How Long Does Painting Take?

[MartinMarie]

The time required for car painting is primarily determined by the scope of the painting. Generally, at a 4S shop, the fastest turnaround is 2-3 days. Below are the precautions for painting and methods for car paint maintenance: Precautions for Painting: After painting, check if the painted surface matches the original car paint color perfectly. Inspect the smoothness of the painted surface for any bubbles, pits, or impurities. Examine the uniformity of metallic paint particles, observing their size, color, and arrangement to ensure consistency and harmony with the original car paint. Methods for Car Paint Maintenance: To enhance the lifespan and appearance of the car paint, wash the car regularly to remove stains and dust. Avoid strong impacts, bumps, or scratches to the car's paint film. If any scratches, dents, or peeling are found on the painted surface, repair them promptly.

[StEleanor]

As an experienced driver, I've had my car repainted several times. Last time when my car door got scratched and I took it to the shop for repainting, it took about three days to get it back. The repair shop technician said the first day was spent sanding off the old paint and applying putty, which took about seven to eight hours to dry completely. The second day was for applying primer and base coat, with each layer requiring a half-hour interval for slight curing. Finally, a clear coat protective layer was applied. The most time-consuming part was the baking process—the infrared baking room needed to maintain a constant temperature for two hours to ensure the paint fully hardened; otherwise, it would remain soft and prone to fingerprints. If it happened to be a humid or rainy day, the drying time would extend by half a day. Full-panel repainting takes longer than spot repairs, and a full color change usually takes about a week, especially since removing and reinstalling emblems, handles, and other details is particularly labor-intensive.

[WyattAnn]

I have ten years of experience in this field. The painting time mainly depends on three factors: the extent of damage, working conditions, and the type of paint. Minor scratches can be fixed in a day, but extensive scrapes require at least two to three days. The temperature in the baking room directly affects the speed. Around 25°C in summer is ideal—metallic paint can fully harden in 24 hours, while in winter, it takes up to 48 hours. Pearl paint is even more troublesome because it requires a base coat, translucent layer, and glitter layer, doubling the labor time. Once, a client was in a hurry to pick up the car, so we used a quick-dry mode, but the paint surface cracked after three months. Now, we always advise customers to wait patiently for at least 48 hours, and the baking temperature must stay stable at 60°C; otherwise, the base layer won’t adhere properly.

[CalebMarie]

At the beginning of the year, my newly bought car got a long scratch from a tree branch. The repair shop said it would take two days to fix. On-site, I watched the technician first scrape off the raised burrs and then slowly sand the dented area with 1200-grit sandpaper. Next, they mixed the paint and tested the color, trying several times to get a perfect match. The first layer of primer took twenty minutes to apply, followed by another twenty minutes of curing in a dust-free room. I counted them applying four coats of color paint, with intervals in between to let the paint level out. Finally, an infrared baking lamp was used on the door for half an hour, followed by another half hour of polishing. Except for a lunch break, they worked non-stop, but it still took until evening to deliver the car. This kind of medium-sized repair usually takes two full days, while a full-body color change would require at least five days.