What sandblasting costs

Rates shops post in Canada

These are rates shops post on their own sites, read in October 2026. Your quote will differ.

Prices for common parts

US rates and cost guides

• HomeGuide, 2024: US$1 to US$5 a square foot, or US$45 to US$80 an hour for labour
• Precision Coatings, Texas: from US$50 an hour in a cabinet, US$85 an hour for outdoor jobs
• Full Blown Coatings, Utah: US$150 an hour with media, US$120 minimum

Which media, and why the price changes

• Silica sand: its dust can cause serious lung disease, so it's restricted. WorkSafeBC wants safer media where practical.
• Glass bead: leaves a smoother, satin finish
• Aluminum oxide: aggressive, for hard metals, and leaves a rough profile
• Soda: gentle, and rinses off with water
• Walnut shell: strips coatings and carbon from engine parts
• Steel grit: tough, and can be reused in a recycling blaster

Media changes the bill. Langley U-Blast charges CA$15 an hour more for soda or aluminum oxide.

In the US, OSHA caps silica dust at 50 micrograms per cubic metre over an 8 hour day.

Mobile or at the shop

• At the shop: you bring the part, and nothing gets set up at your place
• Mobile: the crew brings the rig, contains the dust and collects the waste. That's extra work you pay for.
• Cleanup: BlastMasters lists a CA$150 cleanup fee
• Time on site: Vancouver Pro says typical jobs take one to two days, with setup and cleanup

Blasting before powder coating

Many coaters price blasting into the coating. Ask every time.

• Tri-Coat includes blasting in its coating quotes, and charges CA$230 an hour for blasting alone
• Ottawa Powder Coating includes stripping and blasting in its normal process
• Abirang prices blasting on its own page

See what powder coating costs.

What moves the price

• Size and shape: heavy or awkward parts are harder to handle
• What's on it: thick paint, filler and heavy rust take longer to strip
• Media: soda and aluminum oxide cost more at one shop
• Mobile or shop: setup, containment and cleanup on site
• Disposal: used media and old coatings may need careful handling
• Minimums: CA$135 at Tri-Coat, one hour at DBA Silencing

How long it takes

• DBA Silencing: one to two weeks, depending on its queue
• Ottawa Powder Coating: 5 to 7 business days for home jobs, blasting and coating, longer in summer

Ready for a price? Send one request with photos, to blasters near you.

Sources

• Abirang sandblasting prices, Ottawa
• Langley U-Blast rates and media types, Langley BC
• DBA Silencing services, Port Alberni BC
• D&D Services sandblasting, Courtenay BC
• Tri-Coat quotes, Okotoks AB
• Rust Blasters rates, Chilliwack BC
• BlastMasters, Newmarket ON
• Vancouver Pro Sandblasting FAQ
• Fixr: sandblasting cost
• Bossier Sandblasting cost, Louisiana
• HomeGuide: sandblasting cost
• Precision Coatings, Texas
• Full Blown Coatings terms, Utah
• Ervin Industries steel grit
• OSHA: crystalline silica and its limit
• WorkSafeBC: rules on blasting abrasives
• Ottawa Powder Coating services, Stittsville ON