sailboat shrink wrapping cost

The Average Cost to Shrink Wrap a Boat (per foot)

Protecting your boat when it is stored somewhere should be your top priority. In case you opt for shrink wrap, this article talks about how much that will cost you so that you can decide if you are getting your money's worth.

So what is the average cost to shrink wrap a boat per foot?

For powerboats, it will cost between $12 - $25 per foot on average
For sailboats, it will cost between $12 - $25 per foot on average
For sailboats, expect a $2 - $3 dollar price increase if you leave the mast up.

Cost of optional wrapping features:

Anti-moisture bags: $8 each
Adding an entrance: $30 - $40
Anti-mold spray typically costs an additional $50
Vents for mold protection cost on average $4 each
Shrink-wrapping a boat in the water costs on average $100 - $150 extra

Pros and Cons of Shrink Wrapping a Boat - Worth It?

Let me break these numbers down a bit so that you know what you are paying for and if there are ways to make this cost less. Or more. Whatever floats your boat.

Before I do that though, let me point out that I am just talking about reasonable prices here. Of course, you might find a company that will do the job for one-quarter of the price if they are just starting up and the discount will be a part of their promotion.

Or if you stumble upon a crafty person who does this on their own out of their garage, their price list will look more friendly than the costs I specify here, meaning they could make you an offer as low as 8 dollars per foot .

Similarly, you might find unreasonably high prices, justified by whatever the specific businessman can use as a good rationale to spice up the bill.

There's a huge price range, and the prices mentioned here should provide a guideline as to what is reasonable to expect.

Winterize Your Boat

Factors that will influence the cost:

length of the boat
deck hardware and other unusual shapes
extras like an entrance in your shrink-wrap
trailered or not?
insured or not?

The most obvious reason for the price spread is that the longer the boat, the wider it is. Regardless of whether we are talking about a cruiser or a racer, it makes sense that a twenty feet boat will have a smaller beam than a fifty footer. Thus the price per foot exponentially increases as does the boat length.

So if your boat is around the twenty to thirty feet mark, the price will start at approximately 12 dollars per foot. If you have a fifty footer, the price per foot will likely be around 25 dollars.

Towers, Fly Bridges, Masts

Then you gotta think about all the stuff on top of your boat. It only makes sense that a boat with a T-top will need extra material and work to get wrapped up, compared to a speedboat that has everything non-aerodynamic 'shaved off'.

The same goes for a mast. Although you won't be shrink-wrapping the whole thing from the bottom all the way to the mast top, (but you can if you want, whoever will do your shrink wrapping will be happy for the extra business) the wrap has to go around the mast bottom and that is more work than if the mast was not there. If you take your mast down, you don't have to worry about a price increase, but if you leave it up, add around 2 or 3 dollars extra per foot.

There are a few extras you can have added on top of your standard shrink-wrap job. We aren't talking about unnecessary luxuries, some of them make a lot of sense. One such thing is an entrance to your shrink-wrapped boat. Quite often people want to be able to access the boat's interior while it is wrapped, for instance, to be able to do some repairs. Or for a sleepover, since they can't get enough of their beloved vessel. That's a possible 30 to 40 extra dollars to your bill.

Or if your boat has a large cabin, you might want to put in more moisture bags, which will also raise the overall cost. Expect around 8 dollars per one.

Sometimes the shrink wrap company will offer to store your canvas and glass panels - again, potential cost increase.

And sometimes, you might get offered an anti-mold protection spray down (not a bad idea if you ask me), which can easily cost you fifty extra bucks.

To continue along the same lines - you might also want to add vents to the shrink wrap, expect to pay approximately 4 dollars for each. A small price to pay for mold prevention.

For those of you who want to shrink wrap a boat that is sitting in the water - although that is entirely possible, it might cost you approximately between 100 and 150 dollars more.

This will only apply to the smaller boats, but it is well worth the mention - if your boat will not sit in one place during the offseason and you plan to move it around on a trailer, go for what is referred to as a 'bullet wrap'. It is similar to a traditional wrap but is made of a material that endures more and thus you can take it to the highway.

...is not a bad idea since open flame, as well as highly flammable materials, are involved in a shrink wrapping session. A professional shrink wrapper will be insured, which gives you the extra feeling of safety and a few extra bucks on top of the quote.

Trash Disposal

Last but not least, when you take the shrink wrap down once you are ready to get back on the water, you need to dispose of it. Your usual trash can will not do since we are talking about tens (hundreds) of square feet of plastic. Many shrink wrapping companies will take the stuff off your hands. For a price.

