Somewhat true.
You get paid for body labor no mater the job. Collision stuff people pay out of pocket 1K or so at most (deductible) to get the work done, and think thats alot of money, but atleast they get alot of work done for it.
Out of pocket full resprays, for anything you can park at a meet and not have the flaws jump out at everyone SHOULD cost a good chunk. People are easily shy’d away from a paint job when it costs half the value of the car!
Take a run of the mill S10 mini truck. owner just shaved the doors and did a good job on the body work… that I dont need to come back over and block out for 20 hours to make a good, show quality paint job on. Say they want it WRX Rally Blue. a gal of Nason base is around $350, reducer $40, decent clear and hardener, $180, primer/sealer $150, cling material for masking $20, rolls of green tape are $8 a piece, better get atleast 2, razor blades, surface prep $30 gal, tack cloths $5, towels. Big ticket items you are talking $791+ in materials alone. for CHEAPish paint. I can double that if I used Spies Hecker base (much better), and more than tipple that if I used high end paints.
So people think $2500 will get me a good paint job, and assume “good” is run of the mill OEM looking paint found on every car around them. Simply NOT the case. GOOD paint, is what you see at local car shows with trophies next to them. If the owners of those cars paid for the work, $5000+ I bet is the average they would say it costs.
I will bump my “get what you pay for” thread soon. We are in the middle of a MK4 TDI jetta complete respray, and full body work. Most people would have seen it prior to and say its MINT. Once you take a block to it, all the spots jump out. EVERY panel was touched and worked, rockers cut out and replaced in places. Trunk shaved, fender lights shaved, bumper lights shaved, lic plate holes shaved, custom boser hood made from scratch, GLI body work repaired and installed. This is a full blow, paint job and then some. Man hours are already over 60+, and its not even buffed and assembled yet. Our body labor rate is $55/hr. $3300 in labor, and there is close to a G in materials for the color choice. LESS $80 for panel bond epoxy, tape, mask, buffing and polishing stuff, etc.
The Jetta we did will be out gathering trophies this year… you get what you pay for.