What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Cost to paint a RV 12

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I have not been paying any attention for a few years now, what is the going rate for painting an RV 12? Has anyone got any quotes lately they would share?
 
I'm curious too. About to wrap up build & will be considering paint in a couple of months.
 
Rv12 Paint

I had a local auto body shop prime and paint with a GM paint for $5,700. They did a great job. Another $600 for vinyl accents designed and applied by a graphics guy and I?m happy with the end result. After 60 hours of grinning I focus more on looking out of it than looking at it. 😎
 
$10,500 for a Navy T-34 paint scheme with 6 separate colors (red, blue, yellow, black, white and green) They quoted me $5500 for a two color spam can scheme.
 
Let?s talk paint

I'm curious too. About to wrap up build & will be considering paint in a couple of months.

Hey Bob,
I?m just over the mountain from you here in Jones Valley, been flying our bare RV12 about 3 years. Retiring soon and will get serious about paint.
I know of an auto painter who has done nice work on some RVs for Scott Millhouse in Madison. LastI spoke with him he?s very busy, proud of his work, North of 10K for non-complex design.
I?ve also visited Evoke Aviation in Gadsden (former Jet Center). Good folks and incredible designers and artisans. See their website.
Wondering about teaming up to visit them and discuss painting 2 planes at once. Probably no significant savings but might have a better chance of getting us on their schedule. Jonathan tells me they are booked into late summer right now.
Just a wild notion,
Dave.
 
Wow!

$10,500 for a Navy T-34 paint scheme with 6 separate colors (red, blue, yellow, black, white and green) They quoted me $5500 for a two color spam can scheme.

Sounds like a great value if the work is quality.
Maybe we should fly West (literally) for a vacation and paint job this summer!
Any one feel like having visitors? 😎
 
No house guests! 😱

But if you are interested in a good paint job call ?Gus? at Wickenburg airport, AZ (E25) 928-684-4926.
 
Hey Bob,
I know of an auto painter who has done nice work on some RVs for Scott Millhouse in Madison.

I had my 12 painted there because it was winter and he had a heated booth. I painted the Kitfox, RV-9A and RV-7A myself in the brief Spring and Fall times with the appropriate temperature windows.
 
materials are expensive

A tidbit to clarify where the bottom end of the cost scale is. I painted my own RV-12 just for the challenge of doing it. When I went to the local PPG paint store to begin gathering materials I was in for a shock. Polyurethane is astonishingly expensive, around $400 per gallon for basic white and some colors are even higher. Red was most expensive at $160 per quart for one of my trim colors. So I ended up spending around $2000 just for the materials: epoxy primer, polyurethane top coat, and three trim colors.
 
I had a local auto body shop prime and paint with a GM paint for $5,700. They did a great job. Another $600 for vinyl accents designed and applied by a graphics guy and I?m happy with the end result. After 60 hours of grinning I focus more on looking out of it than looking at it. 😎
Where are those pictures?:)
 
Painted my -8 myself. Used 1 gal SPI epoxy primer, 1 gal SPI degreaser, 1.5 gal Nason polyurethane color. Military paint scheme. HVLP turbine paint system. Dreaded doing it but found it to be fun and easy! Except I did develop a skin rash at the end. Estimate paint and other chemicals cost at about $1500. Paint tools were more, DA sander, Apollo spray system, sandpaper, BIG fan, lights, stands, etc.
 
How many pounds does a primer and paint job add to the basic 750 pounds of an empty RV-12?

Do you add that in your logs and records book, by reweighing the whole plane, and does it reduce your useful load weight from the 1320#?

Just asking for a couple of 250 + pound friends, kinda close to the limit already.
 
Last edited:
RV-7 Prices

I recently called a few SE paint shops (other than FL) and the average quote for my bare RV-7 was $10K from 2 shops, and one other shop quoted $23K for a show plane finish.
 
How many pounds does a primer and paint job add to the basic 750 pounds of an empty RV-12?

Do you add that in your logs and records book, by reweighing the whole plane, and does it reduce your useful load weight from the 1320#?

Just asking for a couple of 250 + pound friends, kinda close to the limit already.

Yes, reweigh the aircraft and add the new empty weight and CG to your logbook. Adding paint will reduce your useful load.
 
I internally primed my RV12 during construction and the weight came out to 757 pounds.

After having it painted the weight increased to 771 pounds and moved the CG aft 0.86 inches.

Price was a reasonable $6k and the painter copied the Vans paint scheme.
 
Reply to Driftdown

i-Gq2xpkt-S.jpg


Working with a local was nice. I brought him components as they were finished and he worked them in his schedule. When I was ready for final assembly and inspection I had a finished and painted aircraft. Wheelpants are on order. :)
 
https://postimg.cc/LgS5CJTT
https://postimg.cc/ZBvJhpjm
Here is my relatively simply paint job and I had it done at a local custom car shop in Denver. 8K when all done. About twice as much as I?d hoped.

The other is a friends RV7 and his was a 14K job. He said the White is some special pearl and was more expensive than the other colors. He had it done at Meadow Lake Airport, East of Colorado Springs KFLY.
 
i-Gq2xpkt-S.jpg

Working with a local was nice. I brought him components as they were finished and he worked them in his schedule. When I was ready for final assembly and inspection I had a finished and painted aircraft. Wheelpants are on order. :)
Thank you Sir . . . that's a pretty RV-12!
 
I internally primed my RV12 during construction and the weight came out to 757 pounds.

After having it painted the weight increased to 771 pounds and moved the CG aft 0.86 inches.

Price was a reasonable $6k and the painter copied the Vans paint scheme.


Thanks, Mitch. Depending on the paint scheme and how much white base gets painted over with color, probably 20 to 25 #s then.
 
Back
Top