Ceramic coating, PPF and correction, explained
What each one does, what shops charge for it, and what to ask before you pay.
Start with the problem you want to solve
They overlap, but one can't stand in for another.
Ceramic coating
A hard chemical layer that makes washing easier and helps the paint resist etching.
$600–$1,399
Typical posted price · 708 shops
See the prices →Paint protection film
Clear urethane film for the panels that take rock chips.
$1,199–$3,800
Typical posted price · 127 shops
See the prices →Paint correction
Machine polishing that takes out swirls and light scratches before anything goes on top.
$349–$700
Typical posted price · 330 shops
See the prices →Tools and price data
Built from the prices shops post on their own websites.
Protection price index
What shops charge nationally for each service, with a download.
Prices by state and metro
What shops advertise for coating, correction and film in each state and major metro, with a download.
Check a dealer's quote
See where a coating, film or correction quote sits among prices independent shops advertise near you.
Is my installer on the brand's list?
Look a shop up against 8 brands' own installer lists, including XPEL, Ceramic Pro, Gtechniq.
Specialist census
Coating and film specialists per resident in every state, and what kind of shops they are.
Coating vs film: the total cost
What coating, film or both cost over the years you keep the car, counting each reapplication.
What paint faces where you live
Hail, sun, snow days and humid summers by state, from NOAA and NASA data.
Your aftercare schedule
The first wash, cure and warranty inspection dates for your coating or film, from its maker's terms.
Charts to embed
Prices by state and metro and specialists per resident, as images you can publish with credit.
Past price reports
Earlier editions of the price index, kept as published so you can compare.
Protection decision tool
Answer a few questions about your car and get a place to start, typical prices and what to ask a shop.
Find an installer
Shops that say on their own websites that they do coating, PPF or correction.
569 shops post at least one price. Services listed are what each shop says it offers, not something we've certified.
Decision guides
From picking a service to checking a quote to caring for the finish.
Ceramic coating vs PPF
Pick by how much road debris you see, how you wash, and what you want covered.
When to correct the paint first
Whether your paint needs polishing, correction or real repair before you protect it.
What a coating quote should specify
Product, surfaces, prep, cure time and warranty: what should be in writing.
Maintenance and aftercare
From pickup and the first wash to spotting problems later.
Ceramic coating problems
Water spots, high spots, cure time, weak beading and removal, from the makers’ own instructions.
PPF brands compared
XPEL, 3M, STEK, SunTek and LLumar: warranties and finishes, from each maker.
Graphene vs ceramic coating
What the graphene claims rest on, and what to compare instead.
How to shop for paint protection
- Start with the problem: chips, washing, or how the paint looks.
- Compare quotes for the same coverage, prep and aftercare.
- Use the price ranges to sanity-check a quote, not to predict yours.
- Get the product, panels, prep and warranty exclusions in writing.