William LipovskyShort Answer: Powder coating prices vary depending on the car part, your desired finish, and who’s going to do the work. You can search for a local powder coating company, mail your parts to a company that will powder coat and then return them, or, if you are planning to do multiple powder coating projects, you can do them yourself. Most parts will cost between $25 and $300 each to coat, but if you plan to do the coating yourself, you can expect to pay $100 to $300 or more for equipment and powder paint, and anywhere from $500 to more than $2,000 for a curing oven. Below, we provide a breakdown of the costs per part for powder coating at a shop or mail-in company, as well as the costs for the equipment necessary to do the work yourself.
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How Much Does Powder Coating Cost?
Powder coating most car parts will cost between $25 and $300, depending on the company you choose and whether you want to mail in the parts or go to a local shop. Note that if you choose specialized finishes, multiple colors, or additional top coats, you will likely end up paying more (even up to 50% more per part). If you’re specifically wondering about the costs to powder coat wheels and rims, we provide the cost breakdown. Below, we provide information about other commonly coated parts.
Mail-In Powder Coating Companies
Below are examples of how much it costs to powder coat some of the most common car parts with a mail-in company. These prices are an average, based on information from three of the most popular mail-in powder coating companies: Absolute Powder Coating LLC, Bonehead Performance, and Graub Design & Fabrication.
- Brake calipers: About $30 to $90 each, depending on the number of pistons and desired finish
- Bumpers: About $100 to $250 each; large, off-road bumpers will cost more
- Control arm: About $25 to $40 each, depending on the style of arm
- Fan: About $25 to $35
- Fuel tank: About $80 to $180, depending on the chosen finish
- Headers: About $150 to $250 depending on the number of cylinders
- Intake manifold: About $80 to $180, depending on the number of cylinders and desired finish
Most mail-in companies require a minimum order of at least $25 to $50, but this should not be a problem for most orders. Mail-in companies will also expect that you have already done all necessary disassembly (e.g., removing bearings, seals, gaskets) before sending in your parts, and they will likely charge for any additional labor besides coating. Before you ship your parts, you’ll also want to make sure that they are properly wrapped and padded.
Keep in mind that if you mail your parts in, you’ll also need to plan on paying for shipping, which will depend on the weight of your part and the shipping method you use. You’ll likely want to choose a shipping option with tracking and insurance.
Local Powder Coating Companies
Choosing a local company to powder coat your metal objects or car parts means that you can avoid the cost of shipping them to an online company and then shipping them back to your home. However, depending on where you live, you may only have one or two local companies to choose from, and some local shops may charge more than mail-in companies. We consulted the price lists of local shops in California, Indiana, Maryland, Washington, and Wisconsin to get a sense of average prices; price ranges include the cost for one to two coats:
- Brake calipers: About $25 to $120
- Bumpers: About $75 to $300 or more; off-road bumpers will cost more
- Control arm: About $25 to $100
- Fan: About $15 to $40
- Fuel tank: About $100 to $180
- Headers: About $125 to $300
- Intake manifold: About $60 to $120, depending on the number of cylinders
Finding a Local Company
To find a shop near you that offers powder coating, you can consult Local Pages. It provides a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers for powder coating companies in your area. You can also search the Powder Coating Industry’s Membership Directory to search for custom coaters by name or location.
If you are still unable to find results, you can also try a Google search for “powder coating near me.” When choosing a company, most shops will allow you to request a free quote that you can use to compare prices.
DIY Powder Coating
If you do not want to hire someone else to powder coat your car, motorcycle, or bike parts, you can coat them yourself. You can determine whether a DIY method will be cost-effective by deciding what powder you’ll be using, then calculating how much of it you’ll need and what supplies and tools you’ll have to purchase to get started. You will also need an appropriately sized oven dedicated solely to powder coating. After you’ve purchased the necessary tools and supplies, video tutorials provide a free visual source to help you through the process. The more items or parts you plan on powder coating, the more cost-effective it will be to do the process yourself.
DIY Powder Coating Tools and Supplies
You can find an Eastwood powder coating gun for about $110 to $180 on Amazon Eastwood offers a 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee on their products, which allows you to return or exchange opened or used items for a refund — a benefit you won’t get from most other low-cost sources. You can also find complete powder coating starter kits (with some basic colors) for about $150 to $200 on the Eastwood website.
Powder Coating Cost Calculator
You can calculate both the amount of powder that you’ll need for a job as well as the cost of the powder for a total job (or the cost of powder by square foot) using the MIT Powder Coating Cost Calculator.
To calculate the amount of powder needed for your project, enter the gravity of the powder you’re using, the recommended film thickness (in millimeters), the surface area to be coated (in square feet), and the percentage of estimated transfer efficiency (as a whole number). The calculator will then tell you approximately how many square feet one pound of powder will cover, and the estimated number of pounds of powder you’ll need to complete the job.
To calculate the cost of the powder, you’ll need to enter the cost of powder per pound, and the calculator will give you the estimated cost for the total job as well as the cost per square foot. You can find powder coating colors for about $15 to $20 per pound on Amazon.
Powder Coating Oven
In addition to these materials, you will also need to purchase an oven for curing your powder-coated items — keep in mind that using your regular kitchen oven for powder coating even once will make it unsuitable for cooking food. You can purchase a portable, corrosion-resistant oven for small to mid-sized projects or purchase a general-purpose new or used oven that you plan to dedicate solely to powder coating. You can find professional curing ovens for about $500 to more than $2,000 on Amazon. Although this can be a big investment, if you are planning to do many powder coating projects, it can be more cost-effective than sending your parts out to a shop or mail-in company.
DIY Powder Coating Video Tutorials
The host in the video below demonstrates the basic process of powder coating a small metal bike component, all the way from cleaning and stripping the metal to curing it.
In this video, the host explains how to select the best powder for your project, then demonstrates how to clean and powder coat a machined aluminum part. This video includes helpful details on how to ensure that the powder will adhere correctly to your metal part and how to choose the right tools and supplies for your specific project. If you’ve never powder coated anything before, this video’s tips for beginners are a great place to start.
This video thoroughly explores how different types of powder coating products can be used in different applications for a variety of projects, both small and large.
In Summary
The price of powder coating can vary widely based on the size and type of the part that needs to be coated, the style of powder coating you’re looking for, and whether you are sending the parts elsewhere or doing the work yourself. Shops and mail-in companies will charge between $25 and $300 depending on the part (plus shipping, if necessary). If you have or are able to get an oven and have several parts to coat, you may be able to save money by purchasing a kit for less than $200, buying the powder you need, and coating the parts yourself.
If you’re unsure about powder coating, we compare painting, powder, and other protection methods.
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