Ceramic coating: what it does, what it does not, and what to ask before you buy one

Ceramic coating is one of the most oversold products in the trade, which is a shame, because the underlying idea is sound. A coating is a hard, thin, semi permanent layer that bonds to the clear coat. Compared with a wax, it lasts far longer, sheds water far better, and makes routine washing easier because less is able to grip the surface in the first place.

What it is not is a force field. It does not make a vehicle scratch proof and it does not undo damage that is already there. Understanding that one distinction is most of what you need to buy a coating sensibly.

What we charge and what is included

A car and small SUV package is $429. A large SUV and truck package is $529. Each coating service includes a decontamination wash, prep and the coating itself. We only use quality products that are backed with a one, five and ten year warranty.

Read that list again and notice what is not in it. Paint correction is not included. That is stated up front rather than discovered at the end, and it is the single most important sentence in the whole service.

Why paint correction being separate matters so much

A coating is transparent and it follows the surface it is applied to. If the paint underneath has swirl marks, light scratches and dulling, the coating will lock that in and add gloss on top of it. The result is a shiny vehicle with all its existing imperfections still visible, and now sealed under something durable.

This is why any coating quote that does not distinguish between correction and coating is worth a second look. Correcting the paint first is more work and more money, and whether it is worth it depends entirely on the state of the vehicle. On a nearly new car there may be almost nothing to correct. On a ten year old daily driver there may be a great deal.

• Decontamination wash, which removes bonded contamination so the coating meets clean paint
• Prep, which is what determines whether the coating bonds properly at all
• The coating application itself
• Paint correction, which is a separate service and priced separately

What the warranty actually attaches to

The one, five and ten year warranties come from the coating products themselves, not from a promise invented at the kitchen table. Which tier is appropriate depends on the product chosen and on the vehicle. It is worth asking directly which product is going on your vehicle and what its warranty covers, and any detailer worth using will tell you without hesitation.

It is also worth being realistic about maintenance. A coating reduces how hard washing is. It does not remove the need to wash. A coated vehicle that is never cleaned will still accumulate contamination on top of the coating, and eventually that is what you will be looking at.

Coating an RV is a different question again

Exterior ceramic coating for RVs and motorhomes is available, but it is quoted individually rather than sold at a fixed price, because the surface area varies enormously and the condition of the gelcoat varies even more. Call (813) 291-1682 and describe the rig.

The honest summary

Buy a coating if you intend to keep the vehicle, you want washing to be less work, and you understand that you are protecting the current condition of the paint. Correct the paint first if the current condition is not what you want to preserve. Prices assume average vehicle size and condition, and you will be told about any upcharge before the work starts.