Powder coating questions, answered straight.
Proper Powder Coating Co. is a powder coating shop in Uintah, Utah (just outside Ogden) with a standard turnaround of 2–3 business daysand no minimum order. These are the questions buyers ask most about cost, durability, prep, lead time, substrates, and colors, answered plainly.
Cost & quoting
How much does powder coating cost per part?
Powder coating cost per part depends on size, prep condition, masking, color, and quantity. Small parts are priced per piece and get cheaper in larger batches, while trailer frames, railings, and gates are quoted by the job. The fastest way to a real number is the quote form with dimensions, quantity, and a photo. We send quotes back the same business day, usually faster.
Why do powder coating quotes vary so much between shops?
Quotes vary mainly because shops include different prep. One quote may include blasting, phosphate pretreatment, outgassing, and masking, while another assumes the part arrives clean and coats it as-is. Rack space, color changes, and whether the shop measures film thickness also matter. When comparing quotes, ask exactly what prep is included. Ours list it line by line.
How fast can I get a quote?
Same business day, usually faster. Send dimensions of the largest part, quantity, color and finish, and when you need it back, plus a photo if you have one. Repeat parts already in our system can be quoted over the phone by part number. For large production runs, we may ask for a drawing or a sample part before we commit to a per-piece price.
Do you offer volume pricing or production agreements?
Yes. Repeat accounts with steady volume can set up a production agreement with per-part pricing, scheduled runs, and specs kept on file by part number. Pricing reflects rack density, color consistency, and how predictable the schedule is. A blanket PO with scheduled releases usually gets the best price and the most reliable turnaround. Ask about it on the quote form.
Durability & performance
How durable is powder coating compared to paint?
Powder coating is generally more durable than conventional paint. It goes on thicker, typically 2 to 4 mils in one coat, and cures into a hard, continuous film that resists chipping, scratching, fading, and chemicals better than most liquid finishes. Paint is easier to touch up and can go on parts that cannot be baked. For outdoor steel that takes abuse, powder usually wins.
Will powder coating rust underneath?
Powder coating will not rust on its own, but steel under it can if the film is breached or the prep was poor. Rust starts at chips, sharp edges, and anywhere mill scale or contamination was left behind. Good blasting, phosphate pretreatment, full film build, and a zinc-rich primer for road-salt exposure are what keep steel from rusting under the finish.
Does powder coating fade in the sun?
Standard polyester powders are UV-stable and hold color well outdoors, though every coating fades slowly over many years at Utah's elevation. Super-durable polyesters and fluoropolymer powders fade much less and are used on architectural work. Epoxy powders chalk and fade quickly in sunlight and belong indoors or under a topcoat. We pick the chemistry for where the part will live.
What temperature can powder coating withstand?
Standard powder coatings handle continuous service up to roughly 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit without trouble. Above that, they can discolor or soften over time. For exhaust parts, headers, stoves, and anything near a heat source, high-temperature silicone-based powders are rated for continuous service from about 600 to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Tell us the operating temperature when you quote.
Can powder coating be repaired or touched up?
Small chips can be touched up with matched liquid paint, and it works reasonably well on parts viewed from a normal distance. A true invisible repair usually means stripping and recoating the part. That is the one real advantage paint has. For fleets and production parts, we can supply matched touch-up paint for your spec so field repairs stay consistent.
Prep & surface
Do parts need to be sandblasted before powder coating?
Most steel parts should be blasted before powder coating. Blasting removes mill scale, rust, and old coatings and cuts an anchor profile that helps the powder grip. Clean new aluminum and some cold-rolled sheet can be chemically pretreated instead. We look at each part and recommend the prep it actually needs, and the quote spells out which prep is included.
Will powder coating fill weld spatter, pits, or scratches?
No. Powder coating lays down a film only 2 to 4 mils thick and follows the surface underneath it, so weld spatter, pits, grinder marks, and deep scratches show through. On gloss finishes they show more. Texture finishes hide minor imperfections better. If a part needs to look smooth, spatter should be removed and welds dressed before coating. We can quote that prep.
Can you strip old powder coating or paint?
Yes. Old powder and paint are removed by media blasting or, for delicate or thin parts, by chemical stripping or a burn-off process. Stripping is quoted separately because time depends on how many coats are on the part and what they are. Coating over an old finish is not something we do, because the new coat would only be as good as the old one.
Do I need to remove bearings, seals, and rubber before coating?
Yes. Anything that cannot survive about 400 degrees Fahrenheit has to come off before coating, including bearings, seals, bushings, rubber, plastic, wiring, and glass. Bearings can sometimes be masked if removal is impossible, but grease will outgas in the oven and can ruin the finish nearby. If you are unsure what can stay, send a photo and we will tell you.
