Ceramic Coating & PPF Guide: Compare
How Much Does a Ceramic Coating Cost? What Drives the Price
Ask three shops to price a ceramic coating and you can get three very different numbers. Some of that is product, but most of it is labor: how much preparation the paint gets before the coating goes on, and how carefully it is applied.
This guide breaks a coating quote into its parts so you can compare offers on what they include, not just the total. Where it helps, we use our own published starting prices as real examples.
The short answer
A professional ceramic coating's price is driven mostly by paint preparation, then by vehicle size, the coating product and its rated durability, and any add-ons such as wheels or glass. At our shop, coatings start at $699.98 for a 1-year IGL EZ on a coupe and $1,299.98 for a 5-year IGL Kenzo on a coupe, rising by size, plus whatever prep the paint needs.
Key points
- Prep is the biggest variable: a coating needs decontaminated, corrected or enhanced paint, and correction can cost as much as the coating.
- Bigger vehicles cost more because there is more surface to prep, polish and coat.
- Longer-rated coatings cost more, partly from product and partly from extra layers and application time.
- Wheels, glass, plastics and seats are add-ons and should be listed separately on a quote.
- A very low price usually means less prep or a lighter product, not a better deal.
Factor 1
Paint Preparation Is Most of the Work
A ceramic coating bonds to whatever is on the surface and then holds it there for years. That includes swirl marks, water spots and bonded contamination. So a proper coating job starts with a thorough wash and decontamination, then polishing to remove or reduce defects, then a panel wipe so the coating bonds to bare clear coat.
At our shop, Level 2 Detail is the minimum before a coating. It adds iron remover on wheels and paint, bug and tar remover, clay bar and trim restorer to the hand wash, starting at $249.99 for a 2-door. Coating also requires a paint-corrected or enhanced finish, and unless the vehicle is brand new, wheels are de-ironed and polished where needed.
Correction is where quotes diverge the most. A 1-Step Correction starts at $799.99 and takes about 2 days; a 2-Step starts at $1,399.99 and takes about 3 days, with a cutting stage before the refining polish. A new car may need very little. A ten-year-old black SUV with years of automatic washes may need the full 2-step. That one decision can double the total.
Factor 2
Vehicle Size and Shape
Every panel has to be prepped, polished and coated by hand, so surface area drives labor. A coupe has far less paint than a crew-cab dually or a full-size SUV XL, and tall vehicles add ladder work on roofs. That is why coating prices are set by class: coupe, sedan, wagon, SUV sizes, truck and dually.
Shape matters too. Lots of vents, intricate grilles, aero pieces and sharp body lines take longer to polish and coat than broad flat panels, which is one reason final prices are confirmed after an inspection.
Factor 3
The Product, Its Rating and Its Layers
- IGL KenzoOur 5-year coating, 10H
- IGL rates its graphene-reinforced Kenzo for up to 5 years of protection. It comes as a kit with a separate base and top coat, and IGL sells it only to professional installers with Kenzo training certification. More product and more application steps mean a higher price. Kenzo vs Quartz+ vs EZ
- IGL Quartz+Our 3-year coating, 9H
- IGL describes Quartz+ as a hybrid that combines two different ceramic coatings in a two-layer system, with graphene nanoplatelets for slickness and water spot resistance. Self-cleaning explained
- IGL EZOur 1-year coating, 8H
- A single-layer coating that IGL rates for up to 12 months and says can also be used on wheels, trim, headlights, PPF and vinyl. One layer means less application time. 1, 3 or 5 years?
Years are the product's rated durability with proper maintenance, not a promise. Warranty terms, where they apply, come from IGL.
Factor 4
Add-Ons That Change the Total
- Wheels and wheel faces: coated wheels shed brake dust more easily. Ask for a price.
- Windshield glass coating: IGL Ecocoat Window, $100 for the windshield.
- All exterior glass: $250 to $350, lasting about 20,000 miles.
- Exterior plastics and trim: ask for a price.
- Seats and leather: leather coating is available; ask for a price.
Factor 5
Time, Lighting and Environment
A coating has to be applied in the right conditions. Panels should be clean, cool and out of direct sun, and the installer needs strong, angled lighting to spot high spots (excess coating that wasn't leveled) before they cure. Pollen season and Upstate humidity make an indoor, controlled space more important, not less.
Training is part of the cost too. IGL restricts Kenzo to professional installers who hold its Kenzo training certification, so the price of a 5-year coating reflects both the product and the installer's preparation to use it. A low quote that skips the lighting, the controlled space or the time to level each panel properly often shows up later as streaks or patches that have to be polished off and redone.
