Ceramic Coating

Ceramic Coating Prices?

What do ceramic coatings cost and how do you know if you should pay the price? Let’s get some clear answers…

Below we have given a simple breakdown of ceramic coating prices based on vehicle size and our base coating choice (3 year ceramic coating protection)

Two Door:  $700+ 

Sedan:  $800+

Mid-Size SUV/Truck:  $900+

XL SUV/Truck:  $1300+

Mini Van:  Quote

Why Are Ceramic Coatings So Expensive?

Step 1: Ceramic Coating Preparation

Before installing a ceramic coating, we have to ensure that the paint is not only clean, but completely stripped bare! This requires a little more than simple car washing. During the paint stripping and decontaminating phase we walk through 5 major ceramic coating preparation stages: ‘The pre-wash wash’ where we remove as much surface dirt from the vehicle as possible without touching the paint. After surface dirt removal, it’s time for us to start the contact wash.

Next is the ‘iron decontamination phase.’ Most people aren’t aware of the tiny contaminants that sit on your car’s paint that are not removed through the washing process. These microscopic contaminants are single handedly responsible for long term paint DAMAGE! We’ve got the chemicals to remove them!

Nearing the end we move into ‘clay barring’ the paint. After you wash your car… run your hand across the paint. What do you feel? Likely not a smooth surface, but rather a surface that LOOKS CLEAN and yet is bumpy like sandpaper. The clay bar phase of our ceramic coating preparation process allows us to remove any and all of the final contaminants that are embedded in the paint leaving a smooth and glassy surface behind.

Last but not least we move into the ‘final wipe down & solvent removal’ stage. This phase is exactly what it sounds like. We use a specific type of chemical that will remove any last minute oils, residues, waxes, or any other chemical that is left on the surface of the paint.

Step 2: Paint Correction & Ceramic Coating Prices

Now that the car paint has been completely cleaned and stripped in preparation for the ceramic coating application, it’s time to level out the clear coat and remove some scratches!

Because ceramic coatings are the most durable form of long term paint protection that exists in the detailing world, any little imperfection that is in the paint is there to stay as soon as the coating is applied.

Here in the PNW… we get rain, snow, ice, hail, pollen, bugs, and pretty much anything else you can think of that would damage car paint! For that reason, it’s necessary for us to go through a paint correction stage prior to the ceramic coating application in order to remove paint imperfections, and create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can bond.

Do I Have To Get Paint Correction To Get A Ceramic Coating?
The simple answer is: Yes & No. Ok… maybe it’s not so simple. We have many
customers who understand what paint correction is, and who realize that with it, the ceramic coating will have a longer life span, but they choose not to get any correction done because they want a lower price.

While there are situations when paint correction is necessary, there are also situations where it can be optional, and we love talking with our customers about the difference!

Even the most surface level of paint enhancement will extend the life of the ceramic coating, create an amazingly beautiful surface, and maximize your dollars spent… so we like to say: “It’s your choice… but we are biased” 🙂

Step 3: Ceramic Coating Application

After all of that work… It’s now time to install the ceramic coating. You know how a Doctor goes to school for 8-12 years before they actually start to practice? Most of the work is in the PREP!

While there is a lot of technical skill included in the ceramic coating application… most of the time and labor is done in the preparation! Ceramic coating installations take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on the size of the vehicle, but the preparation takes ALL of the other hours. Depending on the amount of paint correction done, a ceramic coating installation can take somewhere between a single day, and 2 to 3 days to finish.