influences the overall car body wrap cost.
Reassembling the Car After the Wrap
After each external component has been wrapped in vinyl, air is expelled from under the film, and its edges are folded, the reverse assembly of the car takes place. This process, similar to disassembly, places responsibility on the professionals and takes time, requiring substantial effort. Hence, it affects the overall car wrap price guide.
After full reassembly, a thorough inspection of the completed work is carried out, and any inaccuracies are addressed if discovered.
Bottom Line
It might seem like there’s nothing special about wrapping a car, and the car wrap colors price is quite significant. However, as you can see, it is a rather complex job that requires performers to have a perfect understanding of the vehicle’s structural nuances, the ability to work with precision like a jeweler and patience. Are the efforts worth the results? Undoubtedly. Is it worth paying for wrapping services? That’s for you to decide.
If you wish to vinyl-wrap your car and want to receive the highest quality services, give your vehicle a cost-effective opportunity to transform its appearance. Turn to Tinting Chicago!