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Car wrapping Colour change, satin, matte and chrome delete, fitted indoors by a 3M Gold Partner. Colour change wraps Satin, gloss, matte, chrome and colour-flip, and which finish suits how you use the car. Chrome delete Black out the grilles, window trim and badges. Usually done in a day.

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Aftercare Do vehicle wraps damage paint? Myths versus reality Get a quote Get a car wrap quote Tell us the car and the finish you’re after. A price back the same working day. Start the form

Van wrapping Full and partial printed wraps for trades, delivery and service vans. One van or fifty. Van sign writing Cut vinyl logos, lettering and contact details, often fitted the same day. Vehicle graphics Printed panels, partial wraps, window film and decals on the van’s own colour.

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Wrap Cube fitters at work in the Caterham unit

Process How long does it take to wrap a vehicle? Get a quote Get a van wrap quote Model, year and your logo. A design direction and a price, usually the same day. Start the form

Commercial vehicle wrapping How a commercial job runs, from panel map to handover, with a named account manager. Fleet wrapping One livery standard across mixed models, batch scheduling, a 24/7 line. Lorry, HGV and trailer Rigids, curtainsiders, box trailers and artic cabs, indoors, on 3M film. Bus and coach Team coaches to double-deckers. Jubilee and West Ham buses. Specialist wrapping Jet suits, props, awards, MDF builds and the weird and wonderful.

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Fleet Chapter 8 compliance: what highways contractors actually need Get a quote Ask for a fleet plan Vehicle list, brand files and how many you can release at a time. Templates, scheduling and per-vehicle pricing in one document. Start the form

Home/Car wrapping

Car wrapping, Surrey and London

Car wrapping in Surrey and London, fitted indoors by a 3M Gold Partner

Q: How long does a car wrap last?

Three to five years is a fair expectation for a full colour change on 3M or Avery cast film, fitted indoors and hand washed. Cars that live outside in full sun, cover high mileage or go through brush car washes sit at the low end. Gloss and satin outlast matte in most cases.

Q: Does wrapping damage the paint?

Not on sound factory paint. The film protects it, and professional removal with heat leaves the paint as it was. The exception is resprayed or poorly repaired panels, where weak paint can lift with the film. We check for this before we quote and we'll tell you if a panel is a risk.

Q: Do I have to tell the DVLA if I wrap my car?

Yes, if the wrap changes the vehicle's main colour. Update the V5C log book with the new colour. If you've only wrapped the roof or added a chrome delete, the recorded colour hasn't changed and there's nothing to update.

Q: Will a wrap affect my insurance?

You should tell your insurer before the work is done. A wrap is a modification and undeclared modifications can void a claim. Many insurers add nothing for a colour change; some do. It takes a phone call to find out.

Q: Is it cheaper to wrap or respray?

A quality wrap is usually cheaper than a quality respray, it's reversible, and it keeps the original paint for resale. A respray is permanent. If the paint is failing rather than just tired, paint may be the honest answer, and we'll say so.

Q: Can you wrap a leased car?

Usually, because wraps are removable, but the leasing company's permission is yours to get, and you'll need to budget for professional removal before the car goes back.

Q: How long does it take to wrap a car?

Two to four days for a full colour change including overnight settle and the second-day check. A roof or chrome delete is often same or next day. We'll give you a real date when we've seen the car.

Car wrapping changes the colour or finish of your car with a cast vinyl film that protects the paint underneath and comes off cleanly when you want it to. Done properly, on 3M or Avery film, in a controlled unit, it looks like paint and lasts three to five years. Done badly, it lifts at the edges within months.

We've been wrapping cars at our Caterham facility, twenty minutes south of Croydon, for over 20 years. A large share of our car wrapping in London comes to us because a Caterham unit costs less than a central shop, and car wrapping in Surrey is on the doorstep. We're a 3M Select Gold Partner and every car stays with us until it's been checked panel by panel.

Get a free quote Call 020 8944 6360

“Like us they love a ridiculous brief that needs to be completed yesterday, allowing their creative juices to run wild. We honestly couldn’t find a better partner when it comes to vehicle wrapping and signage.”

James, Shred & Butta

What it involves

A wrap is not a sticker

Get a free quote

It's a two-mil cast film, usually 3M 2080 series or Avery Supreme Wrapping Film, applied to every painted panel with heat, tension and a great deal of patience. Cast film is made by pouring liquid vinyl onto a casting sheet, which is why it has no memory and will stay put in a deep recess. Cheaper calendered film is rolled out under pressure, wants to return to flat, and is the reason you see wraps shrinking back from bumper edges on the M25.

On a full colour change we wrap every visible panel, into the door shuts, around the edges of the bonnet and boot, and behind badges and handles where they've been removed. From two metres away it reads as paint. From a foot away it still should.

Wonderskin Fiat 500 in a lilac colour change wrap

Sports Direct and Nike Run Ford Mustang graphics

Porsche with paint protection film fitted

Porsche Cayenne wrapped at the Caterham unit

Close-up of a wrapped door handle recess

Finishes and films

Finishes and films we fit

Every film comes with the manufacturer's warranty when fitted by an approved installer, which we are.

Gloss [01]

Gloss

Closest to paint. Easiest to clean, generally the longest-lasting.

Satin [02]

Satin

The most popular finish through our door. Softer than gloss, hides minor paint defects, still washes easily.

Matte [03]

Matte

Striking, and it needs care. Bird droppings and fingerprints show more, and it can't be polished. We'll tell you honestly whether it suits how you use the car.

