Powder coat or wet paint? Decide before you weld the part
When powder coating beats wet paint (and the few times it does not), by durability, cost and part size, for Canadian steel and aluminum parts.
Quick answer: For most steel and aluminum parts in Canada, powder coating wins on durability and cost over the life of the part. Wet paint wins in three cases: the part is too big for a cure oven, it needs a one-off custom colour not worth a powder changeover, or the material cannot take a 180 to 200 C bake. Powder runs roughly $2 to $150 per part by size and volume. Wet paint stays competitive on one-offs and oversized weldments.
We quote both every week, and the finish gets chosen too late, sometimes after the part is already welded. Decide early, because it changes cost, lead time and how the part survives outdoors.
How they actually differ
Powder coating sprays a dry, electrostatically charged powder onto a grounded part, then bakes it into a hard, even film. Wet paint sprays a liquid coating that cures by air or heat. Powder is tougher and single-coat. Wet paint is more flexible on colour, size and touch-up.
| Factor | Powder coating | Wet paint |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Hard, chip and UV resistant, one coat | Softer, needs more coats for equal life |
| Part size | Limited by the cure oven | No size limit, sprayed in place |
| Colour changes | Costs a setup and a purge | Cheap to switch |
| Cost in volume | Lower per part, batched | Higher, multiple coats and labour |
| One-off / oversized | Carries a batch minimum | Often cheaper |
| Cure | Needs a 180 to 200 C bake | Air-dry options for heat-sensitive parts |
When to spec powder coating
Anything that lives outside, gets handled, or has to survive a Canadian winter. For a railing or a trailer frame in a road-salt province, powder coat over a blasted or hot-dip galvanized surface (a duplex system). One coat of wet enamel over bare steel is a two-winter finish, and we have watched plenty of them fail on schedule. Powder is also the call for production volume, where batching drops the per-part price. It runs busy in Calgary and across the Prairies. See powder coating shops across Canada, and for what it costs by size and quantity, the powder coating cost guide.
When to spec wet paint
Three honest cases. First, the part is too big for the coater's oven, a large fabricated weldment or a structural assembly. Second, you need a specific custom colour on a handful of parts and a powder colour change is not worth it. Third, the material or attached components cannot take the cure heat. That is what industrial painting shops are for. Outside those three, wet paint is usually the more expensive, less durable answer.
The part everyone gets wrong: rims and wheels
Powder coat, not wet paint, and budget about $400 to $700 for a set of four depending on size and whether the old finish has to be stripped. The four-minute online quote is priced off a photo. The real number lands after the shop sees the wheels and counts the colours you are making them change.
What to send for a quote
Part size and quantity, the base material and its condition (bare, rusted, previously coated), the colour or spec, and any areas that must be masked. Describe it once and send one RFQ and we route it to Canadian finishing shops that can run your job.
FAQ
Is powder coating always cheaper than paint?
Over the life of the part, usually yes, because it lasts longer and skips the extra coats. On a single oversized one-off, wet paint can be cheaper up front.
Can you powder coat over rust?
No. Rust has to come off first, by blasting or chemical stripping, or the coating fails from underneath. That prep is part of the quote.
Will powder coating survive road salt?
On its own over bare steel, not for long. For salt exposure use a duplex system: hot-dip galvanize, then powder coat. That is the finish that lasts.
What temperature does powder coating cure at?
Most powders bake at roughly 180 to 200 C. If your part has heat-sensitive components, say so, because that pushes you toward wet paint.
Which is better for aluminum?
Both work. Powder coat for durability, or anodize if you want a harder, integral finish that takes wear.
Last reviewed: July 2026. Related reading: MIG vs TIG welding.
Request quotes for your part →