Value math
Cost Per Year, Honestly
Longer coatings cost more up front but not in proportion to their rating. On a coupe, our 5-year Kenzo ($1,299.98) costs less than twice the 1-year EZ ($699.98) for five times the rated durability. If you keep the car and maintain the coating, the longer product is usually the better value per year.
That math only works if the coating gets the care it needs: hand washing with a pH-neutral shampoo, no brush car washes, and drying with clean microfiber. A 5-year coating run through brush washes every week won't deliver five years, and the money spent on durability is wasted. If you won't keep the car long, the 1-year or 3-year option is the honest choice.
Remember the ongoing cost as well. We offer a monthly maintenance program for coated vehicles; ask about it. Even without one, budget for the right shampoo and towels.
Comparing quotes
How to Compare Two Coating Quotes
Ask what prep is included
Wash, decontamination, how many polishing stages, and whether wheels are cleaned and polished. Two quotes with different prep aren't comparable.
Get the product name
A named product from a manufacturer lets you check its rated durability and care requirements yourself.
Ask how many layers
A single quick layer and a base-plus-top system are different jobs.
Check the paperwork
Ask for care instructions and any manufacturer warranty terms in writing. Be wary of 'lifetime' claims.
Confirm the final price process
Published prices are starting points. A good shop confirms the final number after inspecting the paint, before work begins.
| Vehicle | 5-year IGL Kenzo | 3-year IGL Quartz+ | 1-year IGL EZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coupe | $1,299.98 | $899.98 | $699.98 |
| Sedan | $1,349.99 | $1,049.98 | $849.98 |
| Wagon | Ask us | $1,079.98 | $879.98 |
| SUV (5 seats) | $1,449.99 | Ask us | Ask us |
| SUV | $1,549.99 | $1,099.99 | $899.99 |
| SUV (7 seats) | $1,599.98 | $1,199.98 | $999.98 |
| SUV XL | $1,599.99 | $1,349.99 | $1,048.99 |
| Truck | $1,449.99 | $1,149.99 | $1,047.99 |
| Dually | $1,599.99 | $1,249.99 | $1,049.99 |
Starting prices. The prep your paint needs is confirmed at inspection, along with the final price.
Get a Coating Quote for Your Vehicle
We'll inspect the paint, explain how much prep it needs, and confirm the final price before any work starts.
Common questions
Why do ceramic coating quotes vary so much between shops?
Mostly because of prep. One quote may include a full decontamination and multi-stage correction; another may be a quick wash and a single layer. Product, number of layers and add-ons also differ. Ask each shop exactly what is included, which product they use and how many layers, then compare like with like.
Is paint correction included in the price of a ceramic coating?
It depends on the shop and your paint. Ask before you book. At our shop, published coating prices are starting prices, a corrected or enhanced finish is required, and the inspection determines whether an enhancement, a 1-step or a 2-step correction is right. Your quote spells out the prep, and we confirm the final price before starting.
How much does it cost to ceramic coat a truck?
At our shop, starting prices for a truck are $1,047.99 for the 1-year IGL EZ, $1,149.99 for the 3-year IGL Quartz+ and $1,449.99 for the 5-year IGL Kenzo. Duallies start at $1,049.99, $1,249.99 and $1,599.99. Required prep and the final price are confirmed after inspection.
Is a DIY ceramic coating a cheaper way to get the same result?
The bottle is cheaper; the result usually isn't the same. Most of a professional price is prep and labor: decontamination, machine polishing, panel wiping and leveling under good light. Skip those and the coating locks in swirls or leaves high spots that need polishing off. If you have the tools, time and a garage, DIY can work on a car with good paint.
Does a more expensive coating protect better against scratches?
Not in the way most people hope. A longer-rated coating is more durable and chemical resistant, but no coating stops rock chips or real scratches. Higher hardness ratings help resist very light marring. If physical protection is the goal, paint protection film is the product that absorbs impacts.
Keep reading
Sources
- Ecocoat Kenzo, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/ecocoat), accessed October 2026
- Ecocoat Quartz+ Graphene Reinforced, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/products/ecocoat-quartz-plus), accessed October 2026
- Ecocoat EZ, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/products/ecocoat-ez), accessed October 2026
Prices on this page are The Auto Show’s published starting prices and are confirmed after we inspect the vehicle. Product ratings and warranty terms come from the manufacturers.