What Is Vinyl Car Wrapping & How Much Does It Cost?
FixMyCar discusses what's involved in a car wrap and how much you can expect to pay.
Compare vinyl wrapping quotesEllie Dyer-Brown
Monday August 04 2025
4 min read
Vinyl wrapping is an excellent way to refresh your car’s appearance without paying for a potentially costly respray. Find out how it works and how much it costs in this guide.
The average price of a vinyl car wrap is £2,251.11, according to FixMyCar’s data.
What is car wrapping?
Car wrapping involves covering your vehicle with a vinyl film to change its appearance, add a protective layer or change the finish to matte or gloss. It’s a fiddly job that can easily go wrong, so it requires the skills of an expert.
A vinyl car wrap might also be referred to as a:
Paint wrap
Paint protection film
Colour change film
It's an alternative to respraying, which you can read about here.
How much does it cost to vinyl wrap a car?
The cost of vinyl wrapping depends on several factors, including whether you opt for a full or partial wrap, your car's make and model, and the design you choose. According to our data, it costs £2,251.11 on average.
The table below shows prices vary between manufacturers.
How does car wrapping work?
Here’s a basic outline of the process.
You choose the vinyl's design, colour, texture and finish and decide whether you want a full or partial wrap.
Precise measurements of your car are taken.
The wrap is printed and laminated as per your requirements.
The car's paintwork is thoroughly cleaned and dried.
The surface of the paint is sprayed with water and a special solvent.
Next, the backing of the wrap is removed to reveal the adhesive side.
A second application fluid is applied to the vinyl.
Finally, the vinyl is put onto the car using a rubber-edged plastic blade to smooth it out and remove air bubbles.
The pros and cons of vinyl wrapping
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly personalisable | It isn’t permanent |
| Protects your paint | You get what you pay for - some wraps are better than others |
| Costs less than a respray | Doesn’t hide imperfections |
| Can be removed | Applying vinyl wrap is difficult |
| Quicker than a respray | Can harm the paintwork if not applied correctly |
How long does a car wrap last?
A vinyl car wrap will typically last five to ten years if you take good care of it.
How to make a car wrap last longer
The following tips will help your car wrap last as long as possible.
Don’t wash your car for the first week after applying the wrap.
Spot clean contaminants.
Avoid scrubbing the wrap or using abrasive tools.
Store your vehicle in a garage if possible.
Dry your car after washing to remove limescale.
Use gentle products for cleaning, such as soap and warm water.
Rinse your car regularly in winter to get rid of salt from the road.
Does wrapping a car affect your insurance?
Always inform your insurance provider and the DVLA when you change your car - including by vinyl wrapping. In some cases, wrapping might affect the price of your insurance, especially if your provider classes it as a modification. It’s worth calling them to check before going ahead with the job.
Learn more about car insurance and how to get it cheaper.
Thinking about getting your car wrapped? FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.
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Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Manager. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.