Why Does Ceramic Coating Cost So Much?

Why ‌do ‌you ‌guys charge so much for ceramic coating?

When we quote ceramic coating, you might wonder why the price seems so high when in your mind you envisioned us wiping some stuff around on the car. There is more to ceramic coating than meets the eye! This job consists of more than just applying the coating. There is a lot of prep and inspection work involved in order to achieve the desired look of your vehicle.

Ceramic coating will not fix scratches or sanding marks, nor will it make your contaminated paint smooth. Whatever is left on the surface when we apply this coating will still be there to show for it. That's why we start with the condition of the car, and not the name on the coating bottle.

1. Inspecting the vehicle

Before we even start, we inspect the vehicle's paint, trim, glass, and wheels. We look for any scratches, swirl marks, watermarks, or other blemishes. Even new cars need to be inspected as "new" does not always indicate the car's paint is free of production, transport, storage, or washing marks.

Inspection is important as it will indicate to us what prep needs to be done on the vehicle. It will also indicate to us what blemishes are able to be fixed, and what blemishes are beyond repair. Depending on what the client is looking for in terms of ease of maintenance, or what they are looking for in terms of best appearance, the level of polishing they are interested in will be different.

2. Washing the car

In order for us to assess or polish the paint properly, the car must be properly washed. We will wash the car, paying close attention to low areas and trim.

This isn't just for looks, either. If we don't wash the car properly, we might have issues in the following steps, or we could rub stuff across the paint during polishing. We need a clean car in order for us to properly assess what is on the surface and what is in the surface.

3. Removing bonded contamination

After washing the vehicle, we might still feel some roughness in the paint. This is due to particles that are bonded to the surface of the paint. These particles could be iron contamination, road film, or any other type of debris that is on the surface of the paint but cannot be removed through washing alone. We will use proper decontamination techniques to resolve whatever we might find on the surface.

Removing bonded contamination is important as we need to have a proper surface to coat the car. Coating over contamination will affect the outcome of the coating and we will not achieve the refined look that the client was expecting.

4. Polishing or paint correction

This is usually the most time consuming part of the job.

Our first priority is to assess the paint before any correction begins. We use a NexDiag NexPTG Professional gauge to take readings across the vehicle and build a panel-by-panel paint thickness map. We then inspect the finish with a NextLED color matching auto detailing light to reveal swirls, scratches, and differences in the paint that ordinary lighting can hide. Together, these checks help us identify areas that need extra care and set appropriate limits for the correction work.

We will at the very least polish the paint to prepare and to enhance the paint before we coat it. If the car has visible swirl marks, scratches, haze, or sanding marks, we will likely have to do some type of paint correction to achieve a more dramatic improvement to the appearance of the vehicle. We will go through every panel, checking our work and adjusting our technique depending on the condition of the paint.

The level of paint correction will affect the price of the job. Light polishing to prepare and to enhance a good paint surface will not take as long as a more involved paint correction to reduce the appearance of blemishes across the vehicle. Weird body shapes or hard to reach areas, or paint that does not respond as well to polishing, will also affect the time spent.

Before we start, we will talk to the client about the scope of this section of the work. Preparing the paint for coating is not the same thing as full paint correction. If the client opts for lighter prep, they should be aware that some scratches or blemishes will still be visible beneath the coating. We want this to be communicated to the client before they approve the work so that they are not surprised by it upon pick up.

5. Cleaning the surfaces prior to coating

After polishing, we might still have oils or other debris on the surface. Once we have the paint where we want it, we will use a proper panel preparation process to clean the surface in order to get it ready for the coating.

Cleaning the surfaces before coating is an easy one to miss when providing an estimate for the work, but it is very important. A freshly polished panel is not automatically ready to coat. We need to ensure that the panel is clean and dry before we proceed.

6. Applying and inspecting the coating

The coating needs to be applied properly to the selected surfaces. We will go panel by panel, leveling the coating as necessary and inspecting the finish for any inconsistencies or residue in the coating. Lighting and detail are important during this step to ensure we do not miss anything and do not leave any residue behind that could affect the final appearance.

The coating will also need to be monitored to be within the curing conditions dictated by the product. This will vary depending on the coating and the surfaces being coated.

If glass, wheels, trim, or any other surface is included in your quote, there is prep and application work involved. A price for coating all the applicable surfaces off a vehicle is not something that can be directly compared to a price for coating paint off of a vehicle.

What you are paying for

While we do pay for the coating product, we also invest in the prep and application time. Inspection, washing, decontamination, polishing or correction, final surface preparation, application, and inspection of the coating. If it is a large job with extensive correction and multiple surfaces, this could be many many hours of work. Your cost will depend on the size and condition of your vehicle, as well as the finish you select.

We do not believe that every vehicle requires the most correction that we can offer. However, we do believe that the proper prep should be used for the promise that is being made. A lower price does not always mean a better deal. It could mean we are coating less surfaces or less time was spent enhancing the paint. Both of which are valid options that we will communicate to the client clearly.

Ceramic coating will make your car easier to clean and look well polished, but it will not prevent rock chips, nor will it make your car require less care. We want to provide you with a look that you are happy to show off, a coating applied to a properly prepped surface, and for you to know exactly what you are paying for.