Professional ceramic car coatings in Dallas-Fort Worth cost anywhere from $800 to $3,000 (which includes the coating cost and labor to apply it). Some auto detailers will charge up to $6,000 for a ceramic coating service, so pricing may vary.
Below, we’ll answer 8 common questions about ceramic coatings to help you decide if this service is right for your vehicle:
- What Is a Ceramic Coating?
- Why Do Ceramic Coatings Cost So Much?
- What Is the Ceramic Coating Process of an Auto Detail?
- Are Graphene or Ceramic Coatings Better for Your Car?
- Should You Get a Ceramic Coating for Your Car?
- When Is the Best Time to Get a Ceramic Coating?
- What Is Included in a Ceramic Coating Service?
- Where Can You Get Professional Ceramic Coatings in Dallas-Fort Worth?
What Is a Ceramic Coating?
A ceramic coating is a SiO2 or silica dioxide semi-permanent form of protection that bonds directly to your vehicle’s clearcoat. It has a carrier fluid with nano-particles of SiO2 inside it, which creates a molecular bond that cannot be easily or chemically broken like wax can.
Ceramic coating technology has been around for decades – since about 1970. However, technology has come a long way in the past 50 years. Ceramic coatings, as we see them today, have really been present and mainstream since 2010.
The term “ceramic coating” can function as a little bit of an umbrella term. There are different types of ceramic coatings. The four main categories of coatings are:
- Silica Dioxide
- Silica Carbide SiC
- Graphene
- Titanium Oxide TiO2
All of these can technically be called ceramic coatings. They all have different pros and cons. SiO2 coatings are by far the most popular and are what we use.
Why Do Ceramic Coatings Cost So Much?
While there is a lot of labor that goes into applying ceramic coatings to a vehicle, which we’ll go into in a moment when we talk about the ceramic coating process, the coating itself is very expensive.
Our 10-year ceramic coating costs $230 for a 60ml bottle, which is typically enough for one vehicle.
What Is the Ceramic Coating Process of an Auto Detail?
Below are the most common steps used to apply a ceramic coating to a car:
- Wash and decontaminate the vehicle
- Paint correction
- Apply the ceramic coating
The ceramic coating process depends on what the client wants, but, at a minimum, we have to wash and chemically and mechanically decontaminate the paint before applying the ceramic coating.
The ceramic coating has to bond directly to your vehicle’s clearcoat. If we don’t do this step, then there can be embedded contaminants in the clearcoat. Those contaminates essentially cause friction and the coating can fail prematurely.
Next is paint correction. This is the biggest piece of prep work.
When you apply a coating, you are sealing in your vehicle’s finish, however it looks at the time. If you have scratches and swirls, you will be sealing those in under the coating. So whatever paint color or state of your vehicle, make sure you are happy with the look of your vehicle before you get a ceramic coating.
If you don’t care about the scratches and swirls, some auto detailers – Fort Worth Auto Detail being one of them – do offer ceramic coatings without paint correction.
Paint correction, depending on the amount needed, can take anywhere from 1 – 3 days to complete. Applying the ceramic coating can take 1 – 2 hours.
Are Graphene or Ceramic Coatings Better for Your Car?
It depends on the kind you use, but professional, ceramic coatings are usually going to outperform graphene coatings.
Which Lasts Longer: Graphene or Ceramic Coatings?
If you read our previous article on graphene coatings, you might be confused to hear our recommendation on this this time around. In our article on graphene coatings, it’s clear to see that graphene coatings are superior to ceramic ones and are going to outlast your typical ceramic coating, but we should clarify that graphene coatings are better than retail or consumer-grade ceramic coatings, not professional ones.
Professional ceramic coatings are an entirely different ballgame.
Retail ceramic coating longevity is around 3 – 5 years while graphene coating longevity is usually around 5 – 7 years. Professional-grade ceramic coatings, however, can last much longer.
At Fort Worth Auto Detail, we offer 3, 6 and 10-year professional ceramic coatings – all of which have guaranteed longevity. Ceramic coating’s durability can really vary depending on how you maintain it: Is it garage-kept or outside? Hand washed or car washed? Etc. With our professional ceramic coatings, no matter what, you’ll get 3, 6 or 10 years out of it and if you don’t, we’ll replace it for free!
Are Graphene or Ceramic Coatings Scratch Proof?
No, they are not. While ceramic and graphene coatings are very hard, they are not bulletproof, especially against rock chips, so it can still scratch. However once fully cured, coatings can reach a hardness of 9H. So yes while not impenetrable, they are incredibly tough. You can check out this scratch test to see an example.
