How Much Does It Cost To Wrap A Car? Guide To Wrapping

In recent years, car-wrapping has become extremely popular for obvious reasons. Besides giving the car a brand-new look, it also protects your paint and keeps it fresh for whenever you decide to take the wrap off. If you want to know how much a full-on wraps costs or you want to wrap a car yourself, be sure to continue reading.

Average professional car wrap cost

• Coupe/Compact Car - $2000
• Family sedans - $3000
• Luxury sports cars - $5000+
• Full-size SUV - $4000
• Compact SUV/Crossover - $3500

The Basics Of Car Wrapping

A car wrap essentially consists out of applying high-quality vinyl onto every part of your car in order to change the way the car looks. Some people like covering the entire car, while others tend to be more creative and mix different colors or leave some panels exposed, or covered with transparent paint protection film.

Essentially, a professional vinyl application looks and feels like paint, but it's completely reversible and it also protects your paint. The best course of action would be to let a professional wrap your car because this process requires precision, experience, and dedication.

Colors And Material Choices

There is virtually an unlimited number of colors you can choose these days, and even if you do come across an unavailable color, there are many vinyl manufacturers which can make one for you. As far as materials are concerned, most wraps are usually made out of hard-duty vinyl, but 3M, Avery, Oracal, and Arlon are the very best ones out there.

3M offers a 5-year-long warranty against fading, cracking, and peeling, while Avery, Oracal, and Arlon also offer decent coverages. However, before ordering a specific wrap material, be sure to talk with a professional.

A Clean Car Is Essential For Proper Application

If your car is dirty, scratched, corroded, or damaged, it will be extremely difficult to wrap it because the vinyl material requires a smooth surface in order to stick properly. Most professionals will even refuse to wrap a car if it's too damaged, corroded, or scratched up.

That being said, most professionals usually detail a car before they start wrapping it. For them to guarantee their work, they have to make sure that the application is as good as it can be. This is why you should not wrap a car yourself if you don’t have the necessary experience as paint issues such as scratches and dents can cause bubbles which ultimately tend to ruin the wrap.

Car Wrap Installation Process

After the car has been meticulously cleaned and smoothed out, now it’s time to park the car up in a contaminant-free environment in order to start wrapping it. If you want a thorough and perfect wrap application, sometimes you will have to take certain body panels off to tuck the vinyl flawlessly.

Most professionals are already equipped with pre-cut vinyl pieces for every individual panel which makes the application process a lot faster and more precise. In order to install the vinyl properly, you need to use specific tools and liquid solutions.

Car Wrap Regular Maintenance

After you’ve successfully wrapped your car, you need to maintain the condition of the vinyl, and to do so you should minimize water spotting while cleaning the car up. Furthermore, it's best to always hand wash the vinyl as aggressive pressure washers can loosen up the vinyl and make it more fragile and prone to scuffing.

Sometimes the wrap itself starts transforming into a brownish color which should indicate that the wrap has been exposed to various acidic pollutants. If this does happen, make sure to remove the wrap to protect the paint underneath. However, this only happens if you don’t do regular maintenance all that regularly.

Car Wrapping Is Precision Work

If you want the best possible results, do not try to wrap the car yourself, be sure to take it to a professional. A professional car wrap company has all the necessary experience needed for precise car wrapping, and trust me, I’d go as far as calling it precision art.

The way some experts tuck in their vinyl corners and the way they manipulate the material is impressive. Corners have to be cut equally in order to maximize the lifespan of the vinyl material and for the material to stick firmly. If you stretch the material too much, you will not be able to tuck it in which means that you will have to start over.

Paint Protection And Vinyl Removal

A decently executed wrap application acts as a barrier between the paint and the outside elements. Even though most vinyl materials are thin, you’d be surprised as to how well built they are. Of course, even the best vinyl wrap can’t help you if you crash your car, but if you scratch it or ding it slightly, the wrap can even save the paint underneath.

There are several different ways one can remove a car vinyl. You can leave the car in the sun for a few hours, and after that, the wrap should come off easily. However, it is best to take your car to a professional. A full-on vinyl removal job should cost you anywhere between 300$ and 1000$.

Paint Damage After Removal

If the wrap installation was executed decently, the wrap should just come off without any major issues. However, sometimes the vinyl material can stick to the panel and even cause paint peeling and scuffing, but this is mostly because a vinyl material has been mistreated or removed overly aggressively.

Vinyl manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that their products are well built and reliable, as such, it is mostly down to poor maintenance or installation whenever paint damages occur. Sometimes the paint itself can be bonded poorly and thus start peeling when you try to take the vinyl off.

Peelable Paint – A Better Alternative To Car Wrapping

Car wrapping can be a great way how one can customize a car while also protecting the paint underneath. However, anyone with a healthy pair of eyes close enough to the car can distill real paint from a vinyl wrap because a vinyl wrap simply can not look as good as true paint can. As such, even the best wrap jobs out there can not compare to a true paint job.

Be that as it may, there are a few companies out there that offer the best of both worlds by combining a protective wrap with real paint on top of it which makes the car virtually indistinguishable from a painted car. This peelable paint can be taken off which means that you can enjoy your car’s factory paint whenever you want. It's worth mentioning that peelable paint application costs three or even four times as much as a wrap install.

FAQ Section

Is It Fully Legal To Wrap A Car?

In most places in the world, there are no laws that regulate what you can or can not do as far as car wrapping is concerned. However, don’t try impersonating a police car or any other first responder vehicle as this can create confusion in certain situations where confusion can cause harm. Furthermore, this can also get you fined in most states.

How Do You Preserve A Car Wrap?

In order to maximize the vinyl lifespan and aesthetics, it's best to treat your vinyl like paint. This means that you should clean it regularly and that you should keep it safe from extreme weather conditions. Don’t pressure wash a car wrap, a hand wash is the best course of action when it comes to cleaning. Don’t park the car in the sun for too long because the sun can discolor the paint.

Do I Have To Declare To Anyone That My Car Is Wrapped?

Yes, you should immediately contact your insurance company and the DMV after your wrap your car as this can create unnecessary confusion. Even if you’ve only installed smaller stickers or such, you should always contact the DMV just to make sure you are doing everything according to law. Even if you are doing it for nothing, it's better to be safe than sorry.

How Long Can A Car Wrap Last?

If everything went according to plan, a high-quality wrap should last you at least seven years. However, many things can either shorten that time period or even extend it further. It’s worth mentioning that it's always best to use a high-quality vinyl material, no matter how long you intend to keep it. A proper installation is crucial as well, so be sure not to skimp out on it.

How Can I Make My Car Wrap Last Longer?

To maximize the vinyl lifespan, you ought to clean the car regularly as per the vinyl manufacturer's recommendations. Furthermore, you should also keep your car in a shade, because prolonged sun exposures are known to drastically decrease vinyl lifespan, and most important of all, never apply the vinyl by yourself.