Do you wish to make any changes to your car? Perhaps something special? Are you considering painting your brake calipers? Do you think the price may be too high?
If you have all of these questions, you’ve come to the correct place. The best advice can be found right here. I have included every single component of the cost of having the brake calipers painted. Whether doing it yourself or hiring a pro.
So if you’re considering making the shift, keep reading below!
In addition to looking wonderful, painted brake calipers shield them against deterioration. Road debris and high temperatures can damage brake calipers. Rust may result from damage. Your vehicle’s exterior and calipers can both be improved with paint.
How Much Does It Cost To Professionally Paint Brake Caliper?
Variables
There are many price ranges for a professional paint job on your paint calipers. The price is influenced by a number of factors.
Location
The cost of living will vary based on where you live. Consult your local auto body shop for an exact quotation.
Condition Of The Calipers
New cars come with unpainted brake calipers. Those calipers are tough as nails! Painting brake calipers that are in a reasonable level of condition will take less time and cost less money.
Costlier than a standard paint job are customizations like decals, metallic paint, airbrush painting, or two-tone paint.
Vehicle Type
Caliper painting costs may be greater for high-end, vintage, or luxury vehicles. The calipers can be more challenging to remove, or you might need to take the car to the dealer to get it fixed.
The brake calipers on some cars are bigger. Usually, painting these will be more expensive. Before you pick a choice, it’s critical to acquire a price for your specific car.
Powder Coat Or Standard Paint
An increasingly popular dry finish method is powder coating. Your brake calipers will cost more to have powder coated than painted.
Labor
The technique of painting itself takes very little time. However, it takes some time to remove the calipers. The calipers are taken off the car, prepared for painting, painted, and then put back on.
This entire process could take 4-5 hours. The majority of car body firms, including Maaco, charge labor by the hour. You shouldn’t be shocked if labor costs make up the majority of your bill.
Brake Calipers With Professional Painting Expected To Cost
Brake calipers that are in reasonably excellent condition typically cost $250 to $450 to paint. Be prepared to pay more if you add unique embellishments or if your calipers need a lot of maintenance.
Your calipers will be more durable thanks to powder coating, which is significantly more expensive. For powder-coated brake calipers, budget between $175 and $200 each caliper, or $700 to $800 overall.
Brake Calipers With Professional Painting: Price Per Square Foot
Brake calipers don’t have a lot of size. If we assume that they are around 2 square feet apiece, or 8 square feet total. Therefore, assuming an area of 8 square feet that can be painted, the cost to have your brake calipers professionally painted will range from $31 to $56 per square foot.
If you get your brake calipers powder-coated, the cost per square foot will be $87-$100.
How Much Will It Cost Me to Paint My Own Brake Calipers?
There is a technique to get expert brake caliper painting without paying the exorbitant price! Become a member of the weekend warrior clan and take action!
Tools – These are materials that you probably already have in your garage! A jack, a tyre iron, and a ratchet wrench are required.
Brake cleaner is necessary to completely clean the calipers prior to painting them. Each can costs roughly $10.
Wire brushes might be useful for eliminating stubborn filth or rust if you don’t already have a set. Costing $10 is this set.
Before painting, smooth down the calipers using 150-200 grit sandpaper.
Spray paint for high-temperature brake calipers – Look for paint that is made especially for brake calipers. Regular paint won’t work because your brakes get quite hot. The majority of brake caliper paint is resistant to heat up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Reputable brands include Rust-Oleum and Dupli color. Spray paint should be plenty in two cans. Spray paint for brake calipers typically costs $14 per can, or $28 for the entire project.
Masking tape – To keep the areas you don’t want to paint, you’ll need to use newspaper, masking tape, or film.
Protective clothing – While cleaning, sanding, and painting, wear a mask, long sleeves, gloves, and eye protection.
Alternative Resources
A power drill and wire brush combination could be used to speed up the cleaning procedure.
High-temperature brake caliper paint can be applied with a brush or a paint spray gun if you don’t want to use spray paint.
Use an air compressor-equipped paint sprayer or a standard paint sprayer.
