If you’ve watched grown men argue over paint jobs and chopped rooflines on Velocity’s car-build shows, you’ve seen Kevin Schiele keeping the shop floor running. Between the sparks, the arguments over tenths of an inch, and the dramatic reveals, he’s become one of the quieter but more essential faces of the custom car world. Now fans want the money answer.
Here it is directly: Kevin Schiele’s net worth in 2026 is estimated at around $2.5 million, with a likely range between $2 million and $3 million, built through his role at Kindig-It Design, his TV appearances on Bitchin’ Rides, and reported outside investments.
Kevin Schiele Net Worth 2026: Quick Facts
| Detail | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Net worth | $2 million – $3 million |
| Born | June 16, 1978 (age 48) |
| Known for | Shop foreman at Kindig-It Design, Bitchin’ Rides personality |
| Main income sources | TV appearances, Kindig-It Design salary, real estate, endorsements |
| Breakout show | Bitchin’ Rides (Velocity/MotorTrend) |
| Active in trade since | 2005 |
| Also known as | “KevDogg” |
| Home base | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Who Is Kevin Schiele?
Kevin Schiele is an American automotive engineer and television personality best known as shop foreman at Kindig-It Design, the custom car shop run by Dave Kindig in Salt Lake City. Around the shop, he’s affectionately known by the nickname “KevDogg,” a callsign that’s followed him from the workshop floor onto the show itself. He’s worked in the custom and restoration trade since 2005, long before cameras ever showed up at the shop, building the kind of hands-on, detail-obsessed résumé that eventually made him a natural fit for reality television.
His day-to-day role goes well beyond wrenching — as foreman, Schiele manages shop operations and coordinates the builds that eventually get filmed for TV, making him one of the steadying, behind-the-scenes figures who keeps a reality car show actually functional between dramatic reveals. Where Dave Kindig is typically the one sketching out a vision for a build, it’s Schiele and the rest of the floor team who turn that sketch into a running, driving vehicle — a process that involves everything from metal fabrication to paint prep to the final mechanical checks before a car rolls out the door.
That combination of technical skill and operational oversight is exactly why he’s stayed in a leadership role at the shop even as the show has grown its audience. Custom builds featured on Bitchin’ Rides often involve tight production deadlines layered on top of already-demanding fabrication work, and someone has to make sure the shop hits both the creative bar Dave Kindig sets and the delivery timeline the show’s schedule demands. That someone, more often than not, is Schiele.
Kevin Schiele and Bitchin’ Rides
Schiele became widely known through Bitchin’ Rides, the reality series that follows Kindig-It Design’s custom car restoration and build projects. The show gave national audiences a look at the shop floor work he’d already been doing for years, turning a skilled tradesman into a recognizable TV face — a career arc shared by other custom-build personalities in the same corner of reality television, from Gas Monkey Garage to other Velocity and MotorTrend staples.
Unlike stars who become famous first and pick up a trade later, Schiele’s TV profile grew out of real, verifiable shop experience — which is part of why his fan base takes his on-camera opinions seriously. On the show, he’s regularly featured weighing in on build decisions, timelines, and the practical realities of getting a custom vehicle finished on schedule, giving viewers a grounded counterpoint to Dave Kindig’s more visionary, big-picture design instincts.
Over multiple seasons, that dynamic between Kindig’s ambition and Schiele’s shop-floor realism has become one of the show’s recurring storylines, and it’s helped Schiele build a following of his own among viewers who appreciate the practical, no-nonsense side of custom car building as much as the flashy final reveals.
Life Inside a Custom Car Shop
What sets Schiele apart from many reality TV personalities is that his job existed long before the cameras did, and it would likely still exist if the show ended tomorrow. Custom car fabrication is a demanding, physically intensive trade that rewards precision and experience, and two decades in the business have given him a level of shop credibility that can’t be manufactured for television. That grounding is a big part of why fans and fellow builders in the custom car community treat him as a legitimate tradesman first and a TV personality second.
It also means his career has a kind of stability that purely TV-driven fame often lacks. Even if audience interest in reality car shows shifts over time, the specialized skills that got Schiele into the industry in 2005 remain valuable on their own — a fact that likely factors into how steady his estimated net worth has stayed compared to personalities whose entire income depends on staying on camera.
Kevin Schiele Net Worth 2026: Where the Money Comes From
Television work. His Bitchin’ Rides appearances are considered his primary income source on top of his shop salary, with his screen time growing as the show has continued across multiple seasons.
Kindig-It Design salary. As shop foreman, he earns a steady wage independent of the show’s production, reflecting his day-to-day responsibility for keeping builds on track.
Real estate and endorsements. Reported real estate investments and sponsorship or endorsement deals round out his income beyond the shop and screen, a common secondary income stream for reality TV personalities with an established fan following.
Trade expertise. Two decades of specialized fabrication and restoration experience give him earning potential in the custom car trade that exists independently of his television career, adding a layer of financial stability that not every reality TV personality has.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Kevin Schiele do at Kindig-It Design? He serves as shop foreman, managing operations and overseeing the custom build projects featured on Bitchin’ Rides.
How long has Kevin Schiele worked in the automotive trade? He’s been active in the field since 2005, well before his TV career began.
Is the $2.5 million net worth figure confirmed? No — like most reality TV personalities, Schiele hasn’t confirmed his finances publicly. This is a compiled estimate from public sources with medium confidence.
How old is Kevin Schiele? He was born June 16, 1978, making him 48 years old as of 2026.
Why is Kevin Schiele nicknamed “KevDogg”? It’s a shop nickname that stuck with him well before Bitchin’ Rides brought him to a wider audience, and it’s still used by fans and colleagues today.
Does Kevin Schiele still work at Kindig-It Design? Yes, his role at the shop and his presence on Bitchin’ Rides have continued to run in parallel rather than one replacing the other.
Is Kevin Schiele the only shop foreman featured on the show? He’s the most prominently featured floor leader on Bitchin’ Rides, though like most custom shops, Kindig-It Design relies on a broader team of fabricators and technicians behind the scenes.
Kevin Schiele’s net worth is a reminder that most of the money on a custom-build TV show is still earned on the shop floor, not just in front of the camera. His story stands out precisely because the trade came first and the fame followed, rather than the other way around, and that order has shaped both his reputation and his long-term earnings.
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