Metallic, pearl & colour-flip [04]

Metallic, pearl & colour-flip

Available in the 3M and Avery ranges. We'll put the physical swatch on your panel before you commit; screens lie.

Chrome and carbon fibre [05]

Chrome and carbon fibre

Chrome is a specialist film with its own rules on reflectivity. Carbon has a real weave texture, not a print of one.

Textured and brushed metal [06]

Textured and brushed metal

Usually for roofs, bonnets or accents rather than full cars.

Which job

Full wrap, partial wrap or chrome delete

Not every car needs the full treatment, and we'll say so. Tell us what you're trying to achieve, and we'll recommend the option that gets you there for the least money.

Get a free quote

Full colour change.

Every painted panel, into the door shuts, around the edges of the bonnet and boot, and behind badges and handles where they've been removed. The right choice when you want a different car, when the paint is tired, or when you want the paint protected for resale.

Best for:

A different colourTired paintResale protection

Timing:

Two to four days

Colour change finishes

Roof, bonnet and mirrors.

A contrast colour on the roof, bonnet and mirrors is the most common partial we do. It changes the look for a fraction of the price and it's a sensible way to test whether you like living with a wrapped car.

Best for:

A contrast lookTesting a wrapA smaller budget

Timing:

One day

What it costs

Chrome delete.

Blacks out the brightwork: grilles, window surrounds, trim, badges. On a lot of modern cars it's the single most effective change you can make, it's reversible, and at our Caterham unit it's usually done in a day.

Best for:

Modern cars with chrome trimLease cars

Timing:

Usually a day

Chrome delete

Paint protection film.

Clear, self-healing film that stops stone chips rather than changing the look. Plenty of cars leave here with both a wrap and PPF on the front end.

Best for:

New and prestige carsStone chip protection

Coverage:

Front endFull body

Paint protection film

How we wrap a car

Five steps, and the car stays inside for all of them

Two to four days for a full colour change including the overnight settle and the second-day check. A roof or chrome delete is often same or next day.

{01} Consultation and sampling

We check the paint, especially on any panel that's been repaired or resprayed, because film pulls on weak paint. We confirm the finish on a physical swatch and agree the coverage in writing.

{02} Preparation

Safe wash, chemical decontamination, clay where needed. Badges, handles, lights and trim removed and catalogued where we've agreed to, rather than wrapped around.

{03} Install

Controlled temperature in the Caterham unit. Panels are wrapped individually with clean edges tucked into shuts and returns. Micro-squeegee work on the awkward bits. Post-heating to set the film's memory to the new shape.

{04} Settle and inspect

Where the film needs it, the car stays overnight. A second-day inspection catches any minor lift for retension before you ever see it.

{05} Handover and care

You get the aftercare guidance in writing: wait before the first wash, hand wash, no brush car washes, what to do about tar and tree sap.

How we price it Quoted per vehicle Every quote is itemised: film, coverage, preparation and fitting, so you can compare it fairly. Get a free quote

What it costs

Itemised, so you can compare it fairly

Larger cars, complex bumpers, specialist films and full trim removal push the price up. We itemise film, coverage and panel removal so you can see exactly what you're paying for and compare it against other quotes fairly.

Before you book

The paperwork nobody tells you about

The paperwork

Two forms and a phone call

Neither takes long, and both are worth doing before the film goes on.

If the wrap changes the main colour on your V5C, update it with the DVLA. It's a form and there's no fee.

Tell your insurer before the work is done. Most note it as a modification and some charge nothing extra.

Wrapping is legal in the UK for full and partial coverage. Nothing that impersonates an emergency vehicle, nothing over lights, plates or reflectors.

Mirror chrome needs care because of glare, so we usually recommend it for accents.

DVLA and insurance answers

Where we are

Caterham, CR3 6PF

Why cars come to Caterham

From all over Surrey and London, to our indoor unit off the A22.

On the A22 just south of Croydon, ten minutes from M25 junction 6.

Outside the Congestion Charge zone.

Caterham station is a short walk away, with trains into Victoria and London Bridge, so two days with us doesn't mean two days without transport.

Owners come from Reigate, Oxted and Epsom, from Croydon and Bromley, and from central London where a proper indoor bay is harder to find than it should be.

Directions to the unit Surrey London

Before you book

Car wrapping questions, answered

How long does a car wrap last?

Does wrapping damage the paint?

Do I have to tell the DVLA if I wrap my car?

Will a wrap affect my insurance?

Is it cheaper to wrap or respray?

Can you wrap a leased car?

How long does it take to wrap a car?

Get a free quote

Tell us the car and the finish you're thinking about

We'll come back with a price and a slot, usually the same working day. Or call 020 8944 6360 or email info@wrapcube.co.uk.

Car wrapping in Surrey and London, fitted indoors by a 3M Gold Partner

A wrap is not a sticker

Finishes and films we fit

Full wrap, partial wrap or chrome delete

Full colour change.

Roof, bonnet and mirrors.

Chrome delete.

Paint protection film.

Five steps, and the car stays inside for all of them

Itemised, so you can compare it fairly

The paperwork nobody tells you about

Two forms and a phone call

Why cars come to Caterham

Related pages and guides

Custom car wrap design, printed and colour change

PPF for London drivers

Do vehicle wraps damage paint?

Telling your insurer about a wrap

Car wrapping questions, answered

Tell us the car and the finish you're thinking about