Can You Recycle or Reuse Boat Shrink Wrap? (and How To Do It)

Though I have touched upon this a bit already, let's see if a sailboat shrink wrap will cost you more than a powerboat. A quick hint - it doesn't have to, but you have to take the mast down. If you do not want to or can not do so, you will see the aforementioned 2 - 3 dollar per foot price increase. You don't have to worry about the keel, shrink wrap does not actually cover the whole boat. It does not go all the way down, thus however large your keel might be, this will not influence the price.

Speaking of shrink wrap going all the way down - some companies will only wrap your boat down to the rub rail to save on the material costs. Make sure they wrap it all the way to the sides of the hull.

With all these costs piling up, is it not worth it to simply do it yourself? After all, you can easily get all the 'ingredients' online and the mighty internet has all the how-to guides ranging from building bombs to boiling water in a kettle, (not kidding) so a shrink wrapping manual is easy to find.

Let's put aside the hazard stemming from an open flame close to your boat and potential mishaps stemming from the lack of expertise. A propane bottle rental might cost you around 70 dollars, a roll of shrink wrap sheet around 200 dollars. The rest, like a knife, good tape, adhesive, supports, sharp corner protection, and willing helpers might be available in your home for free(ish). So, in the end, it is up to you to compare a quote from a professional with your DIY calculation and do a reasonable estimation.

More often than not you will realize that unless you can pair up with a few other boating friends and plan to do this every year, a professional is the most cost-effective choice here.

Maybe you think that both the professional and DIY costs are too much and not worth the investment. So let me summarize what shrink wrap is good for so that you can decide if you want to go ahead with the purchase or not.

Shrink-wrap quite simply protects your boat from rain, UV rays and, if you live in a cold area, snow. Plus it does so in a way that after you are done with it, there is no extra maintenance needed.

If you for instance just covered your boat with a large plastic sheet, it might tear as the wind hits it for weeks on end, it might not withstand the sun, temperatures or the weather abuse. Plastic sheets also tend to create pockets under pressure in which snow or rain might pool. A shrink wrap is much tighter than what you would achieve with some plastic sheets and tape.

But then again, if your boat sits in your backyard, you can stick to plastic sheets, provided you can and don't mind checking it every few days. Which would push your cost to just a few dollars.

And if you are lucky enough to have a garage or a shed for your boat, one that mice can not get in, you can round the shrink wrapping costs to a nice zero.

For a full pros and cons list, check out William's article discussing whether shrink wrapping your boat is ultimately worth it .

The Complete Checklist for Winterizing Your Boat (Free PDF)

9 Tips for Winterizing a Boat that Stays in the Water

5 Clever Tips to Keep Mice Out of a Boat Motor

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How Much Does It Cost to Shrink Wrap a Boat? – Updated in 2023

Written by J. Harvey / Fact checked by S. Numbers

Shrink-wrapping is an important measure for any boat going into storage. However, it is known to be an expensive option. Just how much does it cost to shrink wrap a boat?

The cost changes depending on the length and dimensions of a boat, from an estimated $8 to $25 per foot. Let’s take a look at how this estimate changes and a brief overview of what shrink-wrapping entails.

Keep reading to learn more.

Table of Contents

1. Factors affecting price

2. professional services, boat shrink-wrapping, how a boat is shrink-wrapped, 1. is it necessary to shrink-wrap a boat, 2. are there alternatives to shrink-wrapping a boat, 3. what problems may arise from improper shrink-wrapping of a boat, 4. should i consider shrink-wrapping a boat myself, shrink wrap boat cost.

The cost of shrink wrapping a boat will vary based on the length and dimensions of the boat. Even when two boats have similar lengths, it is still likely that the total cost of shrink-wrapping would differ for each.

On average, boat shrink wrap cost per foot will be around $8 to $25. The type of boat you have will also affect prices, with an increase of up to $3 per foot if you leave the mast raised on a sailboat.

Other factors affect shrink wrap prices, and the ones that usually matter the most are the height of the rail, the width, and height of the boat itself. The effect of the boat’s dimensions on price should be somewhat easy to see since there will be a larger surface to wrap.

The rail affects the price because ideally, the boat is shrink-wrapped up to a certain point of the hull with the rail included.

Another point that greatly affects the price is the quality of materials. The quality of plastic may increase the average price by as much as $3 per foot, and the choice of material to help tie down the shrink wrap can also add to cost.

The durability of the shrink wrap will vary greatly depending on material quality, with cheap wrapping tearing easily.

The fee for hiring a professional also greatly increases boat shrink wrap prices. Since shrink-wrapping a boat involves using heat to apply the wrap , it makes sense to have someone who has a vast amount of experience performing this sort of task, and that sort of professional expertise does not come cheap.

Choosing to be stingy and ending up with a damaged boat is not something any boat owner would want to experience.

Various other services may be necessary when shrink-wrapping a boat, and each of these services will incur an additional fee. Depending on each boat, installations such as lights or antennas may need to be removed or adjusted.

