Paint protection film
Paint protection film is a clear urethane layer applied over the paint that absorbs impact a coating cannot. It costs $1,199 to $3,800 depending almost entirely on how much of the car you cover.
- Typical range
- $1,199 to $3,800 middle half of the market
- Median
- $1,999 across 128 shops
- Prices read
- 340 from published price lists
- Installers listed
- 807 nobody paid to be here
What paint protection film actually is
Paint protection film, also called clear bra, is a thermoplastic urethane sheet applied over the paint. Modern film is self-healing: light scratches close up with heat. It is physical protection, which makes it the only thing on this site that stops a stone chip.
What it does, and what it doesn't
What it does
- Absorbs stone chips and road rash on the panels it covers
- Self-heals light scratching when warmed by sun or hot water
- Protects high-impact areas: bumper, hood leading edge, mirrors, rocker panels
- Can be coated on top, which is what most people with both actually have
What it won't do
- Cover the whole car for the price of a front. Coverage is the entire cost question
- Make the paint slick or hydrophobic on its own. That is what a coating over it is for
- Last forever. Film has a service life and edges are where it shows first
- Hide bad paint. Film is clear and it goes over what is there
How to choose, and what to ask
Three things that separate two quotes which look like the same job.
Coverage is the price
A partial front is $1,195 at the median, a full front $2,100, and a full body $6,000. All three are sold as "PPF" and they are five times apart, so a quote that does not name the panels is not a quote.
Ask about the edges
Wrapped edges tuck the film behind the panel and are invisible. Trimmed edges stop at the panel line and eventually collect dirt. The difference is labor hours and it is the clearest signal of how a shop works.
Film first, coating second
If you are having both, the film goes on and the coating goes over it. Coating first means the film is being applied to a surface engineered to repel adhesive.
Who installs it
807 shops in our listings advertise paint protection film, and they're ranked on what they publish rather than on what they pay. Nothing on this site is for sale to the businesses listed on it.
Get paint protection film quotes
Tell us the car and the work. We put it in front of shops that do this specific job, and they come back to you directly. We aren't a middleman on the price and we take no cut of it.
- Your details go only to shops you're matched with
- Most replies land the same day
- Free, and no obligation to book anything
Paint protection film: common questions
Is PPF better than a ceramic coating?
They are not competing. Film stops physical damage, a coating handles chemical damage and makes the car easy to wash. Film is $1,999 at the median against $950 for a coating, and plenty of cars have both, with the film on the impact areas and the coating over everything.
How long does paint protection film last?
Manufacturers warrant film for around ten years and the real-world limit is usually the edges and any yellowing on older products. It is removable by a shop that knows how, which is the argument for professional installation on an expensive car.
What is a clear bra?
The same thing. Clear bra is the older term, from when film covered only the front bumper and hood edge the way a vinyl car bra used to. Shops use both names and price them the same way, by coverage.
