Price It Right: How to Price Vehicle Wraps (+ Excel Pricing Calculator)

When I first started wrapping, my pricing mistakes weren’t about my hourly rate. I didn’t calculate my material costs correctly, and I never left room for mistakes. One torn panel or one extra roll of film, and my profit on that job was gone.

This guide is the pricing system I wish I’d had: a simple, repeatable way to quote every job with confidence and actually make money doing it.

What’s inside:

• Why beginners undercharge, and the hidden costs most new installers forget
• How to figure out your overhead, hourly rate and billable hours
• The pricing formula, with a full $3,000 sedan quote broken down step by step
• My real starting prices by vehicle size, from coupes to trucks and SUVs
• How paint color and condition change your price, and when to charge a prep fee, require a waiver or say no
• Pricing for complex cars and specialty films like chrome and color-shift
• Add-ons, partial jobs, minimum charges, removals and mobile fees
• How to write a quote and collect deposits the right way
• Word-for-word scripts for “that’s too expensive,” “can you do it cheaper?” and friends-and-family requests
• How to research your market and know when it’s time to raise your prices

Includes an Excel pricing calculator. Type in your numbers and it builds the quote for you, including your deposit and the balance due at pickup. It has 6 tabs: overhead and hourly rate, quote calculator, vehicle size guide, add-on menu, and a job profit tracker that shows your real hourly rate on every job. It works in Excel and Google Sheets.

Printable forms are included too: a quote worksheet, a client quote template and a price menu template.

Whether you’re quoting your very first wrap or you’ve been undercharging for a while, this will help you price every job on purpose.

Instant download: a 33-page PDF plus an Excel spreadsheet. Prices shown are examples from my market; use the method with your own numbers. For personal use only; please don’t share or resell.