Ceramic Coating & PPF Guide: Get It Done
15 Questions to Ask Before You Pay for a Ceramic Coating
A ceramic coating is a few-hundred to well-over-a-thousand-dollar decision, and most of what determines whether it was worth it is invisible on the day you pay. The prep, the product, the cure and the care afterward all happen out of sight or after you drive away.
These fifteen questions bring all of that into the open. Each comes with what a good answer sounds like, so you can judge the reply even if you have never had a car coated. We have also noted how we answer, where our published facts cover it.
The short answer
Before paying for a ceramic coating, ask what prep is included, whether the paint will be corrected or only enhanced, which exact product goes on and how many layers, which surfaces are covered, how long it must cure before washing, what care the rated durability assumes, who backs any warranty, and how the final price is set. Good answers are specific, name products and admit limits.
Key points
- Ask about prep first; the coating bonds to whatever is on the paint, including swirls and contamination.
- Get the exact product name and look up the maker's own data sheet and care requirements.
- Rated years assume proper maintenance; ask what that maintenance is before you choose a product.
- Warranty terms come from the coating manufacturer's document, not a verbal summary.
- A good installer volunteers the limits: no coating is permanent and none stops rock chips.
Prep
Questions 1 to 3: what happens before the coating
1. What prep is included in the price?
A good answer names stages: a hand wash, chemical decontamination for iron, tar and bugs, a clay bar, then machine polishing. A vague "we prep it" is not enough. Our minimum before any coating is a Level 2 detail, which adds iron remover on the wheels and paint, bug and tar remover, a clay bar and trim restorer.
2. Will my paint be corrected, enhanced or neither?
Listen for the difference. An enhancement is a light polish for gloss; a correction removes defects, in one stage or two. A coating over uncorrected paint seals the swirls in. We require a corrected or enhanced finish before coating, and a 2-step correction is the best prep for one.
3. Which defects will still be there afterward?
A good installer shows you specific spots and explains which will come out, which will improve and which will not, such as scratches through the clear coat or chips. If the answer is "all of them," be skeptical. We show what can and cannot be removed at inspection.
Product
Questions 4 to 6: what is actually going on the car
4. What is the exact product, and who makes it?
You want a brand and product name you can look up, with a data sheet behind it. "Ceramic" or "graphene" alone is a category, not a product. We use IGL: Kenzo (rated 10H) for 5-year, Quartz+ (9H) for 3-year and EZ (8H) for 1-year.
5. How many layers, and why that number?
Some coatings are single-layer systems and some use a base and a top layer. A good answer explains what the product's instructions call for, not "more layers is always better." IGL's Kenzo, for example, is a two-part base and top system with set waiting times between them.
6. Which surfaces does the price include?
Paint only, or also wheels, glass, plastic trim and seats? Each is a separate surface with different products or prep. Our coating add-ons for wheels, wheel faces, windshield, exterior glass, exterior plastics and seats are priced on request; a windshield glass coating is $100.
Expectations
Questions 7 to 9: what it will and won't do
7. What does the hardness rating mean in practice?
A good answer explains that 8H, 9H or 10H refers to a pencil hardness test and points to better resistance to light marring, not immunity to scratches. If someone says the car becomes scratch resistant in the everyday sense, that is a red flag.
8. What does the coating not protect against?
Listen for chips, door dings, deep scratches and water spots left to bake on. A coating makes paint slicker and easier to clean; it is not armor. If chips are the concern, the honest answer brings up paint protection film for the front end.
9. How long will it really last on my car?
The good answer starts with the rated durability and then adjusts it for how you drive, wash and park. Rated years assume proper maintenance. A car parked outside under pines and washed at a brush wash will not get the same life as a garaged car washed by hand.
Cure and care
Questions 10 to 12: the weeks after pickup
10. How long must it stay dry, and when can I wash it?
The answer should come from the product's instructions. IGL's data sheet for Kenzo says to avoid water for about 4 hours after application, that it fully cures in 3 to 5 days, and that harsh shampoos and all-purpose cleaners should be avoided during that period.