There are many additional ceramic coating benefits that make them worth your time and investment, which we’ll talk about in more detail below.
Should You Get a Ceramic Coating for Your Car?
Getting a ceramic coating for your car when you get an auto detail is a great idea when you’re thinking about the longevity of your car. As we have said before, a vehicle is typically the second largest purchase someone makes in their life. A ceramic coating is one of the absolute best ways to protect that investment.
A ceramic coating is going to make your vehicle a breeze to clean because it is going to create a semi-permanent bond to your vehicle’s clearcoat. This bond, by its chemical makeup, is going to reject any other surface that comes into contact with it – whether that be dirt, bug guts, tar, tree sap, bird droppings, or water, which you can see an example of here.
If you have a pressure washer, you can have a clean vehicle in 5 minutes. That’s because your ceramic coating (properly installed and bonded to your vehicle’s clearcoat) plus water (nature’s ultimate solvent because of its ability to form hydrogen bonds) plus a PSI of 1200 to 1900 from the pressure washer equals a clean vehicle in minutes.
Then, once you rinse your vehicle, you can take a leaf blower and dry any remaining water without ever touching the vehicle. You can wash and dry your vehicle from your own house in the time it would take you to drive to your local car wash and run your vehicle through it, which you should never do, by the way.
A ceramic coating will make your car more durable, easier to clean, protect against water spots, etc. It is also going to add another level of protection to your vehicle to make it last longer and improve your CarFax report.
We’d say how much of a priority it should be for you depends on how you use your vehicle and where you live.
Do you drive it a lot? Do you commute to work? How often do you go on family vacations? Do you live in Texas? Ceramic coatings are especially helpful for North Texas individuals and families given our Texas heat and seasonal rainstorms.
In our opinion one of the biggest benefits for ceramic coatings is the time it is going to save you. Everybody wants a great looking car but not everyone has time to do so. A ceramic coating is going to seal in your vehicle’s great look and give the ability to maintain that look for years to come.
When Is the Best Time to Get a Ceramic Coating?
The best time to get a ceramic coating is immediately after you purchase a new vehicle.
One of the most expensive parts of getting a ceramic coating is getting the paint to a level that you are going to be happy with for years to come. When does your paint look its best? When you get that new vehicle.
Now, this doesn’t mean that new vehicles don’t need paint correction. New vehicles often have been transported from the factory, traveled thousands of miles to get to your local dealership, potentially sat outside on the dealership lot, and are usually not properly washed by the dealership, introducing minor scratches and swirls into the vehicle at the very start. But getting a new vehicle coated as soon as possible is going to save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars, as opposed to waiting to get it applied to your vehicle later on.
So, ideally, tell the dealership not to wash the vehicle and bring it straight to the detail shop so we can get long-term protection on it immediately. That way you can enjoy the gloss, depth, clarity, and shine of your vehicle for years to come.
What Is Included in a Ceramic Coating Service?
Below are our ceramic coating packages – what’s included and the benefits you’ll get from each one:
Light Correction/3-Year Coating ($799)
- Tires and rims cleaned
- Vehicle treated with foam wash
- Hand wash
- Paint and rims chemically decontaminated
- Hand and air dried
- Paint mechanically decontaminated
- Single-step polish
- IPA mix applied to paint
- System X crystal ceramic coating applied to paint, windows, and rims, providing 3 years of protection
- Tires and trim dressed
Medium Correction/6-Year Coating ($1699)
- Tires and rims cleaned
- Vehicle treated with foam wash
- Hand wash
- Paint and rims chemically decontaminated
- Hand and air dried
- Paint mechanically decontaminated
- Single-step polish
- IPA mix applied to paint
- System X crystal ceramic coating applied to paint, windows, and rims, providing 6 years of protection
- Tires and trim dressed
Heavy Correction/10-Year Coating ($2899)
- Tires and rims cleaned
- Vehicle treated with foam wash
- Hand wash
- Paint and rims chemically decontaminated
- Hand and air dried
- Paint mechanically decontaminated
- Single-step polish
- IPA mix applied to paint
- System X crystal ceramic coating applied to paint, windows, and rims, providing 10 years of protection
- Tires and trim dressed
Where Can You Get Professional Ceramic Coatings in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Fort Worth Auto Detail is certified by SystemX to apply ceramic coatings to our customers’ vehicles. This ceramic coatings company does not sell their coatings to the public; only to certified professionals who have gone through their training.
We’d love to help you get started with ceramic coatings appointment!
