Painting a car question

After more than 30 years in the industry, I have rarely seen a vehicle that just needs a sanding and paint. Generally there is some form of repairs which are necessary before prepping. Most shops in my area start at about 30 hours for the most basic prep and then another 10 hrs or so for just spraying it. That being said at the going rate which up here is about $75 an hour for labour and then material cost per hour, it adds up quick. A quality job will be much more. It also depends if you want base coat, clear coat or a single stage paint job with no clear coat. As for colors costing more, reds and yellows tend to be more expensive to buy the material due to the pigments.