Car door magnets
About $60 to $200 for a full-color pair in the common 12 by 24 inch size. They come off in seconds, which suits a car you also drive on weekends.
Car wrap advertising cost, from door magnets to a fully wrapped van
Putting your business name on a car can run anywhere from about $60 for a pair of door magnets to $7,500 for a full printed wrap on a cargo van. Here's how car wrap advertising cost breaks down by option, what a wrap shop's quote should include and when the spend pays off.
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Key takeaways
The short version
Before you read on
- Door magnets and vinyl lettering sit at the low end: roughly $60 to $900 per vehicle.
- A full printed wrap on a sedan usually lands between $2,500 and $4,000; vans and trucks cost more.
- Vehicle size, vinyl grade and design complexity move the quote more than anything else.
- Wrapping several vehicles at once often brings the per-unit price down by 10 to 20 percent.
- Premium cast vinyl with a UV laminate typically holds up for 5 to 7 years.
- Ask whether design, hardware removal and laminate are in the quote before you sign off.
What to know
What drives vehicle wrap cost
Three things set the number on a wrap quote: how much of the vehicle gets covered, how big the vehicle is and how complicated the artwork gets. A one-color logo on two doors is the cheap end. A photo-quality print that covers every panel, bumper to bumper, is the expensive end.
Size matters because vinyl and labor scale with surface area. A compact hatchback has far less sheet metal than a high-roof Sprinter, and a van can easily take two or three times the material. If the installer has to pull mirrors, door handles and trim so the film wraps under them instead of stopping at the edge, expect that labor to show up on the bill too.
The third lever is how many vehicles you're doing. A plumbing company wrapping five service vans usually gets a better unit price, because the shop spreads design time and print setup across the whole run.
Good to know
Car wrap advertising cost by option
These are typical US market ranges for a professionally produced and installed job. Big metros and specialty films push toward the top of each range.
Vinyl lettering and spot graphics
Roughly $300 to $900 for a logo on the doors, a phone number on the rear window and a website on the tailgate.
Partial vehicle wrap
Usually $1,000 to $3,500. It covers a third to half of the body, often the rear and sides, and it's the standard look for delivery vans and service trucks.
Full printed wrap
Around $2,500 to $4,000 on a sedan, $3,000 to $5,500 on a pickup and $4,000 to $7,500 on a large cargo van, with custom design included.
In short
Vehicle advertising at a glance
$60
low end for a pair of printed car door magnets
$7,500
upper range for a full printed wrap on a large van
5 to 7 years
typical life of premium cast vinyl with a UV laminate
30,000 to 70,000
daily impressions per wrapped vehicle, an estimate wrap vendors often quote
What to know
What a wrap quote should include
A complete quote normally bundles four things: the design, the printed vinyl, installation labor and a clear laminate on top. The laminate shields the print from sun and scratches and makes washing easier, so a quote without it isn't really comparable to one that has it. Also ask whether removing and refitting mirrors, handles or badges is included. Some shops add $100 to $300 for that work.
Design revisions are the other line that can surprise you. Many shops include one mockup and a round of changes, while others bill extra if you want several concepts side by side. Settle that before you approve the order so the final bill matches what you expected.
Checklist
Questions to ask before you order a commercial vehicle wrap
Run through this list with every shop you talk to. The answers explain most of the gap between two quotes for the same vehicle.
Checklist
- Is the artwork part of the price, or billed as a separate design fee?
- Which film will they print on: cheaper calendared vinyl or longer-lasting cast vinyl?
- Does the quote cover a UV and scratch-resistant laminate?
- How long will the vehicle be in the shop? A typical wrap takes one to three business days.
- What warranty comes with the film and the installation, and for how many years?
- Is removing the wrap later included, or priced separately when the time comes?
Step by step
How a vehicle wrap job works, step by step
Step 1
Pick the format
Decide between magnets, lettering, a partial or a full wrap based on budget and how long the vehicle will carry the ad.
Step 2
Design the layout
A designer builds a mockup on a template of your exact make and model, working around door seams, the fuel cap and mirrors.
Step 3
Approve and print
Once you sign off on the proof, the shop prints the vinyl and laminates it, which usually takes a day or two.
Step 4
Install indoors
Installers apply the film in a clean, temperature-controlled bay so it doesn't bubble or lift at the edges.
Step 5
Pick up and care for it
You get care instructions, such as skipping automatic car washes for the first week, so the print lasts longer.
The details
Is a car wrap worth it for a local business
If your vehicle spends the day driving around town anyway, a wrap turns every commute and service call into ad exposure. You pay once, and a quality film lasts five years or more, so the monthly cost of each impression ends up very low compared with most paid media. That's why wraps are so common with plumbers, electricians, movers, cleaners and couriers.
The catch is legibility. People see your van for a few seconds, often from 50 feet away or across an intersection. Big type, one phone number or web address and as few words as possible work. A busy design with small print wastes the budget no matter how much the wrap cost.
Before you start
Want a marketer to handle the design and the vendor
Picking the right format and getting artwork that actually reads at street speed is a job for a designer who understands local marketing, not just for the print shop. If you'd rather hand it off, start with a free marketing analysis: you get a PDF within 24 hours, and a senior project manager with 15+ years in marketing matches you with a vetted specialist who has designed vehicle graphics before. That project manager stays your one point of contact and keeps the design and the installer on scope. See how it works or tell us about your vehicles.
FAQ
Questions companies ask us
Short answers. The free analysis call covers anything specific to your company.
01How much does it cost to wrap a whole car for advertising?
A full printed wrap on a standard sedan usually costs $2,500 to $4,000 in the US, including custom design and installation. Pickups run about $3,000 to $5,500, and large cargo vans can reach $7,500 because they need much more vinyl and labor.
02Are car door magnets cheaper than a vinyl wrap?
Yes, by a wide margin. A printed pair of door magnets typically costs $60 to $200, while even basic vinyl lettering starts around $300. Magnets also come off in seconds, which helps if the car doubles as your personal vehicle after hours.
03How long does a car wrap last?
Premium cast vinyl with a protective laminate typically lasts 5 to 7 years before the colors fade noticeably. Cheaper calendared film can start to fade or shrink in a year or two, especially on a car that sits in direct sun all day.
04Is the design included in the price of a vehicle wrap?
At most shops it is, but confirm it in writing. Some shops include one mockup and bill extra for additional concepts or revision rounds, while others charge a separate design fee on top of printing and installation.
05How long does it take to wrap a car?
From approved design to finished vehicle, a typical job takes one to three business days. Installation alone on a sedan takes anywhere from several hours to a full day, depending on how much of the body gets covered.
06Do fleet wraps cost less per vehicle?
Usually, yes. When you wrap several vehicles with the same design, shops often knock 10 to 20 percent off the per-vehicle price, since design and print setup get spread across the whole order.
07Should you put advertising on your car if you also drive it privately?
It can be, if you drive the same local routes every day, since a one-time cost buys repeated exposure to the same neighbors. For a car you drive rarely, removable magnets make more sense than a permanent wrap.
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