After an accident, you’ll likely need to paint your car. If you’re a handy person, you may be considering painting your car yourself with the hopes of saving some money.
But is it worth it?
When weighing professional auto painting vs DIY, the biggest factors are cost, time, and quality.
Because while there are tons of jobs on your car that are easy to do yourself, painting your car is a little more complex.
Repainting a car involves proper preparation, technique, and professional-grade materials. And the truth is, a DIY paint job can quickly become much more time-consuming and expensive than getting it done professionally.
If you’re debating whether to paint your car or hire a pro, here are seven reasons why hiring a professional is the smarter choice instead of doing it yourself.
1. Professional Painters Have Years of Experience
Think about your own job. It takes years to get really good at something, and painting a car is no different. It can be much more difficult than changing a tire, your car’s oil, or performing a small repair – and it’s definitely not as simple as grabbing a spray can and getting to work.
Professional auto painters have years of hands-on experience and training. It’s what allows them to achieve smooth, even, and long-lasting results. After all, practice makes perfect!
Do you feel confident you could achieve the same level of finish as a professional on your first, second, or even third try?
One of the biggest benefits of professional car painting is expert knowledge. Professionals know how to properly apply paint with precision, utilize expert auto painting techniques to avoid drips and uneven coats, and have years of experience handling a spray gun.
Even a single mistake can ruin the look of your car and require costly touch-ups. With a professional, you can trust that the job is done right the first time.
2. Professional-Grade Materials and Equipment
Painting a room in your home is simple – you just need a paint roller and some paint. But painting a car is an entirely different challenge.
To do it yourself, you need to invest in specialized equipment, which can quickly become more expensive than hiring a professional. And since you’re not a professional painter, that investment likely won’t be worth it and you’ll end up with costly tools that you may never use again.
Professionals, on the other hand, can invest in top-tier equipment because it’s part of their trade. They use industrial-grade paint sprayers, UV curing lamps, and specific types of paint for cars designed to be UV-resistant, durable, and fade-proof.
They also have the expertise to precisely match OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) colors, ensuring a factory-fresh finish that DIY methods simply can’t replicate.
3. Controlled Environments
Trying to hang up some old sheets and turn your garage into a makeshift paint booth won’t cut it when it comes to painting your car! For the best results, paint needs to be applied correctly, but it also needs the right conditions to cure properly.
Professional auto body shops use climate-controlled spray booths that provide the perfect environment without dust, dirt, or bugs – common contaminants that can ruin a fresh coat of paint and that are likely present in your garage or driveway.
4. DIY Paint Job Mistakes Are Costly to Fix
Unless you have years of experience, you run a high risk of making mistakes when you paint your car yourself. Even small mistakes can result in an amateur-looking finish that may require a full repaint to fix.
Some of the most common DIY mistakes include:
- Runs, drips, and patchy areas from uneven spray application;
- The “orange peel” effect (a bumpy, textured finish caused by improper technique);
- Overspray on windows, trim, or tires, which is difficult to remove;
- Peeling or bubbling paint due to inadequate surface preparation.
Fixing these mistakes can cost more than hiring a professional in the first place.
5. Proper Surface Preparation Is Not Easy
The preparation process before painting a car is just as important as the painting itself. Most DIYers underestimate the time and effort required for proper preparation. Even something simple like fixing a car paint scratch can require a lot of preparation.
Skipping steps or rushing through prep work can cause adhesion issues, leading to paint peeling, chipping, or bubbling down the road.
For example, here at Mackin’s Auto Shop, our prep looks like this:
- Finding the correct paint match with advanced software;
- Sanding and priming to create a smooth, even surface and remove minor defects and road debris;
- Masking off all parts of the car that will not be painted, such as the windshield, windows, wheels, tires, etc., and the other panels that may not be getting painted.
We do all this with the highest level of attention to detail to make sure the job is done right the first time.
6. A Professional Job Boosts Your Car’s Resale Value
If you plan on selling or trading in your car down the road, a high-quality professional paint job can significantly increase its resale value.
As we’ve mentioned before, one of the cons of DIY car painting is that it can lead to mistakes in the finish of the paint. Poor DIY paint jobs with visible flaws can actually lower your car’s market value.
Dealerships and buyers can spot DIY paint jobs a mile away, and they won’t pay top dollar for a car with an amateur finish. A professional auto paint job is an investment that helps maintain your vehicle’s worth.
7. You’ll Save Time
One of the big appeals of DIY is the satisfaction you get from getting a job done yourself. But when it comes to painting your car, the juice is probably not worth the squeeze.
Painting your car involves hours of sanding, priming, masking, painting, and curing, which could be worth it if you end up saving a lot of money, but after buying all the equipment you’ll need, you may not even save money.
Unless you want to spend your weekends prepping and painting, you’re better off hiring a pro to get the job done. They streamline the process and can finish the job in a fraction of the time. Best of all, you know you won’t be sacrificing quality.
Looking for Prompt and Professional Auto Painting in Portland, OR?
Mackin’s Auto Body is Portland’s most trusted collision repair shop. We’ve been in business for over 80 years. We’re known for our old-fashioned customer service, our commitment to transparency, and our consistent and high-quality work.
If you want to avoid potential DIY car painting mistakes, our skilled technicians can provide auto painting services you can trust.
Contact us with any questions or for more information. We’re here to help!
Chris Roberts is the Director of Operations at Mackin’s Auto Body, where he has been making an impact since 2018. With a career in collision repair that started in 1999, Chris brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role. Before stepping into his current position, he served as the Assistant Operations Manager at Mackin’s Auto Body from 2013 to 2017. Chris holds a BA from Northwest Nazarene University. When he’s not ensuring everything runs smoothly at Mackin’s, you can find him skiing down snowy slopes, wake surfing on sunny days, or cheering on his daughter at her soccer games.