Custom airbrush & pinstripe paint jobs are a luxury item.  When considering a sizable custom job that includes some prep of the vehicle or motorcycle, the general price range is going to float around $1000.00 for art.  I say float because not every job will be that expensive.  Some folks just want the tank done or a limited amount of stripes. Conversely, some jobs will be more expensive depending on the size of the car / bike, the area to be customized and so on.  The prices below represent average costs to help you with your project budget.  Every job is different and should be consulted on for accurate pricing.

Molding / Body Work
$50.00 per hour

Custom Airbrush / Pinstripe
$100.00 per hour

Design and vinyl mask production
$50.00 per hour

pinStripes:
All straight striping on cars is done with the aid of a specialized line tape unless otherwise specified.  The table to the right shows over 50 configurations to choose from.  Material has to be ordered before appointment.  Any design work or VonDutch™ style striping is determined by budget & detail.

**Pinstripes Are decoration, not a quick fix for dings and chips**

   While some coverage can occur during the application of a design, it should never be the intent of the design.  If your vehicle requires the services of a body shop or, those arrangements can be made easily.

--Payment--

  Generally, for big custom paint jobs the payment structure is broken down into 3 parts:

• Deposit - 1 third of the estimated price to get started and commit to the job

• Design approval - The second third of the estimated price gets billed when the design is approved indicating that paint production should begin.  If more design time is needed, it will be billed accordingly and fairly.

• Completion - The true invoice balance is paid once the job is done.

--Estimates vs. Invoice--

I try to estimate each job as accurately as possible.  You'll be notified about any issues that might effect accurate invoicing before work continues.

--The process--

"What are you doing to my baby?"

   In order for graphics and stripes to adhere to the painted metal surface of your car or bike, solvent based degreasers and/or sand papers are needed to prepare the area to be painted.

    In the case of hand painted stripes, mild degreasers are used to rid the surface of wax and dirt.  This may affect the immediate shine in that area.  That is merely the absence of wax that often results in poor adhesion and fisheyes if not removed.

    When airbrushing with automotive urethanes, the surface must be wet sanded and cleaned in order for new paint to stick properly.  Once the artwork is completed, the piece gets a protective clear coat and is buffed to a high gloss.

--A decision should be made before the job begins--

   Not everyone knows what they want, only that they want something.   I understand that and will consult with you and give you my honest opinion on what will look good, what might look bad and why or why not.  It is just as important to me as it is to you that the results of your custom paint job are the best they can be.  To this end, I will consult with you as much as is needed, discussing options, courses of action and explaining the processes used. If necessary, computer generated images and/or painted sample panels may be created, at an additional charge, to help you settle on the design that is right for you.
    A happy customer is priceless and that's why I'm willing to go through a lengthy consultation process when necessary.  However, once a final design is settled upon and the painting process has begun, any additions requested by the customer will result in an additional charge.   Those requests that I deem to be of a drastic nature will either be refused, or the agreed upon art price will double.

--What goes on behind the scenes--

   As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money.  You have to spend time too and since time is money... Well, you see where this is going.  Custom paint is no different in those respects but the layperson may not realize what unseen special efforts go into every single paint job.  Beyond the normal business costs such as lights, heat and the all important coffee, the tools & products used to create these one of a kind items are costly and often very hazardous.  On some larger jobs, it is easy to spend $200.00 to $300.00 on materials before any artwork or clear is ever applied.  Some smaller jobs done on existing factory finishes will obviously have a lower up front cost factor but there is a cost factor to every job. 
    Special heating and filtration systems are required to ensure proper paint application.  The industrial setting that exists around a full blown paint job can also cost a lot.
    Time expenses to get to and from the location, or to pick up and drop off parts, consulting, design prep and learning new tools & techniques have to be considered as well.  Because time is money, there can be no such thing as wasted time.

--All sales are final--

   Assuming you've read everything up to this point, you can see the effort put forth in communicating with the customer to get the best results possible. Throughout the paint process all attempts to keep the customer informed of progress are made when they are not there to see the progress in person.  For in-studio work, I make efforts to keep the customer up to date without causing undue delay.  Using phone and/or e-mailing photos when necessary, the customer has every opportunity to look over the paint job and let me know if there are any issues or problems not related to the original design, and those will be fixed or dealt with before the job is considered complete enough to go to clear coat or be delivered.
    Once the customer has given approval on the job and money has changed hands, the sale is final.  If, at the end of the job or the following day after all the above steps have been taken to ensure a good job and you decide it's not what you want aesthetically, I respectfully apologize that I can't return your money.