How Much to Charge for Powder Coating
Powder coating is commonly priced per piece: $75–$150 per wheel, $300–$700 for a motorcycle frame, $8–$20 per linear foot for railings, and $3–$8 per square foot for large flat work. Prep — blasting, degreasing, or chemical stripping — is billed separately at $40–$90 per hour or as a per-piece condition surcharge, with masking per item, custom powder ordered at cost plus a color-change fee, and most shops holding a $75–$150 minimum.
Per-piece rates
- Wheels — $75–$150 each
- Motorcycle frame — $300–$700
- Railings and fencing — $8–$20 per linear foot
- Large flat work — $3–$8 per square foot
- Small parts / brackets — shop minimum applies
- Shop minimum — $75–$150
The lines beyond coating
- Prep — $40–$90/hr, or a condition band per piece
- Chemical stripping — for existing coatings
- Masking — per feature masked
- Custom powder — at cost, minimum order quantities apply
- Color change — $25–$75 on small batches
- Multi-stage — primer, base, clear each add a cycle
- Rush — a stated premium for jumping the queue
Condition bands beat guessing
Rate parts at intake: clean, light rust, heavy rust, or previously coated. Four bands with four prep prices is faster than quoting each item from scratch, and it’s far more defensible than a single inclusive number.
Photograph anything in the worst two bands before you start.
The oven is the constraint
Every cycle takes the same time whether it’s full or holds one bracket. Batch by color and cure schedule, price your minimums accordingly, and be honest with a customer about turnaround — the shop that batches well is the one that can quote competitively.
Rush pricing is queue pricing
A rush job doesn’t really cost you more materially — it displaces other customers’ work and forces a partial oven load. Price it as the disruption it actually is, and state the premium up front so saying yes is easy for both of you.
Frequently asked questions
Should prep be included in a per-piece price?
Only for pieces in known condition. Quote prep separately or as a condition band, because a new bracket and a rusted one coat identically and prep completely differently — and a flat inclusive price loses money on precisely the parts customers bring you.
What's a fair shop minimum?
$75–$150. A single small bracket still requires hanging, prep, a booth setup, and an oven cycle. The oven doesn't run cheaper for one part, which is why minimums exist in every shop that has been open more than a year.
How much is a color-change fee?
Enough to cover purging the gun and cleaning the booth — commonly $25–$75 on small batches. It's real downtime with no output, and it's the reason a one-off bespoke piece is viable at all.
Should I charge for masking?
Yes, per masked feature. Threads, bearing surfaces, mating faces, and logos each take time to mask properly and time to remove afterward — and a missed mask is a part that comes back.