What a car wrap costs

The short version

A car wrap is priced on four things: how big the vehicle is, how much of it you cover, which film you choose, and what shape the paint is in. Everything on this page is a starting price from Offshore’s vehicle wraps menu. The final number comes from your vehicle, not a range on a website, and we give it to you before you book.

Vehicle size

Bigger vehicles take more vinyl and more labor. A compact sedan has less surface and fewer deep recesses than a crew-cab pickup or a three-row SUV, so a full car wrap starts from $3,999 while trucks and SUVs start higher. A full-size truck also has the bed sides, tailgate and often a lot of trim to work around, and every one of those edges is hand-finished. The truck wraps and SUV wrap pages break that down by body style.

Coverage

This is the biggest lever you control. A hood wrap is the cheapest way in. A partial wrap covering the hood, roof and accent panels starts from $1,999 and changes the look of a car more than people expect, especially a black roof on a light-colored car. A full color change covers every painted exterior panel. Door jambs can be wrapped as part of a full color change: without them you see the original color when the doors open; with them the change looks like paint.

Film type and finish

Standard gloss, satin and matte films sit at the same starting price. Specialty films do not. Color-shift wraps, the chameleon films that change color with the viewing angle, start from $4,500 for a full car, and partial color-shift accents cost less (see the table above). Chrome and textured films are quoted individually.

Brand matters more than finish. Offshore wraps in cast vinyl from 3M, Avery Dennison, Cheetah Wrap and KPMF. Cast film is made without built-in tension, so it stays put in recesses and around mirrors through years of strong Maui sun. Cheap calendered or off-brand film costs less on the invoice and starts lifting, shrinking and fading in 1 to 2 years. A quality wrap lasts 5 to 7 years, which makes it the cheaper choice per year.

Paint condition and prep

Vinyl follows the surface under it. Chips, peeling clear coat and old touch-up paint show through or pull up when the film is removed. If your paint needs attention we tell you before the quote is final, so the number does not change on the day.

What is in the price

Every full wrap at Offshore is heat-formed to the body panel by panel, with the edges heat-sealed and the trim removed and reinstalled, so the film does not pull back at the corners a year later. Every wrap carries a 3-year warranty against peeling, bubbling and color fade. Most full wraps take two to three days, and partial wraps usually one. If you need the car back fast, see full wraps in 3 days.

Wrap vs paint

A quality repaint in a new color costs more than a full wrap, takes longer and cannot be undone. A wrap protects the factory paint, keeps resale value and comes off cleanly; wrap removal starts from $399 for a car. For a leased car it is the only sensible color change. Our wrap vs paint comparison walks through when a repaint makes more sense.

Commercial and fleet wraps

Business branding on a single vehicle starts from $3,999.98. Fleets of three or more vehicles get a per-vehicle fleet rate. See commercial fleet wraps.

Getting an exact number

Send us the year, make and model, the color or film you have in mind, and how much of the vehicle you want covered. Photos of the current paint help. We quote it before you drive in.