How much vinyl
does this wrap take?
Pick the vehicle and the coverage. Get square footage, material with waste, linear feet off the roll — and what it costs you before you quote.
Wrapped area
425 sq ft
Material to order
489 sq ft
Print + laminate, waste included
Off the roll
98 lin ft
of print film
Your cost — optional
Enter your own numbers. Nothing here leaves your browser.
Material cost
$1,222
Labour
$1,360
Total cost
$2,582
$6.08 / sq ft
This is your cost, not your price — add your markup on top. Vehicle areas are planning figures; measure the actual vehicle before ordering material.
Vehicle wrap square footage by vehicle type
Typical full-wrap coverage. Measure the vehicle to confirm before ordering.
| Vehicle | Full wrap | +15% waste |
|---|---|---|
| Compact car | 200 sq ft | 230 sq ft |
| Mid-size sedan | 250 sq ft | 288 sq ft |
| Full-size sedan | 280 sq ft | 322 sq ft |
| Crossover / small SUV | 300 sq ft | 345 sq ft |
| Large SUV | 350 sq ft | 402 sq ft |
| Minivan | 350 sq ft | 402 sq ft |
| Pickup — regular cab | 260 sq ft | 299 sq ft |
| Pickup — crew cab | 300 sq ft | 345 sq ft |
| Compact cargo van (Transit Connect) | 300 sq ft | 345 sq ft |
| Cargo van — standard / mid-roof | 425 sq ft | 489 sq ft |
| Cargo van — extended high-roof | 600 sq ft | 690 sq ft |
| Box truck — 16 ft | 550 sq ft | 633 sq ft |
| Box truck — 24 ft | 750 sq ft | 862 sq ft |
How much should you charge to wrap a car?
The calculator gives your cost. This 4-minute video turns it into a price: film with waste, the film's cost, prep and install hours, your shop rate, then a price set with margin, not markup. Its per-square-foot figures come from the same Signs of the Times 2026 survey as the answers below.
Chapters (12)
Common questions
How many square feet is a full car wrap?
A compact car is roughly 200 sq ft, a mid-size sedan about 250, a crossover or small SUV around 300, and a large SUV or minivan about 350. Cargo vans run from roughly 300 sq ft for a compact van to 600 for an extended high-roof. Always measure the actual vehicle before ordering — body style, mirrors, trim and glass move these numbers.
How much vinyl do I need to wrap a van?
Take the wrapped area, add waste, then divide by the roll width to get linear feet. A standard mid-roof cargo van at about 425 sq ft with 15% waste needs roughly 489 sq ft of material, which is about 98 linear feet off a 60-inch roll. Add the same again in laminate if you are overlaminating.
How much waste should I allow on a vehicle wrap?
Most shops allow 10-15% on flat panels and simple box vans, and 20-30% on cars with deep recesses, compound curves and bumpers. Waste covers trimming, panel alignment, colour matching across seams and the piece you inevitably re-do. Under-ordering costs far more than the extra material.
How much does a vehicle wrap cost per square foot?
In Signs of the Times' 2026 pricing survey, the most common price for a designed, full vehicle wrap was $15 to $19 per square foot, charged by 45% of shops; only 7% charge less than $10. Material, coverage complexity and local labour rates move it either way, and the calculator above gives your cost, not your price. Enter your own material and labour numbers above rather than trusting an average.
Source: Signs of the Times, “How Much Are Sign Companies Charging in 2026?” (March 24, 2026), question 68
Do I need laminate on a vehicle wrap?
For any printed wrap, yes. Laminate protects the print from UV, abrasion from washing, and fuel spills, and it is what makes the difference between a wrap that lasts five years and one that fades in eighteen months. Budget the same square footage as the print, plus its own waste.
How long does a vehicle wrap take to install?
A full wrap on a car is typically two to three days including preparation, and a large van or box truck can run longer. Roughly a third of that time is cleaning, disassembly and reassembly rather than applying material — which is why pricing by square foot alone tends to undercharge the difficult vehicles.
Turn this into a quote your customer can approve
PrinterFlo prices wraps by area and options, shows margin on every line, and sends one link where the customer approves the proof and pays the deposit.
Try it free. No card needed.