Will auto insurance pay for paint jobs?
Auto insurance will pay for paint jobs if you are carrying collision and comprehensive policies. Collision car insurance will pay for paint jobs damaged in an accident while comprehensive coverage applies to car paint jobs damaged by natural disasters or vandals.
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Daniel Walker
Licensed Insurance Agent
Daniel Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has run his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for over 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an insurance agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, life, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco. To ensure our content is accura...
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UPDATED: Dec 7, 2022
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UPDATED: Dec 7, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance providers please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Only collision and comprehensive auto insurance will pay for paint jobs
- Car paint jobs damaged by normal wear and tear and prolonged exposure to the elements are not covered by insurance
- Auto insurance will only pay for paint jobs if the cost of the repairs exceeds your deductible
Will auto insurance pay for paint jobs? Yes, as long as you have a comprehensive policy in place. You must carry more than the state minimum insurance to have adequate coverage because liability insurance will not cover a fresh new coat of paint.
Does State Farm cover paint jobs? Yes, and many more providers offer comprehensive coverage for paint jobs.
Read our guide before you buy auto insurance to learn what kind of comprehensive coverage you need to cover paint jobs and how to shop around for the types of policies you’re looking for.
The easiest way to find the cheapest comprehensive car insurance is to get paint car quotes from multiple companies.
Is painting covered under car insurance?
As long as you carry a collision or comprehensive policy, auto insurance will pay for paint jobs on your car in most qualifying events. Qualifying events include accidents, collisions, and acts of vandalism that damage the exterior paint of your vehicle.
Be aware that only comprehensive car insurance will cover paint jobs in most types of qualifying events.
What does comprehensive insurance cover on a car? That depends on the kind of policy you carry and the exclusions your provider lists on that policy.
Typically, while collision insurance will cover paint damage that results from an accident, comprehensive car insurance covers other qualifying events that damage your paint job, including acts of vandalism and random acts of nature.
Unfortunately, if your paint job was damaged or chipping before you filed the claim, it’s unlikely your insurance company will pay for it.
Will liability auto insurance pay for paint jobs?
No. Liability auto insurance coverage only pays for damages you cause to another person or property in an accident. So it may pay for the other driver’s paint job, but the policy will not cover your vehicle.
This means you must carry more than your state’s minimum insurance requirements to have paint jobs covered under car insurance. Read our state-by-state comparison of auto insurance requirements to learn more about the insurance laws in your state.
Will auto insurance pay for paint jobs if an uninsured motorist hits my car?
Yes, uninsured motorist coverage is specifically designed to protect against damages caused by uninsured, underinsured, and/or hit-and-run drivers. In some cases, collision car insurance can cover a paint job damaged by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
You don’t need uninsured motorist insurance unless your state requires it, but it does come with a few perks. Carrying uninsured motorist coverage will give you money for repairs, including paint jobs, and will also waive your deductible in the event of an accident with an uninsured driver.
Will my insurance company paint the whole car?
Technically yes. If your car can be repaired, then the cost of painting the whole car is factored into that repair cost. But depending on the level of damage sustained to your car after the qualifying event, your insurance company may choose to write your vehicle off as a loss.
If that’s the case, your insurance company will pay for the amount your car is worth rather than for the repair and repainting of the damaged vehicle.
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When are paint jobs not covered by auto insurance?
All insurance companies are different, and each policy will come with its own exclusions. In most cases, auto insurance will not cover paint jobs damaged by wear and tear or prolonged exposure to the elements.
These wear and tear exclusions state that normal damage is expected to happen over the course of owning a car, and owners are in charge of performing basic vehicular maintenance to protect body paint. Paint jobs are only covered by car insurance if the damage was sudden and unexpected.
Further, paint jobs won’t be covered by car insurance if you aren’t carrying a full or comprehensive policy.
Insurance companies may also not pay for paint jobs if the insurance claim doesn’t meet the deductible. The cost of repairs must exceed your deductible in order for your insurance company to pay out for any damage, including car paint jobs.
How much does it cost to paint a car?
The kind of car you drive, the kind of paint, and the local body shop you choose will all impact price ranges for paint jobs. Cheap paint jobs can range between $300-$500 but could ultimately cost you more in the long run since cheaper paint tends to chip and rust more easily.
According to Car and Driver, drivers should plan on paying between $1,000 and $3,5000 for a good paint job, with showroom quality paint jobs at the higher end of that range.
To save money on car paint jobs, consider repainting only the damaged parts of the vehicle rather than the whole car.
Will auto insurance pay for paint jobs? Yes, as long as you have full or comprehensive coverage.
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Daniel Walker
Licensed Insurance Agent
Daniel Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has run his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for over 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an insurance agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, life, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco. To ensure our content is accura...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.