Choosing Quality Over Cost When Comparing Brighton Van Wrapping Prices

Vinyl van wraps can be a fantastic way to stand out, get your business noticed, and present yourself as a professional, credible brand with an instantly recognisable vehicle or fleet wrap. Of course, many clients come to the WrapUK team looking at the most cost-effective way to wrap their vans – and a low-quality wrap isn’t the answer.

There are lots of ways to add a striking, bold wrap to a van without spending over your budget, but we always caution businesses against trying the DIY route or opting for a substandard wrap that will quickly start to fade and peel.

Let’s take a look at average Brighton van wrapping prices, why cheap wraps are rarely a good idea, and how to get a great wrap well within your budget.

What Is the Average Cost of Commercial Wrapping in Brighton?

Brighton is a busy, thriving city and one of the top business hubs in the southeast. It’s also one of those places where you might need to think about your marketing to establish a presence, especially if you’re working in a highly competitive sector!

As a very rough idea, the average full wrap on a standard-sized van costs from £1,000 upwards, but there are many variables that will influence your pricing.

We’ll look at those soon, but it’s important to recognise the amount of work that goes into a van wrap – it’s a lot more complex and technical than printing your vinyl and sticking it to the bodywork panels.

The Van Wrapping Process

Here’s a quick summary of what the process involves:

1. Custom designs: our wrap specialists often consult with clients who have an idea or a logo and need input to work out the right way to transform that graphic into a full vinyl wrap. This process might be quick and straightforward, but it generally takes a bit of time to get the design, colours, placements and configuration spot on.
2. Van inspection and prep work: vans spend a lot of time on the road, and unless you have a newly valeted or showroom fresh van, it’s likely to need some prep. That means checking for dents, scratches and defects, professional cleaning to remove all residue and oils, and preparing the bodywork for a seamless adhesion.
3. The wrap application involves a great deal of precision, lining up edges perfectly and using commercial tools to ensure the wrap is seamlessly fitted to every panel, curve and groove. This step can’t be rushed because the measuring and cutting are crucial to getting a perfect finish.
4. Next, we work on bonding, which makes sure the vinyl is correctly adhered to the panels. Bonding is even more important in the winter, where driving a van away straight after fitting could mean the cold weather causes the vinyl to lift.

Once all that work is completed, we’ll give your van a final check to make sure it’s in great condition and up to our exacting standards.

Which Factors Impact the Cost of Professional Brighton Van Wrapping?

Now, onto the elements of your van wrapping project that will feed into the total price. The first factor is the size and model of your van because the practicalities are that a long wheelbase Luton with larger body panels will inevitably require a greater volume of vinyl than a compact Peugeot Bipper.

One van will normally need at least 15 to 30 metres of film, which might vary from 1.5 x 18 metres of film for a small van up to approximately 1.5 x 26 metres for bigger commercial vans.

If your van has been modified and has unusual panel sizing or shapes, this could mean the installation work takes longer, and any more in-depth prep work to remove rust or scratches will also likely impact the overall cost of the work.

As well as the size of your van, we’ll also need to look at several other considerations before providing a quote. The quality of the viny you choose makes a big difference, and as we’ve mentioned, compromising on an inexpensive brand might not be the cost-saving you are hoping for.

Generally, we’d always recommend a top-quality vinyl brand to achieve a finish and aesthetic you are proud of – although it might cost more, it will last multiple times that of a low-quality alternative and provide far better value for money.

How Can I Reduce the Cost of a Great Van Wrap for My Brighton Business?

One of the simplest solutions if you have a limited budget or minimal time is to opt for a partial wrap or a van decal, rather than a full wrap that covers every panel of your vehicle. Full van wrapping takes about two days, so a partial wrap is also a good option if you need to keep your van on the road with minimal downtime.

Partial wraps can be just as effective, using our knowledge of colour, fonts, placements and styles to communicate your core messaging – but a wrap on the side panels of your van, the rear or the bonnet will cost much less than a complete full body wrap. Another option is to use a decal with your logo or to wrap one standalone section of your van.

We’d also suggest choosing the best quality wrap you can afford for wrapping projects of any size. This might sound counterintuitive, but the reality is that cheaper wraps just don’t last and won’t present the polished finish you’re looking for.

Vinyl wraps are already significantly cheaper than paintwork and take much less time, so by going for a respected vinyl brand and making informed decisions about which panels to wrap, you can reduce your costs by a good margin without making any sacrifices in terms of quality.

Rather than using a lower quality wrap that will need replacing in a few short months, a premium wrap is designed to last for years and, with the proper maintenance, will look as striking and slick as on day one.

Please get in touch with WrapUK at any time for more information about van wrapping prices in Brighton or for advice about the right way forward for your van wrapping project.