Automotive Paint Prepper Jobs Washington | Lakewood Auto Body (Lakewood, WA)

Lakewood Auto Body
12126 Pacific Highway SW
Lakewood, WA 98499

Join the Paint and Collision Repair Team at Lakewood Auto Body

Lakewood Auto Body Group LLC is looking for an experienced paint prepper to join our collision repair and automotive refinishing team, and this Automotive Paint Prepper job for collision repair is one of the more skilled automotive paint prepper jobs in Lakewood, Washington. Having served the community since 1962, Lakewood Auto Body is a locally owned, family operated collision repair facility known for quality workmanship, professional service, and attention to detail, and the shop handles insurance-related repairs, structural and cosmetic bodywork, automotive painting, and refinishing. We believe that a quality automotive paint finish begins with proper surface preparation, so the prepper’s work sets the standard for everything that follows. Day to day, that means sanding and feather edging repair areas until the transitions are smooth, masking glass, trim, moldings, and adjacent panels from overspray, and handling minor body filler application before the vehicle is handed off to the paint booth. The prepper works alongside the painter on color blending and refinishing, and keeps basecoat, clearcoat, and primer stages moving so vehicles stay on schedule toward their delivery date.

In real hiring situations, the shop manager looks for someone with hands-on prep experience, a careful eye for surface quality, and the discipline to follow each product’s procedures. I CAR training or certifications carry real weight, though a motivated candidate coming from painter helper jobs with solid fundamentals will get serious consideration, since prep work is a natural step toward a painter’s position. The position draws applicants from Lakewood, Tacoma, University Place, Steilacoom, and Joint Base Lewis McChord, and it is part of the broader market of Pierce County and the South Puget Sound region, the Pacific Northwest, and automotive careers across the United States. It can be found alongside other openings on an automotive only job board, where every job seeker is there for an automotive career and every applicant’s information reaches the employer’s hiring authority directly.

As an Automotive Paint Prepper, you’ll play an important role in preparing vehicles for professional paint application, assisting our automotive painters, and ensuring each vehicle moves efficiently through the refinishing process.

We’re looking for someone who understands that a quality automotive paint finish begins with proper surface preparation. If you have experience with automotive sanding, masking, surface preparation, paint blending, and refinishing procedures, we’d like to hear from you.

Automotive Paint Prepper Responsibilities

• Vehicle Surface Preparation: Clean and prepare vehicle panels and surfaces by removing dirt, grease, rust, old paint, and other contaminants before refinishing. Use appropriate sanding equipment, abrasives, cleaning products, and surface preparation techniques.
• Sanding and Feather-Edging: Sand repaired and existing painted surfaces to create smooth transitions and prepare panels for primer, sealer, and automotive paint application.
• Minor Surface Repairs: Apply body fillers and finishing materials to minor dents, scratches, and surface imperfections as directed. Sand and smooth repaired areas to achieve a consistent finish.
• Masking and Protection: Properly mask and protect glass, trim, moldings, adjacent panels, and other vehicle components from overspray and refinishing materials.
• Paint Blending Preparation: Assist automotive painters with panel preparation, sanding, masking, and other tasks required for proper color blending and refinishing.
• Automotive Refinishing Support: Work closely with the paint team to prepare vehicles for each stage of the painting process while maintaining established quality standards.
• Buffing and Polishing: Assist with buffing, polishing, and finishing painted surfaces to remove minor imperfections and achieve a professional appearance.
• Equipment Cleaning and Maintenance: Clean, maintain, and assist with disassembly and reassembly of paint sprayers, sanding equipment, and related refinishing tools according to shop procedures.
• Production and Workflow: Coordinate with Automotive Painters, Body Technicians, and shop management to keep vehicles progressing through the repair process and support scheduled delivery dates.
• Shop Safety and Organization: Maintain a clean, organized work area and follow appropriate safety procedures when handling paint materials, solvents, abrasives, and refinishing equipment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Previous hands-on experience in automotive paint preparation, collision repair refinishing, or a professional auto body shop environment.
• Working knowledge of automotive sanding, masking, surface cleaning, minor body filler application, and paint preparation procedures.
• Familiarity with the automotive painting process, including preparing panels for primer, basecoat, clearcoat, and blending.
• Ability to recognize surface imperfections and understand the preparation standards necessary to achieve a quality paint finish.
• Experience using automotive sanding tools, buffers, polishing equipment, and other paint preparation equipment.
• I-CAR training or certifications preferred, particularly in collision repair and automotive refinishing.
• Ability to follow instructions, communicate effectively, and work cooperatively with Automotive Painters, Body Technicians, and shop management.
• Strong attention to detail, good organizational skills, and pride in producing quality work.
• Ability to work efficiently while maintaining workmanship and safety standards.
• Must be able to successfully pass a background check.

Why Work at Lakewood Auto Body?

Lakewood Auto Body has been part of the local automotive repair community for more than six decades. What began as a small two-door garage in 1962 has grown into an established collision repair and automotive service business serving Lakewood, Tacoma, and surrounding Washington communities.

Our facility handles a variety of collision repair and refinishing work, giving employees opportunities to apply their existing skills while gaining additional experience working alongside automotive repair professionals.

Lakewood Auto Body emphasizes quality repairs, customer satisfaction, teamwork, and professional workmanship. Our automotive painting and refinishing operations use professional equipment and materials to help deliver consistent results.

For an experienced Automotive Paint Prepper, this is an opportunity to contribute to an established collision repair business where careful preparation, attention to detail, and teamwork are essential to every completed vehicle.

Automotive Paint Prepper Jobs in Lakewood, WA

This position is located in Lakewood, Washington, near Tacoma, University Place, Steilacoom, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), and other communities throughout Pierce County and the South Puget Sound region.

Automotive professionals searching for Paint Prepper jobs, Auto Body Paint Preparation positions, Collision Repair Painter Helper jobs, or Automotive Refinishing opportunities in the Tacoma–Lakewood area are encouraged to apply.

Apply for the Automotive Paint Prepper Position

If you have experience preparing vehicles for automotive painting and want to work with an established collision repair team, Lakewood Auto Body Group LLC would like to hear from you.

***YOUR INCOME RANGE MAY VARY BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE***

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