Respray vs wrap · France & EU · 2026
What it actually costs.
Changing your car's colour is either paint or film, and the two differ on far more than price. Below are the ranges French and European shops actually publish, what you get in each band, and how long it lasts. Euros, for a whole car, reviewed Jul 2026.
Respray vs wrap.
| Criterion | Full respray | Full wrap |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 1 000–2 200 € Small car, solid colour, independent shop. Minimal prep — fine paint, honest result. | 1 300–2 200 € Small car in an entry-level film. Cheaper films age in 2–4 years, not 7. |
| Quality | 1 800–4 000 € Proper prep and correction, saloon/estate, standard or metallic finish. | 2 000–4 000 € Premium cast film (3M, Avery, KPMF…), saloon-size car, handles and trim removed for the pose. |
| Premium | 3 000–8 000 € SUV, sports or luxury body, pearl/multi-stage colour — and no fixed ceiling above this. | 3 500–7 000 € SUV or sports body, exotic finishes — colour-flip, chrome and textures add 20–40% over gloss. |
| Lifespan | 10–20 years A quality respray ages like factory paint — decades with care, less if prep was skipped. | 5–7 years Typical real-world for quality film; manufacturers rate up to 8–10 years on vertical panels, exotic finishes 2–4, roofs and bonnets roughly half. |
| Reversible | Permanent. Going back means painting again. | Removable with heat within the film’s rated life; manufacturers only warrant clean removal on sound factory paint. |
| Repairs | A damaged panel is blended and repainted — any body shop can do it. | A damaged panel is re-wrapped — but an aged wrap next to fresh film can show. |
Ranges compiled from published French and Belgian shop pricing and manufacturer datasheets. Whole-car figures, EUR incl. VAT; big-city shops (Paris intra-muros) typically run 10–20% above these. Your car, its condition and your postcode decide the real number — only a shop can quote it.
What drives the price.
Surface and shape
A city car and an SUV are different amounts of paint or film. Deep curves, spoilers and door shuts add hours either way.
Preparation is the labour
Prep is 40–50% of a respray’s hours — rust, dents and old paint all bill. A wrap needs sound paint underneath; film amplifies chips, it doesn’t hide them.
Finish choice
Metallic adds 10–20% to paint, pearl 20–40%. On film, matte and satin are near gloss prices; colour-flip, chrome and textures run 20–40% over.
Disassembly
Handles, mirrors and trim come off for a clean job — shops quote it separately, typically 50–400 € on a wrap.
Who does it
Independent body shops bill roughly 45–75 €/h, networks 65–90 €/h, dealerships 80–120 €/h — same paint, very different totals.
Where you live
Big-city premiums are real: roughly +20% in central Paris, +10–15% in Lyon, Bordeaux or Nice.
Worth being clear about
Specced renders what a colour looks like on your car. It is a visualisation, not a quote — we do not paint or wrap cars, we are not a broker, and nothing on this page is a price we can honour. Take the render to a shop and get a real quote against the ranges above.
See it before you spend it.
The cheapest place to change your mind about a colour is a photo. Upload one, pick a paint or a film, get a photoreal render back — free, no account.