Kit for painting brake calipers. Purchase a full paint caliper kit to eliminate any guesswork from the procedure.
Total Cost Of Homemade Painted Brake Calipers
The cost of the necessary tools to paint brake calipers on your own will be around $50. If you decide to use any of the additional materials or decals, the price will increase.
Time
Be prepared to paint your brake calipers for a while! It will take far less time to actually paint than it will to remove and prepare the calipers. Set aside 4–8 hours daily for one weekend to complete the work. It could take longer if your brake calipers are especially corroded or difficult to remove.
Homemade Painted Brake Calipers Cost Per Square Foot
Once more, if we estimate that the painted surface area of 4 brake calipers will be around 8 square feet, your cost per square foot will be about $6.25.
How Much Will Your Brake Calipers Cost? Professionally Powder Coated
Compared to conventional grade painting, powder coating is more resilient and more appealing. Powder coating, as opposed to caliper painting, is resistant to chips, scratches, and abrasions. This is in addition to the benefits of painting your calipers, such as rust prevention and improved aesthetics.
The cost of powder coating is more than that of caliper painting due to the added benefits and requirement for specialised equipment. At the very low end of the price spectrum, you may anticipate paying between $50 and $60 per caliper, plus an extra $20 for each brake caliper bracket if you decide to use them.
Even if you go to the cheapest shop, if you want clear, translucent, anodized, or candy-colored powder coating, it will probably cost more because the procedure is more involved. Expect to pay around $1000 for the highest quality powder coating and decals.
One misconception regarding auto customizing is that it lowers the value of your car. One benefit of having your brake calipers professionally painted is that when you sell to another car enthusiast, professional jobs really boost the value of your vehicle.
What Concerns Mail-In Powder Coating Professionals?
Powder painting experts will expertly powder coat your calipers after receiving them in the mail, then ship them back to you. This necessitates that you take the brake calipers off of the wheel and brake line. Alternatively, after buying new brake calipers, you might send them to a powder coating expert firm before installing them.
They usually charge between $30 and $90 each item. This does not include the expense of shipping. Since this is around the same price as having them done in the shop, there is no need to do this instead of bringing them to someone like Sticker City in Los Angeles. You won’t have to deal with the labor yourself, and you won’t have to pay for shipping and handling.
The Cost Of Powder Coating Your Own Brake Calipers
It is not advisable to powder coat your brake calipers yourself unless you already have the necessary equipment and skills. You would not only have to pay for the powder coating materials, but also you would also have to pay for the equipment for such minor work.
With a spray gun costing a couple hundred dollars and a curing oven costing a couple thousand dollars, the required professional equipment isn’t worth the job. Unless you intend to powder coat many additional parts or make powder coating a pastime. The cost greatly surpasses the benefit, and it would be better to simply bring it to a reliable business that already has the equipment.
How To Save Money On Brake Caliper Painting
You Can Paint Them Yourself
Calipers are rather simple to remove from the brake disc. However, if you wish to entirely remove the calipers from the braking system, you must empty the brake fluid and disconnect the brake lines (which also involves breeding the air out of the brakes afterward).
We strongly advise you to undertake the job yourself if you already know how to rebuild/bleed brakes. If you are not familiar with automobiles, you should engage an expert.
Use Google To Your Advantage
You can find the suitable business for the job online. Also the right supplies if you want to do it yourself. Even online instructions on how to remove and paint your brakes are available.
You Can Find Paint Supplies On Classifieds/Marketplace
It usually pays to check your neighborhood market to see if anyone has any extra paint supplies. If you have extra paint after you finish the project, you might be able to sell it online.
Final Thoughts
You should expect a wide range of rates depending on your degree of competence, the equipment you have, how much labor you are ready to perform, and the quality you demand.
You may expect to pay between $250 and $450 to have painted calipers professionally painted (and much more for specialty paint and decals) and less than $50 to paint them yourself if you already have the necessary tools.
Powder coating costs vary widely, but a professional quality job will most likely cost between $175 and $200 per caliper. If you are confused about what to choose, feel free to consult with a local expert.
