Determining how much you want to budget for a new or replacement paint booth depends largely on you and your business. Paint booths come in all shapes and sizes. Some are compact and used for small cars and motorcycles, while others are large enough to paint boats and aircraft. Here is a list of important things to think about when budgeting for a paint booth:
There are many of things to consider when calculating a budget for a new or replacement paint booth. Choosing the right paint booth is something that takes a lot of time and consideration, which is why you should reach out to an industry professional before purchasing a paint booth.
A lot of different factors come into play when determining a price for your paint booth. Much of these expenses aren’t associated with the booth itself, but rather the additional construction that comes along with it. One of the most expensive costs is the concrete work that comes with downdraft paint booths. A large amount of your budget will be allocated to building concrete tunnels and pits underneath the booth just so that it has the infrastructure to run properly.
If the nature of your work includes a lot of painting, you want to also factor in the costs of a paint mixing room if you don’t have one yet. Without a well-ventilated mixing room, you and your workers will be exposed to dangerous chemicals for hours at a time, which could have a lasting effect on your health. Furthermore, you should also make sure that you have proper ductwork that’s capable of clearing out the dangerous fumes in and around your booth. If not, this will also need to be added into your project costs.
Another thing to consider is the price of licenses and inspections that come with putting a paint booth in. You might be tempted to install your paint booth with a group of your handy friends, or even by yourself.
This may sound like a good way to save money, but it’s a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Paint booths must be installed by industry professionals who can ensure that all NFPA, OSHA, and EPA safety regulations are met. Even though you’ll be paying a higher startup fee to have your booth assembled and installed by a professional, it will save you costly fees associated with damage and penalties in the long run.
If you know what you’re doing and want to install your paint booth yourself, go ahead. With that said, you should at least contact a couple of contractors or paint booth distributors before you break ground. You might be surprised to get quoted with an affordable price, which can let you attend to other work-related matters.
A common mistake that a lot of business owners tend to make is overlooking their energy consumption. This should actually be one of the main things to consider when drawing up a budget for a new or replacement paint booth. Naturally, the bigger your operation, the more energy it’ll take to power your paint booth.
One of the first things that needs to happen before you buy a new or replacement paint booth is coordinating with an experienced electrician – preferably someone who’s affiliated with the company installing your booth. They will be able to assess your house and determine if a paint booth can be safely installed there, in addition to ensuring that the installation meets your local and state codes and regulations.
If your booth utilizes water-based paints, there are a number of steps that you can take to make your performance green and energy efficient. Simply purchase the EnergySmart™ VFD and Accudraft SmartPad™ and change the settings. There is an economy mode that’s pre-installed, or you can manually adjust features like the cabin pressure, airflow, and heat. This can reduce your energy usage by as much as half without sacrificing any efficiency.
Before you power up your paint booth, familiarize yourself with the local, state, and federal laws regarding power usage and waste reduction. A paint booth that isn’t run within the confines of the law could result in serious fines and other penalties.
As you budget for a new or replacement paint booth, think about how productive and efficient your business needs to be. If you own a popular body shop that specializes in painting a large number of cars and trucks throughout the week, you’ll want to spend money on optimizing your booth. This doesn’t just come in the form of booth sizes, but also in design.
The standard non-pressurized paint booth doesn’t offer many perks. It’s the cheapest type of paint booth on the market, partly because it doesn’t even run on power. This may not be a problem for a small-time operation, but a large-scale body shop will want to spend extra money on a pressurized paint booth that reduces smudges and debris, increases airflow, and has automated features.
You will also want to determine if single skin works for you, or if you should upgrade to a dual skin paint booth. If working efficiently and maintaining a consistent level of heat are both important components in your line of work, consider spending the extra money on a booth with dual skin.
This type of paint booth is small and economical, and is best suited for body shops that are small in size. Companies who paint automobiles and motorcycles, and don’t have to worry about a heavy workload, benefit the most from small paint booths.
One of the biggest advantages to having a small paint booth is that you’re able to set the booth up without unnecessary construction expenses. This type of booth doesn’t need any concrete pits to perform properly; it just needs a level surface to sit on.
Small paint booths are most commonly used at small-sized body shops. A non-pressurized version can cost roughly $3,000 and a pressurized version sells for around $25,000, making them both easy units to budget for a new or replacement paint booth.
A large booth is only really necessary if you’re processing a high-volume of orders or paint big equipment like boats, planes, and commercial trucks. They can range anywhere between $40,000 to $50,000 excluding transportation and assembly fees, which needs to also be considered when creating a budget for a new or replacement paint booth. Large booths are generally technologically-advanced, so a number of the features are already able to be customized and automated. Most allow you to turn the spray booth into a drying room without any major changes.
If you need a paint booth to serve a specific purpose, having one custom made is the way to go. The price for a custom-made paint booth depends on many different things, including the size of the unit, the construction required, and any special features associated with the booth. For this reason, it’s important to talk with a contractor or company representative to get an idea of pricing before coming up with your budget.
Buying a used paint booth is the perfect way to get the services that you need while saving some money. However, it’s critical that you fully inspect a used booth before making a purchase. While a good used booth will usually cost you anywhere between $1,500 and $5,000, a damaged or malfunctioning paint booth is dangerous and can cost you a lot of money in repairs. For this reason, it’s important that you factor insurance and inspection fees into your budget so that you’re guaranteed a safe and working paint booth.
While pressurized paint booths may seem like an expensive purchase in the beginning, you’re more likely to save money in the long run by buying the right paint booth that you need. If you choose to buy a paint booth that is cheaper and doesn’t do everything that you need out of it, you’ll end up spending more money down the road when you buy and install a new paint booth.
Fortunately, Accudraft is happy to help you finance your paint booth so that you’re able to get the right one for the job. Don’t settle for a second-rate paint booth that could become obsolete in a couple of years. Contact us today and see what we can do to help you put your business ahead of the competition.
