Emerging

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Yesterday, I shared my shock on learning it could cost me up to $10,000 to repaint my small car. I’m a product of living in Southern California and remember a very different time. Back then, several successful auto body repair businesses offered remarkably low prices. Earl Scheib’s, for instance, promised to repaint an entire car for anywhere between $99 and $299 — a deal that drew in countless customers.

So why could repainting my modest vehicle today run as high as $10,000? That question might shed light on why the auto repair company that’ll repair my dented fender specializes in doing only insurance repairs. It estimated my fender repair job at $1,400, which, frankly, felt to me like reverse sticker shock. Back in my old California days, it was common to feel taken advantage of by auto repair shops. Today’s quote, which to me seemed cheap, likely reflects pricing which represents prenegotiated figures acceptable to insurance companies.

Curious, I decided to dig deeper into the modern automotive paint industry. What I found didn’t just give me logical explanations — it also made me realize how out of touch I’d become with current standards, not just in auto painting, but across many trades.

I’m learning that today’s auto repair materials are worlds apart from what was common during my California years — and they’re also vastly more expensive. Similarly, labor costs have increased because of today’s higher performance standards. There are stricter environmental regulations and added compliance expenses, along with inflation and overhead charges. All of those factors contribute to modern repainting quotes.

Consumer expectations also have changed. The old Earl Scheib approach was all about speed and budget, providing quick, cheap, purely cosmetic “spray over and go” jobs. In contrast, a modern $10,000+ paint job typically involves a complete surface restoration, performed to rigorous standards and utilizing advanced materials, handled by skilled technicians who meticulously adhere to environmental laws.

Years ago, low-cost repaints in any color were easy to find, although minimal prep work meant those jobs rarely lasted for long. Today’s high-end shops strive for results that meet or exceed factory standards. That requires painstaking labor, high-quality paints, and strict adherence to environmental compliance. All those drive costs up dramatically.

Dear Friends: Like Rip Van Winkle–awaking to a world more changed than I realized.— Diana