Re-chroming is an excellent way for you to restore damaged chrome surfaces. If the chrome on your bumper has started showing signs of wear, you can fix it through re-chroming.
Most people are familiar with chroming and its costs. However, not everyone can estimate how much they will pay for re-chroming a bumper. Is re-chroming more expensive or cheaper than applying chrome the first time? Keep on reading to find out.
What is Re-chroming a Bumper?
Before we inform you how much you can pay for re-chroming a bumper, we must define what is involved in this process.
What most people don’t know is that re-chroming is a complicated process. It’s not all about dipping a bumper in a tank and hoping it comes out shiny and smooth.
The first step in re-chroming a bumper involves removing the old chrome layer. You can’t apply Chrome over old Chrome.
It will not hold, and the finish will look terrible. So, when you take your bumper for re-chroming, the old layer is removed. The bumper is then left chrome-free.
From there, any blemishes and scratches on the bumper are fixed. Scratches, if not fixed before electroplating, will still show after the chrome has been applied. Chrome is not a filler. Therefore, you can’t expect the dents on a bumper to disappear after chroming.
Once the above has been completed, the chrome is plated onto the bumper. In short, the chroming process it underwent before is repeated. Your bumper will have been re-chromed, and it will look brand new.
Contrary to what most people think, re-chroming differs from projects such as applying touch-up paint. The entire bumper must be chromed afresh, and the old chrome should be removed.
How Much Should I Pay for Re-chroming a Bumper?
The cost of re-chroming a bumper depends on several factors, which we will list later. For now, however, here is an estimate of how much you can expect to pay to re-chrome a bumper.
The cost ranges from $300 to $2000 per bumper. The latter figure may seem extremely high, but if you are interested in customization and additional services, you can expect the rates of re-chroming a bumper to skyrocket.
The cost of re-chroming a stock bumper is relatively lower. The same applies to bumpers that don’t require special customization features.
What Factors Affect the Cost of Re-chroming a Bumper?
• The size of the bumper
This is the main factor that affects the price of re-chroming a bumper. Cars have different-sized bumpers. Take the bumper of a truck, for example.
It’s bigger than that of a saloon car. If you take both bumpers to be re-chromed, the expert will charge different rates. If you have a bigger-sized bumper, expect to pay more.
• Additional services
Sometimes, a bumper may require a lot of work. For instance, it could be damaged and needs to be welded together.
For these additional services, you should expect to pay a higher rate. The more things you would want to be done on your bumper, the more you will pay.
• The experience of the service provider
The third thing that will determine how much you will pay is the service provider’s experience. An experienced detailer will charge more because they guarantee a professional and flawless finish.
However, if the guy who is chroming your bumper is relatively new, they may charge less. Experience is a critical factor since it ensures the job is done perfectly.
• The location of the shop
Surprisingly, the location also determines the costs of re-chroming a bumper. Chroming shops in major towns charge more to Rechrome a bumper than those in rural areas.
How to Get the Best Price for Re-chroming a Bumper?
The economy is tough these days. As a car owner, if you can save a few bucks in re-chroming a bumper, that money can be used on another expense. If you plan on re-chroming your car’s bumper, here are ways to get the best price.
First, you have to perform thorough research. Through research, you will get multiple quotes from which you can compare different rates.
When comparing rates, you need to understand that sometimes, the cheapest option isn’t always the best. It would be best if you discussed with the technician applying chrome to your car. That will help you gauge their level of expertise.
The reason why we are saying you shouldn’t go for the cheapest bumper re-chroming quote is that the technician could be inexperienced and they may do a terrible job. To be safe, ensure you find an experienced technician who won’t overcharge you.
Another way to find the best price for re-chroming a bumper is by asking for referrals and recommendations.
If you have chrome on your bumper, chances are you know a few people who have chrome on different parts of their car. You can get referrals from these individuals, thus ensuring you get a bargain.
Does Re-chroming Cost More than the Price of a Bumper?
You may be shocked to find out that chroming fees are much higher than the price of getting another bumper. Unfortunately, that’s how things are sometimes.
Re-chroming a bumper requires the use of certain raw materials which don’t cost little money. Depending on the model in question, re-chroming may be more expensive than getting a new bumper. In such a scenario, it’s up to you to evaluate which of these two options is better.
What’s the Least You Can Pay to Rechrome a Bumper?
The lowest a technician can charge to re-chrome a bumper these days is $250 to $300. Finding one charging these rates will be very difficult. You will have to do a lot of research. It’s okay to want to get the least rates possible.
But you need to understand that the rates determine the quality of the job that will be done. Don’t be very excited when you find a shop that charges abnormally low rates.
Will Strip the Old Chrome Lower the Re-chroming Fees?
If you are interested in saving a couple of dollars from a re-chroming job, you can use a pro tip, which entails stripping the old chrome. The labor used to dechrome a surface is added to the overall cost of a re-chroming job.
If you have the tools, you can dechrome the bumper at home and take away these costs from your total fees. Also, if your bumper needs some work, such as dents or scratches that need to be fixed.
You can perform these at home so that when you take the bumper to the plating shop, their only job is to rechrome.
Is Painting a Bumper Cheaper than Re-chroming?
Between these two options, re-chroming is the most expensive. Painting a bumper costs from $150 to $300. You will never find a shop charging $150 to re-chrome a bumper.
Besides paying someone to paint your bumper, this is a job that you can do by yourself. All you need are the painting materials. With some little guidance, you can easily paint your bumper.
A DIY bumper paint job costs around $50 to $100. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget, you can apply some paint instead of re-chroming.
Is Re-chroming Generally Expensive These Days?
These days, all car owners who are chrome enthusiasts agree that re-chroming has become expensive. It’s not just re-chroming a bumper.
But for any part, you may want to be re-chromed, you will pay double what was charged a few years ago. Everyone understands the amount of labor and materials needed to re-chrome a surface.
However, the prices have become agonizingly high. Many car owners prefer to paint their bumpers since it’s cheaper than re-chroming.
Can I Substitute Re-chroming with Polishing?
Polishing chrome is more of a way of maintaining its shininess. Through polishing, you remove the corrosive material that forms on the surface of chrome and makes it look dull.
You can’t substitute re-chroming with polishing because each brings about different results. Polishing helps keep the chrome on your bumper shiny. Think of polishing as cleaning and waxing paint.
After some time, chrome becomes extremely damaged to the point that polishing becomes ineffective.
In such a situation, you will need to re-chrome the bumper. Re-chroming is just like a new paint job. The old chrome is removed and replaced with newer chrome plating.
Can I Rechrome the Bumper by Myself?
Anything is possible these days. However, knowing which projects are worth doing by yourself or outsourcing the services is important.
You can try this project if you have the tools, knowledge, and skills to plate chrome on your bumper. However, if you have never chromed a single object all your life, this job is best left to professionals.
Re-chroming a bumper by yourself, though doable, needs a lot of materials, most of which getting access to will be complex. The best option is to hire someone to do this job for you.