Vehicle Wraps ROI: Is It Worth the Investment?

A wrapped service vehicle generates 30,000-70,000 impressions daily. At a cost of $2,500-5,000 for a full wrap that lasts 5-7 years, that works out to $0.04-0.15 per thousand impressions.

Billboards cost $5-15 CPM. Digital display ads run $2-10 CPM. Vehicle wraps are among the cheapest awareness channels available.

But impressions don’t pay bills. Jobs do. The question is whether those 30,000 daily eyeballs translate into phone calls, and at what rate.

What the research shows

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America conducted the most cited study on vehicle advertising effectiveness. Their findings: 97% of drivers recall seeing truck-side ads, compared to 19% recall for static billboards.

A study from 3M found that a single wrapped vehicle generates between 30,000 and 70,000 impressions per day, depending on market size and driving patterns. Over 3-5 years, a single wrap creates 3-9 million impressions per vehicle.

Recall is higher for service vehicles than commercial advertising trucks. When your wrapped HVAC van is parked in someone’s driveway for 3 hours, every neighbor who drives by sees it multiple times. That’s fundamentally different from a billboard they pass once at 65 mph.

The real ROI calculation

Abstract impression numbers don’t help you decide whether to wrap your trucks. You need to connect spend to revenue.

The cost side

Full wrap (entire vehicle): $2,500-5,000 depending on vehicle size and design complexity.

Partial wrap (sides and rear, no roof or hood): $1,500-3,000.

Decals/lettering only: $500-1,500.

Design costs: $300-1,000 if you don’t have print-ready files.

A quality wrap lasts 5-7 years before colors fade and edges start peeling. Cheaper wraps degrade faster, especially in harsh climates.

At $4,000 for a full wrap lasting 5 years, your annual cost is $800 per vehicle. Add in design amortized across your fleet and you’re looking at $850-1,000 per vehicle per year.

The attribution challenge

Here’s where it gets messy. Unlike digital channels where you can track a click to a conversion, vehicle wraps don’t provide direct attribution.

Someone sees your truck while driving to work. Three months later, their water heater fails. They Google “plumber near me” and your name looks familiar. They click. Is that lead from SEO, from the vehicle wrap, or both?

The honest answer: you can’t fully separate the effects. Brand awareness from wraps makes every other channel perform better.

Proxy metrics that matter

What you can track:

Calls from unique phone numbers displayed only on vehicles. If your trucks show 555-0123 while all other marketing uses 555-0456, calls to the truck number came from vehicle sightings.

Website traffic to URLs exclusive to vehicle advertising. “JonesPlumbingTrucks.com” only appears on wraps. Anyone landing there saw a truck.

Leads who specifically mention seeing your truck. “How did you hear about us?” Train your team to ask and record answers consistently.

“I’ve seen your trucks around” is one of the most common answers home service contractors hear. Those callers often close at higher rates because familiarity breeds trust.

Comparing wrap levels

Full wraps

Maximum visual impact. The entire vehicle becomes a mobile billboard with complete design control.

Best for: Contractors with high-traffic routes, multiple service calls per day in residential areas, and budget for the premium option.

The investment makes sense when your trucks are visible constantly. An HVAC tech running 4-6 calls daily across suburban neighborhoods puts that wrap in front of thousands of homeowners.

Partial wraps

Cover the sides and rear while leaving the hood, roof, and bumpers unwrapped. Cost is 40-60% of a full wrap with 70-80% of the visual impact.

Best for: Budget-conscious contractors who want professional appearance without maximum spend.

Partial wraps look nearly as impressive as full wraps when the vehicle is parked or viewed from the side, which is how most people see service vehicles at job sites.

Decals and lettering

Basic identification with company name, phone number, and simple graphics. Lower visual impact but also lower cost and easier to update.

Best for: Contractors unsure about committing to wraps, those with older vehicles that may not last 5 years, or businesses in industries where understated presence is preferred.

Decals are better than nothing. An unmarked white van looks like a contractor who doesn’t take their business seriously. Basic lettering establishes legitimacy.

Design principles that work

Readability from 50 feet

If someone can’t read your company name and phone number while driving behind your truck at a stoplight, the wrap failed.

Large, high-contrast text matters more than clever design. Sans-serif fonts at significant scale. Phone number prominently displayed.

Avoid clutter

The temptation is to list every service, every certification, every reason to call. Resist it.

Pick your top 1-3 services. Display your name and phone number large. Add a simple tagline if space allows. That’s it.

