Brake Caliper Painting Cost


Written by:  Howmuchisit.org Staff

Painting your brake calipers will not only help protect the part from corrosion or brake dust, but it can look aesthetically pleasing as well.

A Wheel Within A Wheel by sagesolar, on Flickr
A Wheel Within A Wheel” (CC BY 2.0) by sagesolar

How much does brake caliper painting cost?

The costs of paining brake calipers will greatly depend on whether you want to hire a professional to do the job or you plan on doing the job on your own.

Like anything, as you can imagine, painting your own brake calipers can be much cheaper, especially if you already have the necessary tools to remove the calipers.  Going this route, buying both the cleaning supplies and the paint can cost about $20 to $40 for all of the supplies.  For example, to clean the calipers, you will need a metal brush, sandpaper and a cleaning solution, such as a rubbing alcohol, to help remove any residue or rust which may be present at the time.  Cleaning is so important because failing to do so can lead to the paint failing to stick as you apply it.  A metal brush can cost about $10, sandpaper is about $5 and the cleaner, from our research, can cost another $10 or so, bringing the total for supplies to $25 on average.

If you want to avoid purchase all of the items necessary, then you can find highly rated kits, which include all of the supplies you need, for about $25 to $50.

As for hiring a professional, the costs will depend on who you hire, your geographical region and the current condition of your calipers.  As long as your calipers are in good condition, then you should expect to see professional price quotes ranging anywhere from $250 to $500 for the entire job, including the prep work and paint.  In some cases, upgrading the paint and/or adding decals, for example, could add to the total cost.

One member on TeslaMotorClub.com asked about the cost of brake caliper painting for his Tesla, and a few people responded, claiming they resceived quotes in the $400 and $450 range.  Another member on the same website stated he paid $250 to have his calipers painted red.




How to paint brake calipers

The car is first jacked up and all four wheels are removed

Here, depending on the choice, the parts surrounding the calipers are masked off or the calipers are removed completely

All loose dirt and debris, using a sandpaper and a metal brush, will be removed to ensure the paint sticks

A cleaning solution, as mentioned above, is applied

Once cleaned, a primer, followed by the paint chose is applied

While optional, at this time, a logo or decal is adhered

After the calipers are primed, coated and any decals are applied, a clear coat is added for additional protection

All parts are re-installed/unmasked and the wheels are re-installed

Tips to know

Almost all of your major auto part stores, such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts and Pep Boys, do not offer this service, meaning you will have to probably search for a local body shop in your area.  While they do not provide the actual service, most of these retailers, however, will probably sell the supplies necessary to do the job at home.

Powder coating, in some cases, can be recommended as it does a much better job at resisting chips and scratches.  However, if you did consider this option, do keep in mind that it will be much more labor intensive as it requires not only removing the calipers but the wheel and brake lines as well, meaning a higher labor rate.  From the quotes we did research online, this could be about $100 to $250+ more than the estimates mentioned above.

If doing the job on your own, budget at least one hour per wheel for the cleaning, masking and painting if you leave them in place and about double this if you plan on removing them entirely, according to CarID.com.  For the most professional look, the website highly recommends you remove the parts completely and spray paint them.

Most cars today will not have its calipers painted at the factory, meaning your vehicle will come untreated and unpainted.

Popular caliper paint colors offered by local body shops often include blue, red, green, black, yellow, silver and some, for an additional fee, can color match a color you have in mind.


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