How Much Does It Cost To Powder Coat Rims? Is It Expensive?

Powder coating is the process where ground particles made of resin and pigment are sprayed after being electrically charged onto a metal surface, which in this case, is your wheel rims.

The electrostatic charge will help the particles adhere to the rims’ metal surface.

If you want to know how much does it cost to powder coat rims, then powder coating will cost you around $550. The price of powder coating will change according to the cost of supplies.

The cost for powder coating your rims would be around $400 to $700. The amount mentioned above is for powder coating all four of your wheels.

The lower prices will be for treating smaller wheels, more sedan-sized, with a singular base coating.

BONE HEAD PERFORMANCE has a page where the price for powder coating is listed along with the different sizes of rims.

Here, I will tell you all about powder coating and all the benefits you’ll get from powder coating your rims, and if doing so is worth the high cost.

Can You Powder Coat At Home By Yourself?

Some customers do powder coat at home, for example, by using rubberized spray finishes.

However, it should be kept in mind that this is not a true powder coating.

These finishes can be applied to the vehicle, usually giving satisfactory results. It should be noted.

However, that powder coating is basically done by professionals that are at a specialized faculty, so this can never be as good.

Because the work is so complex, you will have to pay a lot for the process to be done. The main thing affecting how much the powder coating will cost you is the cost of the supplies.

Can You Easily Powder Coat Any Wheel Material?

Powder coating can be applied to any surface which is metallic.

Steel, as well as stainless steel wheels, can easily be powder coated, as well as aluminum wheels; however, some materials may create some challenges when powder coating them.

One of these materials is aluminum. For this reason, you should take a lot of care when coating aluminum wheels.

This is because the temperatures might exceed during the process than what is needed. This can compromise the structural integrity of the aluminum wheels.

Therefore, aluminum wheels sent for powder coating usually have different warranties set by the manufacturer.

Apart from the material, you should also consider the condition of your wheels.

If these are already damaged, then coating these can be a real challenge, and even if it is done, it might look uneven and scratchy.

How Long Do Powder Coatings Last?

Powder coatings are very reliable, and these will last you around 15 to 20 years. This time period will depend on the pretreatment as well as the type of powder used.

The powder coating is very durable because it is resistant to corrosion and the weather.

The chemicals used in powder coating help make it much more durable than using other coatings such as paint.

Do Dealerships Powder Coat Rims?

Yes, dealerships will powder coat wheels! In some cases, they’ll do this through another company.

They might come in when your car is getting fixed, get the wheels, get these done at their shop, and then bring them back when these are done.

Is It Worth Paying For Powder Coating Rims?

Powder coating is usually a much better option than paint because of its durability, as well as texture, and how easy it is to apply.

The powder coating can stay on your wheels for many years without any damage at all due to the high-quality procedure used.

The parts of your wheels will therefore be protected from any corrosion or rusting.

These might give a much safer application process than using spray paint, and it is worth mentioning that powder coating always looks good.

However, this might depend on the current condition of your wheels as well as if you’re satisfied with how the color turned out because the high temperatures and extra materials can cause the color to change.

Will Powder Coating Damaged Wheels Help?

Sometimes, wheels are so damaged that it is not safe to use these on the road. These might have rims that are buckled, which might have occurred due to colliding with pavements.

Therefore, when powder coating; the tire might not be able to bend in the beading because of how much damage has occurred on it. Therefore, powder coating will be of no use.

The Benefits Of Powder Coating

Powder coating will help to improve the wheels’ look with a low aesthetic cost.

Therefore, instead of having to buy custom rims when the existing rims start to wear out, it is a much better idea to refinish these as it will make your rims look new and fresh again.

The ground particles are made of a few pigments as well as resin.

When spraying these particles, you will get a smooth surface, high quality, and durable after being electrically charged.

Here are some of the benefits that powder coating will give you:

1. Wheels Become More Durable

As powder coating is sprayed on the rims, these will go to an oven to help bake these at a high temperature. Therefore, this coating will fuse itself, which will start to make a curing process.

This will make the product much more durable. The surface will become thicker, and you’ll get consistent surface covering.

The result is a much longer life overall. If the powder is applied correctly, it will last much longer than it would when using normal paint.

2. Higher Resistance Level

Because the rims will be exposed to a lot whenever you drive, it is not surprising that these will start to wear out after some time.

This depends on the season, but you’ll get flaked chipped rims. With every rotation, all the outdoor elements such as salt, grime, and the road will lead to corrosion in the rims.

Even the road debris, as well as the gravel, might cause much damage.

However, powder coating will help create a nonporous surface; this will help shield the paint much more than it would be shielded with traditional paint.

Therefore, the overall damage will be reduced to a huge extent.

3. Your Rims Will Get Better Coverage

If the paint is compared to powder coating, then powder coating is a much better option.

In some wheel areas, it is almost impossible for the paint to be applied without negatively affecting other parts of the vehicle.

However, powder coating can reach these areas without difficulty and safely, therefore, providing a much better-coated layer on your tires.

