🚗 Car Ceramic Coating Cost: DIY vs Professional

Deciding whether to pay a professional for a ceramic coating or do it yourself comes down to the value of your time. Professional coatings are expensive because of the intense labor required. As Attention 2 Details w/ Chelsea puts it, I ended up charging the customer a little over $1,000 for this entire service.

Use this calculator to determine if doing the work yourself yields a high enough hourly savings to justify spending your weekend in the garage.

While the coating itself isn't too pricey, DIY means buying all the preparation products. A 4oz bottle of McKee's 37 Graphene Coating does four vehicles, costing about $38 per car.

However, prep is 90% of the job. As Attention 2 Details w/ Chelsea puts it, the iron remover is the most expensive chemical typically that you're going to need during the prep step. Add in high-quality soaps, clay bars, and towels, and your material costs quickly add up.

If you don't already own detailing equipment, you have to factor in the startup cost. To get professional results, you need proper lighting and a dual-action polisher to correct the paint before applying the coating.

While you don't strictly have to polish, you do need to decontaminate thoroughly. These initial equipment purchases eat into your net cash savings. A pro already has these tools covered in their overhead.

Based on content by Attention 2 Details w/ Chelsea on YouTube.

Original: How Much Does A Ceramic Coating REALLY Cost? | Professional Detailer Insider Tips