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Paint job cost

Paul 5r4

Paul 5r4

Well Known Member
Hello everyone,

I received a quote recently on a paint job on my recently completed RV7A. I have to say I was shocked at the cost estimate. Does anyone know about how much an average paint job should cost? I'm talking a basic paint job... base coat and two trim colors. Nothing fancy. I'd be willing to fly it several hundred miles to save a few thousand bucks. Any input is appreciated.
 
Paul 5r4 said:
Hello everyone,

I received a quote recently on a paint job on my recently completed RV7A. I have to say I was shocked at the cost estimate. Does anyone know about how much an average paint job should cost? I'm talking a basic paint job... base coat and two trim colors. Nothing fancy. I'd be willing to fly it several hundred miles to save a few thousand bucks. Any input is appreciated.
Click to expand...

As a point of reference. I painted my '8 a couple of years ago myself. PPG Base/Clear. Had $3000 in MATERIALS in it. Just to calibrate you! Its kind of like painting 3 cars.
 
Rough idea

$6k to $12K
Depends on number of hours of prep needed, cleaning, body work...can take a pro days or WEEKS. Further, type of paint (jetglo etc), how much work to tape/mask etc, number of colors, blah blah. I watched mine get done and no ifs and or buts...its a ton of work, mess and nasty chemicals.
They often get you in the door on price and then put the bricks to you on extras. A good honest painter is golden. Let them make some $$ so they do it properly and put enough time into it, but dont rip you. Get some pireps and ask those people how the "extras" added up.
 
Paint

I had an airplane painted that is similar in size to an RV-7 by Roger Crider at Crider Aircraft Painting in Mena, AR for $5,000. My airplane had been flown for 30 years as a polished aluminum airplane when I took it in for painting. Like you, I had a base coat of matterhorn white, with 2 colors of trim. they were done in about 2 weeks if I recall. I would recommend them.
 
I painted my -7A myself with Stewart Systems paint. It was my first (and only) "real" paint job and I'm very satisfied with the results. I had no illusions that it would turn out with a show-quality job, but I did want it to be a 10-foot job. When it was done, I believe it was better than a 3-foot job. :)

I chose a very complicated paint scheme which required a TON of masking and prep work. I got lucky that it turned out as good as it did. From the time I took my RV out of service for painting until it was done was almost 3 months (if I recall correctly)...maybe a little less. I'm thinking a 2-tone basic job would be much easier to do.

As for cost - not counting my time, it was less than $2,000, which included buying the equipment needed.

In the end, if I could do it again, I would only want more experience with difficult paint schemes. Applying the Stewart Systems was easy enough. I do sometimes wish I'd gone with a basecoat/clearcoat system just for the deeper gloss.
 
Material cost of paint

Just for reference, I'm doing my own paint job. Base/clear in three colors with lots of paint mask. Material cost is over $3000 so far and I'm guessing another $600 to finish. Keep in mind that I am not a professional painter so I don't use the paints as efficiently as I should and I am not painting everything all at once. Even so, these are expensive to paint. If you can get it done for 2 or 3 times material cost, I would be very happy.
 
Stewart Systems finished paint weight

lostpilot28 said:
I painted my -7A myself with Stewart Systems paint. It was my first (and only) "real" paint job and I'm very satisfied with the results. I had no illusions that it would turn out with a show-quality job, but I did want it to be a 10-foot job. When it was done, I believe it was better than a 3-foot job. :)

I chose a very complicated paint scheme which required a TON of masking and prep work. I got lucky that it turned out as good as it did. From the time I took my RV out of service for painting until it was done was almost 3 months (if I recall correctly)...maybe a little less. I'm thinking a 2-tone basic job would be much easier to do.

As for cost - not counting my time, it was less than $2,000, which included buying the equipment needed.

In the end, if I could do it again, I would only want more experience with difficult paint schemes. Applying the Stewart Systems was easy enough. I do sometimes wish I'd gone with a basecoat/clearcoat system just for the deeper gloss.
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Sonny,

Did you weigh your plane before and after painting. I am wondering if the Stewart Systems coatings wind up any heavier than automotive or aircraft (Jet-Glo) paint.

Larry
 
Bobby Potts, Tuscaloosa interiors, $7500-8500 one year ago.

RV7A597.jpg
 
Bobby Potts $9K a little over a year ago.

Some factors that increased my cost:

Mostly raw fiberglass other than the cowl.

Finishing the targa strip around the back of my tip up canopy and the fiberglass overhang that I added to the sides of my canopy.

The Red paint I used is like liquid gold. I had no idea when I picked the color.

He etch's, alodines and epoxy primes the entire plane.

He cuts and polishes the clear coat.

Bobby will be upfront and honest with you. He charged me exactly what he quoted up front.

I looked at the total cost of materials and the number of hours he worked on it and I have no idea how he makes a living charging what he does.....

