How much does a respray cost, and why do two body shops quote different prices?

“How much would it cost to paint the door?” is the most common question we get. The honest answer starts with another question: what happened to the door? The cost of paintwork is almost never determined by the paint itself.

What you are really paying for

With a paint job, the materials are only a small part of the cost. You are paying for the hours spent stripping, repairing the panel, sanding, masking, spraying, curing and refitting parts. A door with a long scratch but a straight panel can be completed in a day. The same door with a deep dent needs metalwork first, which adds several hours.

Why colour changes the price

Different colours involve different levels of work. Solid white is relatively straightforward. A metallic grey needs a basecoat and clearcoat, and the metallic effect has to match so that the join between panels is not visible. Three-layer colours — such as the pearl reds and pearl whites found on many recent cars — consist of a basecoat, an effect layer and a clearcoat. They are among the most difficult colours to match.

Then there is the age of the vehicle. The paint on an eight-year-old car that has spent years under the Alicante sun will no longer be exactly the same as the factory colour. Even with the correct paint code, the new paint usually needs to be blended into the neighbouring panels. If a shop paints only the door, you may notice a difference in daylight.

What makes a higher quote a fair one

• Repairing the panel instead of hiding the dent under thick filler.
• Blending into adjacent panels so there is no visible colour edge.
• Using a temperature-controlled spray booth rather than spraying outdoors.
• Removing handles, trims and seals instead of masking around them.

All of this takes time and, yes, costs more. It can also make the difference between work that still looks right in two years and work that looks right only on collection day.

Rough numbers

So you have an idea before requesting a quote: a small painted panel usually costs around €150; a full door requiring repair will cost noticeably more; and a whole car is a multi-day job that will generally be well above €1,000. These are only reference figures, not a price list. The actual cost can be confirmed once we have seen the car.

How to compare two quotes properly

Do not compare only the totals; compare what is included. Ask three questions: will the colour be blended into the neighbouring panels, will the dent be repaired or simply filled, and does the price include removing and refitting parts? Two very different quotes usually mean two different jobs.

We prefer to put everything in writing and start only once you have accepted the estimate. If something hidden appears when the panel is removed — rust underneath or a broken bracket, for example — we will contact you before carrying out any extra work, so you can decide how to proceed. That way, you are not faced with an unexpected charge on the invoice.