Lead time & logistics
What is your lead time for powder coating?
Standard lead time is 2–3 business days from drop-off to pick-up for stocked colors. Custom or ordered powders add the time it takes the powder to arrive, typically three to five business days. Large batches and two-stage finishes are quoted individually. If a job cannot make the standard window, you will hear it at the quote, not on day four.
Do you offer rush powder coating?
Yes, rush is available when the oven schedule allows, and we will tell you honestly whether it does before you commit. Rush usually carries a premium because it bumps scheduled work. Repeat accounts with standing scheduled runs often get faster turnaround than rush without paying for it, because their slot is already on the calendar.
Do you pick up and deliver?
Pickup and delivery are available on scheduled routes for repeat accounts along the Wasatch Front and, by arrangement, farther out. Availability depends on your location and volume, so call and ask before counting on it. One-off jobs are usually dropped off and picked up at the Uintah shop near Ogden during business hours. Freight from out of the area is welcome if parts are packaged well.
Do you have a minimum order?
No, there is no minimum order. One bracket is a job, and we coat single parts, small batches, and full production runs. We do prefer that it is a bracket you care about. Single small parts are priced to cover their handling, and we fit them into runs of the same or similar color to keep the cost reasonable and the turnaround standard.
How should I package parts for drop-off or shipping?
Label every part or bundle with your company name and PO, and include a packing list with part numbers and quantities. Mark masking requirements on the part or drawing. For shipping, crate or pallet heavy parts, protect edges, and avoid tape directly on metal. We return coated parts wrapped or boxed to protect the finish, and can match your packaging spec for production work.
Materials & substrates
Can you powder coat aluminum?
Yes, we powder coat aluminum regularly, including sheet, extrusions, and cast aluminum. Aluminum gets a different pretreatment than steel, usually a light blast or chemical etch followed by a non-chrome conversion coating for adhesion and corrosion resistance. Cast aluminum is pre-baked to outgas before coating. Anodized aluminum generally needs the anodizing removed or abraded first.
Can you powder coat galvanized steel?
Yes, but hot-dip galvanized steel needs extra prep. Zinc outgasses in the oven, which can blister the finish, so galvanized parts get a light sweep blast and a pre-bake before coating. An outgassing-forgiving primer is sometimes added. Done right, powder over galvanizing, known as a duplex system, outlasts either one alone. Done carelessly, it peels. Tell us the part is galvanized.
Can you powder coat cast iron or castings?
Yes. Cast iron and cast aluminum are coated regularly, but castings are porous and hold air, oil, and moisture that escape in the oven as bubbles and pinholes. We blast castings, then pre-bake them above cure temperature to outgas before powder goes on. Some castings also get an outgassing-forgiving primer. Expect castings to take slightly longer than plain steel.
Can you powder coat stainless steel, chrome, or plated parts?
Stainless steel can be powder coated after a light blast to give the surface some tooth. Chrome and most plated finishes cannot be coated directly, because powder will not bond reliably to them. They have to be stripped or blasted to base metal first. Wood, plastic, and composites generally cannot go through a standard cure oven at all.
What is the largest part you can powder coat?
Our oven fits parts up to 20 × 10 × 10 ft, which covers trailer frames, long rail sections, gates, and full bumper sets in one batch. Weight limits and rack clearance also matter, so send the dimensions and approximate weight of the largest piece. If your part is bigger than that, it is one of the parts too big, and we will say so immediately and without drama.
Colors & finishes
What colors and finishes are available?
We coat the full RAL range and thousands of manufacturer colors in gloss, satin, matte, texture, metallic, candy, and clear. Common colors are stocked, and anything else is ordered by product code, usually in three to five business days. Custom color matches from a physical sample are available too. For repeat parts, we keep your exact color and finish on file.
Can you match an existing color exactly?
We can match an existing color very closely, and for repeat parts we can match it exactly by using the same powder product. If you have the manufacturer and product code, that is a perfect match. From a physical sample, we find the closest stock powder or order a custom match, then approve it against your sample under daylight-balanced light before production.
What is two-stage powder coating?
Two-stage powder coating means two coats with two cures. The first coat is usually a zinc-rich primer for corrosion protection, or a base coat under a translucent candy or metallic color. The second is the color or a clear topcoat. It costs more than single-stage because the part goes through the oven twice. We recommend it when the part needs it.
Question not here?
Call the shop, or send the part details and we'll quote it today.Call 801-368-0788 and a person in the shop will answer it. Or send the part details and we'll quote it today.