DPP_1133.JPG
 
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Getting mine painted right now by Aircraft Refinishers (tony) in griffin GA (came in highly recommended, but for a lot of $$). 10k for white/blue, pretty simple livery, single stage paint. $12k for silver and red p51 scheme, base to clear on silver only. High teens to 20k iirc for full base to clear with a complex livery. He is up front and says he has a lot of overhead since he runs a big shop. I knew the costs going in but I've definitely seen cheaper advertised. I needed a lot of fiberglass work done, a bit of prep, so there was a lot of work in that.
 
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I got mine done out here in California for around $6.5K about 4 years ago and am quite satisified with the final result. I got around a $1k discount because I was able to find four other folks to sign up for a paint job on their plane at the same time.

erich
 
GLO Custom

Grady at GLO Custom at 52F, an advertiser on this site did mine 6 years ago for $5500. Take your airplane there and you will no doubt meet some of the well known VAF members including DR. Go to his website and you will see many familiar looking RVs. You can't do much better than Grady at any price.
 
Bobby Potts, Tuscaloosa interiors, also advertises on here. I find him in the advertisers index. I don't know which page his add shows up on.
 
Painted last sumer

Had my RV7a painted last summer in Akkron, CO. $8000.00 which included some fiberglass work.
 
paint cost

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the responses. Starting to look like the quote I got... $9000... is kinda of inline with what I'm seeing. I need some fiberglass work as well. I kinda had it in my head that a paint job was going to run me maybe 5 or 6 tops. Boy was I wrong, but really that's ok. It will be worth it to have a beautiful airplane that you like walking up to. This guy in Gulf Shores does some great work.
 
LarryT said:
Sonny,

Did you weigh your plane before and after painting. I am wondering if the Stewart Systems coatings wind up any heavier than automotive or aircraft (Jet-Glo) paint.

Larry
Click to expand...

Hi Larry,
I sure did...but the numbers need to be qualified. The "before" weight was 1043 lbs empty. After paint it was 1093, but I also added wheel pants, fairings, intersection fairings, and interior side panels. That in mind, I can only guess that my actual paint weighed in around 30 lbs...give or take 5. :rolleyes:

Again, it was a LOT of work to do it myself, but given the cost of professionals, there was no way I could afford anything else. Even a plain white paint job would've cost more than what I did myself.

Picture added for reference. This is what it looked like after I just finished painting (prop not yet installed). Thanks to Cetus Aero for providing the inspiration and allowing me to use their beautiful design.
004bitv.jpg
 
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One of the most important things when building an airplane is a good paint job! In many cases there is a relationship between price and quality, when my plane went in for paint I had all the fiberglas work done everything was clean and ready. They worked 2weeks prepping removing controls getting the metal ready for prime, and another two weeks for top coat and clear coat. I have a fair amount of auto painting exsperance and painting aircraft is much harder. Choose a shop not always by cost but by quality and will they stand by there work.
 
Since you're in Alabama.. I'd take it to Bobby Potts... He's not the cheapest, but the quality of his work really makes it worth while (note he's not the most expensive either!).

Mine was 8k two years ago and it included quite a bit of fiberglass work (ALL fiberglass finishing/pinholes etc.. I did zero fiberglass work on my plane and then I had him do some extras on top of it all).

VERY happy with results and I'd take my next project to have it painted there in a heartbeat.

PS. Pardon the big N numbers on the side.. those are stickers used for the international ferry flight.

DSC01048.jpg
 
Hey Radomir,
What SJ cowl is that? Mine is the shorty, and it seems my carb inlet is set further back. I would've thought the "regular" cowl would appear longer. Maybe it's just a visual effect. :confused:
 
Have you considered one base color and vinyl graphics for the stripping> Take a look a site called www.airgraphicsllc in WS. I have had their graphics on my RV-9A for 5 years and 850 hours, no problems. Dan
 
I am about to repaint my RV-6. Does anyone know how many gallons of paint (jet glow) it will take?
thanks,
Nigel
 
I warn you those on tight budgets. Paint your aircraft either before you fly or right after phase one. Otherwise your paint money will be mercilessly extorted by petroleum companies. Don't ask me how I know you have the warning :)

Yes, I have a shop, I have a slot in that shop and I have my quote. But my fiscal discipline is gone after I got that pink slip.
 
N111BN said:
I am about to repaint my RV-6. Does anyone know how many gallons of paint (jet glow) it will take?
thanks,
Nigel
Click to expand...
2 gallons of paint, 2 gallons of hardener, plus some reducer are needed just for the base color. There should be paint left over.
 
airgraphic

Dan, thanks for that tip on the airgraphic site... certainly worth looking into. I've sent them an email. Thanks again.
 
Jim Russel of Aircraft Refinishers painted my 12 two shades of gray and lots of red Imron. All of the f/g prep work was included for 4700.00 and took two weeks. Jim did everything he said he would do and was excellent to work with. He is located at Chorman Airport in Greenwood, De.
 
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