The Price of Ceramic Coating in Austin

One of the most common questions we get around ceramic coatings is “how much do ceramic coatings cost and are they worth the money? I’ll answer both of these questions with a realistic response to help you make an informed decision about cost and value of a ceramic coating.

So Exactly How Much Does Ceramic Coating Cost?

The short answer is it depends. 

With ceramic coatings you have many options in the market today and many installers around you to talk to so your pricing is going to be all over the map. Expect a solid, professional grade ceramic coating to start around $800 and go all the way up to $10,000. However, expect the average to be $1200-2000 in most cities. 

WHY IS THERE SUCH A HUGE SWING IN CERAMIC COATING PRICING? 

The cost of a ceramic coating varies so greatly because there are many factors that impact pricing. First and foremost it is very important that your paint is polished to remove defects prior to installing a coating and this is a skill that can be done well or poorly or worse cause more harm than good. Now, you can install a coating on unpolished paint, but keep in mind, a coating is not like a wax or sealant which is nearly gone after a few months.

Coatings are harder, thicker and more durable with lifespans measured in years so when installed on your paint, whatever is under the coating - well, its locked in there until the coating is removed. 

This is why you will hear the professional shops tell you they require the car to be polished prior to installation of a coating and also a big part of the cost and cost variance. For instance, a new Silver Porsche 911 will need a single stage polishing to get the paint ready for a ceramic coating. 

“MY CAR IS NEW, IT DOESN’T NEED A POLISH”

We hear this often, but the reality is dealerships aren’t in the business of preserving paint, they are in the business of selling cars and moving them quickly. Unfortunately this means wash processes are about speed and not care. We’ve yet to see a new car come in with perfect paint and a professional shop will tell you the same. 

So, if we take that new silver Porsche 911 and compare it to say, a 3 year old black 2500 Truck, you’d expect the black truck to require much more work to prepare that surface for a coating, probably triple the amount of work need to polish a finish in that condition, on a vehicle that size. This greatly increases the cost of the coating preparation thus increasing the cost of the coating.

Now that we understand the paint preparation side, the coating technology also plays a factor in the cost. Coatings are usually going to be rated by years of life. The professional grade coatings will have been tested to survive for a duration of time under normal conditions, outdoors. This includes rain, snow, and sun to determine the rating for a coating.

Coating manufacturers will have varying degrees of requirements to keep their coatings ‘under warranty’ so you’ll want to speak with each installer and determine what is required for the coatings to be warrantied. Some will require yearly inspections and maintenance, others will not. 

However, pricing will also be impacted by the ceramic coating you choose. A 1 year coating will cost far less than let’s say a 5 year coating. This will also vary per manufacturer as some require multiple layers stacked to get the duration required for warranty, others build in the strength as the nano level to achieve a specific lifespan - both are ok. You are buying a product that is warrantied for it’s said duration thus pricing will rise with it. 

As an installer, our pricing to buy the product increases with the duration or technology selected as does our install process. 1 year coatings are usually much easier and faster to install than a 5 year or lifetime coating, thus requiring more labor and time.

A good professional shop should be clean, organized, have proper equipment and trained paint refinement and installers to ensure the best quality product and paint preservation.

What kind of ceramic coating prices do we see in the market:

Though this isn’t a finite pricing guide, we do hear ball park ranges from quality shops across the nation and this is typically what range you should expect prices to be within on average;

1 year coatings with single stage polish : $700-1800

3 year coatings with single stage polish: $1200-2500

5 year coatings with single stage polish: $1800-3500

Lifetime coatings with single stage polish: $3500-6000

As you shop around for a ceramic coating, ask questions, find an installer you trust and one that you know will support you long term in case you have any issues. Though coatings are fantastic, they aren’t bullet proof, and this is a human process - so having an installer that is like a partner to you is what you want to look for. 

I hope you find this article helpful. If you want to learn more about our ceramic coating offerings - check out our Ceramic Coating Page.