This is because of the electrostatic method used, which will help the powder reach the hardest parts of your wheels to reach as well.

4. Powder Coating Your Rims Is A Faster Process Than Normal Paint

Compared to using liquid paint, the electrostatic method of applying powder coat will take much less time to completely cover your wheels.

Also, the drying, as well as the curing process, becomes much faster as well. Therefore, you won’t have to wait several hours for your rims to get done.

The powder coating process will take as little as 10 minutes. On the other hand, Paint might take around 40 – 50 minutes.

5. Powder Coating Is More Environment Friendly

Most of these have VOCs with traditional paint covering, which violate organic compounds inside them.

This is harmful when inhaled and very bad for the ozone layer. Therefore, powder coating will avoid covering your surface with this material.

In addition, sometimes painting jobs can cause excess paints on some areas, which is almost impossible to remove and then reuse after the painting job is finished.

However, the excess powder with powder coating can easily be reused.

6. Powder Coating Can Be Applied To Many Different Materials

Many different wheel materials can be powder coated without any issues. Among these are steel, aluminum, stainless steel, or brass.

Some non-metal materials can also be covered. These are fiberboard and glass.

Cons Of Powder Coating

Powder coating is a great option with many benefits. However, powder coating does have its cons which should be considered before you choose this option.

Here I will discuss some of those to help you be aware:

1. The Thick Surface Might Create Problems For Some Wheels

As powder coating creates a thick surface, there are many benefits to that, such as durability.

However, if you want a specific look that has a thinner surface because thinner surfaces are virtually impossible to achieve with powder coating, so if you want a surface lesser than 6mm, then you might have to see for a different option.

2. Powder Coating Is Harder With Thicker Parts

If your rims are heavier or you want to coat large parts, then powder coating might not be the best option.

This is because the whole part will need a certain amount of heat to be able to benefit from the disadvantages of powder coating.

This can be a high temperature, therefore a huge volume of exhaust and heated air. This will take much more time for this reason.

3. Grinding The Rims Is Required For Perfect Coating

To make the surface perfect for coating, grinding the rims is required.

Therefore, if your rims already have a powder coat and these need a touch-up, then preparing the surface for the newer powder coating can be a big hassle.

For this reason, if the powder coating does get scratched, then touching it up again is very difficult.

You will have to get the entire task redone at your provider, or you’ll have to get a paint job to make them look better, so all the advantages of getting powder coating will be of no use.

4. Issues With Color Application Might Arise

The final hue or tone that appears after powder coating might be different after the rims are taken out from the oven.

The baking process might create a result that is consistent. However, recycled products might create issues.

Therefore, because of the recycled product, cross-contamination can happen. Therefore, if you want the perfect shade for your wheels, then think twice before choosing this option.

5. The Startup Costs Should Be Considered

The cost will depend on where you get your powder coating done.

The best situation would be if your local provider would do these for less than $400. However, some providers might actually do this in ten times more this cost.

In this case, the cost should be considered and whether you’re willing to pay for the powder coating or not.

Because the operators have to use a booth that is specific to apply particles, the cost has to be considered.

For example, the oven needs to be of a specific size and be able to work at very high temperatures, which will help to limit the size of workable rims.

Therefore, the cost will be affected.

6. It Can Be Harder To Get A Smoother Coating

You will get consistent results as long as the provider you’re getting the powder coating done from is experienced.

However, the baking process uses electrolysis to help create a very strong bind.

In this process, the heat might be inconsistent, or the powder might not affix as it is supposed to, so the rims might need a restart, as the coating will look inconsistent, and this will have to be done all over again.

So there is much less control over smoothness.

Conclusion

Powder coating is a great option if you want a coating that is consistent as well as long-lasting. However, this is not a great option with damaged wheels.

In addition, if you don’t go to an experienced provider with proper equipment, then issues might occur during the process, which should be kept in mind.

Make sure that the provider you visit does not charge you extra and is also experienced in the procedure.

Also, be aware that powder coating is much harder to redo than paint, so keep in mind all the pros and cons before doing so.

Usually, powder coating will be cheaper than paint in the long run. However, the upfront costs will be higher. Because paint has been around for a much longer time.

Therefore the equipment is much more widely available, so getting a wet paint job will be much easier.

Also, some providers might charge you a huge cost for the powder coating because of the exact same reason of equipment.

I hope your answer of how much does it cost to powder coat rims has been answered as well as whether you should powder coat your rims or not.

Tahir Azam

I am Tahir Azam, and I have been writing amazing articles for TaxiHack for as long as I can remember. I know everything that is to know when it comes to automobiles and is always on top of industry news and developments. While I am not an expert by any means, I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of many different problems and, of course, their solutions. The articles on our website are some of the best and well-researched content that you will find, and I spend countless hours making sure this remains to be true. This is why I ask you to take your time out and read some of my articles, especially if you find a topic that resonates with you or is something you are looking into. This way, you will find the perfect mix of information and tips on your desired topic. Learn more about Tahir.