The focal point in any refinish paint shop is the spray booth. If that booth is sited correctly, it should remain in use throughout the day with every vehicle being processed smoothly.

The preparation area should be planned to supply enough vehicles to keep the booth going and a damask and fit up area completes the operation. Too much time cannot go into planning the paint shop, allowing space for flow will produce the most efficient work practices. Cramming the workshop with as many cars as possible leads to excessive time moving them around and increased opportunities for collisions.

Design aid facilities are available through paint shop layout service provided by Autocolor.

Paint storage and mixing rooms need to comply with current regulations. This often means paint being brought to the workbench cold. Cold paint needs excessive thinner to reduce it to the correct viscosity, because most painters do not measure viscosities, but thin by mixing stick ratio. The paint should be allowed to warm up to spray booth temperatures 18-22°C.