A wrap covered in text blocks becomes visual noise. People stop trying to read it.

Strategic placement

The rear of the vehicle gets the most sustained viewing. Someone stuck behind your truck at a red light stares at your back door for 30-90 seconds. Use that space for your phone number and key message.

Sides are important for parked visibility. Yard signs work because neighbors see your presence at a job site. A wrapped truck parked in a driveway amplifies that effect substantially.

Professional design investment

A $300 design done well outperforms a $3,000 wrap with amateur graphics. Don’t let the installer design your wrap. Hire a graphic designer who understands vehicle templates and print production.

Mock up the design on a vehicle template before approving. What looks good on screen may not translate to a curved bumper or window cutout.

Fleet vs. single vehicle considerations

The economics shift with fleet size.

Single vehicle: The per-truck cost is your total investment. Full wrap makes sense if you’re in the field constantly and your vehicle is relatively new.

Small fleet (2-5 vehicles): Consider partial wraps for the fleet rather than a full wrap on one truck. Broader presence matters more than maximum impact from a single vehicle.

Larger fleet (6+ vehicles): Negotiate volume pricing. Designers can reuse the base template across vehicles. Installation shops offer fleet discounts of 15-25%.

Consistency across the fleet builds brand recognition faster than individual trucks with varying designs.

Installation quality matters

A wrap is only as good as its installation. Bubbles, wrinkles, and lifted edges make your company look sloppy.

Check the installer’s portfolio. Ask for references. Look at their work on actual vehicles, not just photos that may be cherry-picked.

Installers certified by 3M or Avery Dennison have demonstrated competency with those materials. Certification doesn’t guarantee perfection, but it indicates a baseline of training.

Avoid the cheapest option. A $1,800 wrap that looks bad costs more than a $3,500 wrap that looks professional, because the bad wrap actively hurts your brand.

Maintenance and longevity

Wraps are durable but not invincible. Care extends lifespan.

Hand wash when possible. Automatic car washes with brushes can lift edges and scratch the vinyl. Touchless washes are safer.

Park in shade or covered areas when feasible. UV exposure accelerates fading. A truck parked in a lot all day degrades faster than one in a garage.

Address damage quickly. A small tear at an edge can spread. Catching and repairing early prevents larger issues.

Store indoor during winter if the vehicle isn’t in constant use. Cold temperatures make vinyl more susceptible to cracking.

With proper care, expect 5-7 years from a quality wrap. In harsh climates with heavy sun exposure, plan for the shorter end of that range.

When wraps don’t make sense

Older vehicles nearing replacement don’t justify full wrap investment. If the truck has 3 years left, a $4,000 wrap is harder to justify than decals at $800.

Contractors who primarily work commercial jobs on large sites with restricted access may see fewer neighbor impressions than residential contractors. The parked-in-driveway effect doesn’t apply when you’re on an industrial campus.

Markets with heavy van regulations, like some HOA-dense suburbs or urban areas with commercial vehicle parking restrictions, may limit your wrapped vehicle’s visibility.

The neighbor marketing multiplier

Vehicle wraps integrate naturally with neighbor marketing strategies. A wrapped truck parked at a job site serves the same function as a yard sign, but larger and more visually commanding.

Combine a wrapped vehicle with a yard sign and postcards to surrounding addresses, and you create multiple touchpoints from a single job. The neighbor sees your truck in the driveway, notices the sign, and receives a postcard two days later.

That repetition builds familiarity faster than any single channel achieves alone.

Making the decision

Calculate your true cost per year. Divide wrap cost by expected lifespan.

Estimate impressions conservatively. If your truck runs 4 jobs per day in residential neighborhoods, 10,000 daily impressions is reasonable.

Track what you can. Unique phone numbers, specific URLs, and “how did you hear about us” data provide directional signals even without perfect attribution.

Compare to alternatives. What would $800/year buy in Google Ads? Probably 25-30 clicks. The wrap delivers vastly more impressions, though they’re less intent-driven.

For most home service contractors running regular residential calls, vehicle wraps are worth the investment. The cost per impression is extremely low, the presence reinforces every other marketing channel, and the professional appearance builds credibility before you say a word.

Start with partial wraps if budget is tight. Upgrade to full wraps as the business grows. Prioritize your highest-mileage vehicles and those that spend the most time parked in residential driveways.

The contractors running unmarked vans are leaving brand equity on the street every day. In a competitive market where recognition matters, that’s an advantage worth buying.