Shrink-wrap is made of a plastic material, most commonly polyethylene, that resists UV and is designed to be weather-resistant. It is used in a variety of ways and is used to protect a boat when it is brought in for storage, for winterization, or if it is expected to be unused for long periods.

Pros and Cons of Boat Shrink-wrap

Offers the best protection for boats
Effectively seals out dirt and weather elements
The least amount of maintenance is necessary
Expensive compared to other options
Prone to problems if not used correctly

The first step is to clean and dry a boat entirely before the shrink-wrapping process, including any storage space or drawers. It’s also important to remove any potential source of moisture on board such as personal flotation devices or any item that may have leftover water or moisture.

Any item that may attract insects or pests should also be removed, along with batteries and electronics.

Center support, usually made of wood, should be placed at the center of the boat and padded or carpeted. This support also creates the necessary angle to allow water and snow to easily slide off the shrink-wrap surface.

The shrink-wrap is placed over the boat and should reach up to a certain part of the boat’s hull. It should be well-vented to help prevent any buildup of moisture. This venting is placed in specific key areas.

The shrink-wrap is exposed to heat using a heat gun or a torch to tighten the shrink-wrap on the boat, with any holes patched using shrink-wrap tape.

A cord or tape is used running from one side of the shrink wrap to the other going under the boat. Boat shrink-wrap that has been applied and removed properly may be reused.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is not required to use shrink-wrap, but it is important to protect the boat if it will be stored, transported for long distances, or will be unused for a while. There are other options too, but shrink-wrapping is arguably the best way to protect a boat.

The most common alternative to shrink-wrapping a boat is to use a tarp instead. As a cover, a tarp is durable and can effectively shield a boat from dust and weather elements. Its biggest drawback is that it may come off easily and not be able to properly seal the boat, which means you will have to check on it often.

Shrink-wrap that is not properly applied may allow moisture build-up that can cause damage or mildew. It also involves the use of heat, and improper use of this heat may cause damage to a boat.

Other problems include pests or a buildup of water on the boat due to rain or snow.

Only consider doing so if you have experience with shrink-wrapping and you are confident in your skill. As stated above, the damage that may be caused to a boat can be costly.

If your only reason for wanting to do the shrink-wrapping yourself is to bring down the cost, it’s better not to do it since shrink-wrapping tools along with materials will usually cost a lot.

However, if you want to try shrink-wrapping boats, it’s a good idea to start with less expensive boats. Start small and move on to bigger boats as you gain more experience.

You now have a basic understanding of the shrink-wrapping process, including some problems that may arise if it was not done properly.

Don’t forget to share what you’ve learned to anyone asking how much does it cost to shrink wrap a boat. Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

Remember to boat safely.

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How Much Does It Cost to Shrink Wrap a Boat?

Shrink wrapping a boat is an essential step in protecting your vessel from the harsh elements of nature. Whether you’re storing it for the winter season or transporting it over long distances, shrink wrapping can safeguard your boat from moisture, debris, and UV rays. While it’s crucial to keep your boat safe, it’s equally important to know how much you should budget for the process.

What is Shrink Wrapping?

Shrink wrapping involves covering your boat with a plastic film that is then heated to create a tight and protective layer around it. The plastic film used in this process is called shrink wrap and comes in various sizes and thicknesses depending on the size of your boat.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Shrink Wrapping

The cost of shrink wrapping a boat varies depending on several factors such as:

Boat Size: Larger boats require more material and labor, which means they are more expensive to wrap.

Location: The location where you get your boat shrink-wrapped can affect the cost as well. Prices may vary depending on whether you’re getting it done at a marina, a storage facility, or by an independent contractor.

Additional Services: Additional services like prepping your boat before wrapping or adding extra ventilation can add to the overall cost.

The Average Cost of Shrink Wrapping a Boat

On average, the cost of shrink-wrapping a 20-30 foot boat can range from $8-$10 per foot. This means that if you have a 25-foot boat, you can expect to pay anywhere between $200-$250 for the entire process.

For larger boats over 30 feet long, prices can range from $10-$15 per foot or more. If you have a 40-foot yacht, for example, you could be looking at paying around $600-$800 for shrink wrapping.

The Cost of Additional Services

As mentioned earlier, additional services can add to the overall cost of shrink wrapping. Here are some common services and their estimated costs:

Prepping your boat before wrapping – $50-$100
Adding extra ventilation – $25-$50
Applying mildew control products – $10-$20
Transporting your boat to a storage facility- $150-$300

Shrink wrapping your boat is an important investment in protecting your vessel from the elements. While prices may vary depending on factors like boat size, location, and additional services, the average cost of shrink-wrapping a 20-30 foot boat can range from $8-$10 per foot.

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