Vehicle wrap vendors typically provide straightforward pricing – either a rate per square foot or a fixed dollar amount for the entire project. With either pricing model, your car wrap prices should include the entire project: consultations, design work, materials, and installation.
Vendors typically charge $12 to $16 per square foot for cast vinyl material to wrap vehicles. Project complexity and total installation time dictates the total price. Simple installations on smooth, flat surfaces are less expensive, while vehicles with deep concaves or complex designs will push care wrap prices to the high end. Less expensive calendered vinyl cost about $6 to $10 per square foot.
Special requests – like rush delivery, proofs printing to the actual vinyl, or changes to the design post- proof – can add significantly to your total costs.
If your vendor provides a flat rate for the complete wrap, the costs typically vary based on the size and type of vehicle:
-Cars, compact SUV’s – $2,000 to $3,500 -Large SUV’s, vans, box trucks, Hummers – $3,000 to $5,000 -Buses, train cars, tractor trailers – $5,500 – $8,000 -Vinyl lettering, spot graphics, window graphics only – $250 to $600
Note that the above prices are estimates for high-quality cast vinyl, which is best for vehicle wraps lasting one year or longer. If the vendor uses calendered vinyl for shorter – terms wraps, expect your costs to drop by 40% to 50%.
If you need to wrap five or more vehicles, most vendors will offer volume discounts of 10% to 15%. You’ll not only save money by wrapping multiple vehicles at once, buy you’ll also keep the design and messaging constant for your entire fleet.
Wrap Certification
When shopping around for the right vehicle wrap vendor, it’s important to find one that is certified by one of the top vinyl manufactures in the U.S. Manufactures like 3M , Avery, and Oracal – and distributors like Fellers that work with multiple brands of vinyl – provide certified training for vendors to ensure that they learn the best methods for applying vinyl wraps.
To become certified, vendors go through an intensive multiday course to learn each aspect of a vinyl installation – from properly aligning and affixing the material to wrapping complex angles and rivets. Once vendors complete training, the manufacturer certifies them and lets them promote their new status to potential customers. By working with a certified vendor, you can have increased confidence that the job will be done properly. The reality of this really depends on the installer and his or her experience. We have seen certified installers who do bad work and ones who do good work.
Other vehicle wrap costs
Some vehicle wrap vendors provide complete design and print services but use outside installers to apply the wrap. Expect to pay about $500 to $900 (or $50 to $95 per hour) for third-party installers.
Replacement panels to cover up damage or replace outdated information cost $12 to $16 per square foot – about the same as new projects. It’s important to find a experienced installer to apply replacement panels, as a sloppy or misaligned installation could void the manufacturer’s warranty on the vinyl.
When it’s time to remove a vehicle wrap, you can typically do it yourself with a few tools and some patience. However, if you want to ensure the cleanest removal possible, we recommend having a vendor remove it. For $50 to $95 per hour, a vehicle wrap vendor can carefully remove the vinyl without damaging the finish or leaving residue behind.
Vehicle wrap tips
Here are some final suggestions to help your vehicle wrap purchase:
-(Almost) anything goes. Most vehicle wrap companies don’t have restrictions on the design or advertising material they’ll work with, but your state government might. If your transit advertising wrap will feature risqué or potentially offensive graphics or messaging, check local ordinances to ensure that you don’t violate any public lewdness laws.
-Wrap third party vehicles. Promote your brand by paying independent drivers to wrap their vehicles. For $100 to $300 per month, you can find people who are willing to advertise your company during their daily commute. You’ll still have to pay for the wrap design and installation, but you’ll be able to present your brand beyond your locality.
-Complex décor: Most providers simply wrap the vehicle exterior and windows with vinyl. For more creative and complex solutions, such as decoration or figures attached to the tops of vehicles, you’ll need to find specialized providers.
-Go green with caution. Make sure to ask your vendor what types of inks they use in their printer. While eco-solvent inks are friendlier to the environment, they may not last as long outdoors as traditional inks.