11. What wash routine does the rated durability assume?
Expect: hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo, avoid automatic brush washes, dry with clean microfiber. IGL's Kenzo data sheet says to use cleaners in the pH 3 to 9 range. Ask whether the care instructions come in writing; ours are given at pickup.
12. Is there a maintenance option if I don't want to do it myself?
Some shops offer upkeep visits or a topper service. We have a monthly maintenance program for coated vehicles; details and price are not published, so ask about it when you book.
Money and paper
Questions 13 to 15: price, warranty and paperwork
13. Is this the final price, or a starting price?
A good answer explains what moves the number: vehicle size and the correction the paint needs. Our coating prices are starting prices by size, from $699.98 for a 1-year coating on a coupe, and the final price is confirmed after inspection.
14. Who backs the warranty, and what does it require?
The useful answer is the manufacturer's name and its document, plus any registration, inspection or maintenance it requires and what it excludes. Our coating years are each product's rated durability with proper maintenance, not a promise; warranty terms, where they apply, come from IGL.
15. What do I get in writing?
At minimum: the scope (prep stages and surfaces), the product name, the price and care instructions. AAA's general advice for auto services is to insist on a written estimate that describes the work and costs and says the price won't be exceeded without your approval.
Using the answers
How to read what you hear
Good answers share three traits. They are specific: product names, stage names, surfaces, prices tied to something you can see. They admit limits without being asked. And they line up with the manufacturer's documents when you check them later.
Weak answers lean on adjectives instead of facts. "Our best package," "premium ceramic" and "protects against everything" tell you nothing you can verify. If several questions get vague replies, the job itself is likely to be vague too.
Do not be put off by an honest "it depends." Durability depends on care, correction depends on paint condition, and price depends on both. What matters is that the installer can tell you what it depends on, and then pins it down after looking at your car.
| Topic | Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Questions 1 to 3 | Named stages, honest limits |
| Product | Questions 4 to 6 | Brand, product, layers, surfaces |
| Expectations | Questions 7 to 9 | No chip or scratch promises |
| Cure and care | Questions 10 to 12 | Product-specific times, written care |
| Money and paper | Questions 13 to 15 | How the price is set, who backs the warranty |
Ask us all fifteen
Request a coating quote and bring this list. We inspect your paint, recommend the prep and coating that fit, and confirm the final price before any work starts.
Common questions
What is the most important question to ask before a ceramic coating?
Ask what prep is included. The coating bonds to whatever is on the surface, so wash, decontamination and polishing decide how it looks and how long it lasts. If the prep is thin or vague, the product name hardly matters. A detailed prep answer is the best single sign of a careful job.
Is it rude to ask an installer for the product's data sheet?
No. Asking for the product name and looking up its data sheet is reasonable for any purchase at this price. Most coating makers publish technical data sheets and care instructions, and a confident installer will be glad you read them. It also helps you buy the right maintenance products later.
Can I ask to see the paint after correction, before the coating goes on?
Ask when you book how the job is scheduled. Coating is applied soon after the final prep wipe so nothing settles on the clean paint, which can make a mid-job viewing hard to arrange. Seeing the defects you discussed at inspection, compared at pickup, is usually the more practical check.
Should the quote change after the installer sees my car?
It can, and that is normal. Starting prices assume typical paint; heavy swirls, oxidation or many deep marks need more correction time. What should not happen is an unexplained increase. A good installer tells you what changed and why, and confirms the final price before work begins.
Sources
- Technical Data Sheet: Ecocoat Kenzo K1, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tds_ecocoat_kenzo_K1_154343.pdf), accessed October 2026
- Ecocoat Kenzo, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/products/ecocoat-kenzo-graphene-reinforced/), accessed October 2026
- Ecocoat Quartz, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/products/ecocoat-quartz/), accessed October 2026
- Ecocoat EZ, IGL Coatings (https://iglcoatings.com/products/ecocoat-ez/), accessed October 2026
- Insist On A Written Repair Estimate, AAA (https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/Insist-On-A-Written-Repair-Estimate), 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.