On average, what’s the cost in material per standard truck bed liner?
For dealers or larger orders, discounts are generally available, but the retail cost outline is below:
We usually recommend 63 mils average thickness. This is what a quality job from Line-X would apply. Many applicators (including the Line-X, Rhino, etc.) apply a thinner coating, so they do not use as much material. For a full size 6’ bed, you would need to cover approx. 70 sq. ft plus or minus. For 63 mil throughout, it would require 2.75 gallons using our 100% solids products. Using something like Raptor (57% solids) would require 4.82 gallons. Raptor can only be applied at about 10 mil per coat and dries to about 6 mil. They also recommend no more than 3 coats, so you really can’t apply a professional quality bedliner anyway, but that is one example.
Using our standard product line which is 50% liquids and 50% powder (dry) products, 3.0 gallons (total when combined) would cost about $180 plus shipping without any quantity or dealer discounts applied. The Rhino/Line-X Alternative polyurea cartridge bedliner products come in cases which are just under 2 ½ gallons and consist of 6 cartridges per case. Since there is almost no waste, and the product has higher specs, you can apply thicker on the lower surface and slightly thinner on the sidewalls. For under the rail applications, 5 cartridges are recommended on a 6’ bed. The retail cost per case is about $187, so 5 cartridges is about $156. We also have a Diamondback Linings Ultra Liner available which is higher specs than the standard product line and includes other additives such as Kevlar. The same 3 gallons as above runs about $275 retail, but you can also apply thinner (in addition to the fact that 3 gallons is more than you need for 63 mil on a 6’ bed).
In general, with some quantity discounts and some experience applying your specific product(s), plan on somewhere between $135 – $175 material cost per truck for a 6’ full size truck such as F150. The way to reduce that cost down the road is to use high pressure proportioners such as Graco EXP1 or similar. You then apply polyurea coatings which also cure in 1 – 2 minutes. The equipment is generally between $20,000.00 – $35,000.00 and requires more setup and purging after, so this is when you are applying 5 or more trucks daily.