If your vehicle is less than six or seven years old, I often recommend a PAINT ENHANCEMENT instead of a PAINT CORRECTION. The reason for this is newer vehicles are painted by robots that are programmed to apply very thin coats of paint. This saves the manufacturer a lot of money because applying thicker layers or multiple layers of clear coat paint is expensive.
If you choose a PAINT ENHANCEMENT a fine polish is applied by machine to remove minor defects in the clear coat. This polishing can restore a brilliant shine and greatly improve the appearance and clarity of your paint.
The average price for a PAINT ENHANCEMENT including Exterior Detail is $385.
PAINT CORRECTION is a deeper, more aggressive process that removes swirl marks and scratches in the paint. Older vehicles have thicker clear coats so they can often undergo multiple Paint Corrections over the lifetime of the vehicle. PAINT CORRECTION service can be ordered on a newer vehicle but it can lead to premature peeling, cracking or flaking of the clear coat. In addition, the ultraviolet UV inhibitors that are mixed into the clear coat at the factory rises to the top as the paint dries. This UV protection is partially removed during the PAINT CORRECTION process. This is one more reason why it’s important to apply a paint sealant or paint coating to protect the factory clear coat. In the section below I describe the different levels of PAINT CORRECTION.
Level – 1
One-Step Paint Correction with Exterior Detail: $420 to $520 depending on size of vehicle & condition of paint.
- Pressure Wash vehicle with foaming cleanser to remove road film, dirt, salt, brine.
- Hand Wash vehicle– 2 buckets with grit guard screens
- Chemical Decontamination to remove industrial fallout, iron particles, road tars
- Clay Bar treatment to remove bonded contaminants from paint
- Deep Clean tires, wheels and wheel wells. Tires are dressed with a non-solvent, water-based tire protectant
- Exterior Rubber & Plastic Trim cleaned and dressed
- Crystal Clean windows inside & out
- One–step Paint Correction: removes swirl marks, minor scratches, light water spots, light oxidation from UV sun exposure. Restores clarity and gloss to the paint. Some deeper scratches will remain.
Spray Sealant: up to 6-months of protection (included with paint correction at no charge)
Polymer Paint Sealant is applied which provides 9 to 12 months of durable protection & Top Gloss (price based on sealant that is chosen)
Ceramic Coating: 4 to 5 years of durable protection with a rock-candy brilliant gloss. Water just slides off the paint. Super slick, anti-static properties will keep your vehicle cleaner for longer in between washes. Maintenance is required to maximize the service life of a ceramic coating.
(Price range $450 to $895 depending on the coatings selected and the size of the vehicle).
Vehicle must be kept dry for four days to allow to cure.
Level – 2
Premium Two-Step Paint Correction with Exterior Detail: $495 to $695 depending on size of vehicle & condition of the paint.
- Pressure Wash vehicle with foaming cleanser to remove road film, dirt, salt, brine.
- Hand Wash vehicle– 2 buckets with grit guard screens
- Chemical Decontamination to remove industrial fallout, iron particles, road tars
- Clay Bar treatment to remove bonded contaminants from paint
- Deep Clean tires, wheels and wheel wells. Tires are dressed with a non-solvent, water-based tire protectant
- Exterior Rubber, Vinyl, Plastic Trim deep cleaned, color restored and protection applied
- Crystal Clean windows inside & out. Glass is polished and sealed.
- Vacuum Interior
- Two-Step Paint Correction: Vehicle is compounded and then polished. The compounding stage will remove swirl marks, water spots, oxidation and most scratches and defects. After compounding is completed the vehicle is machine polished to remove any compounding haze. The paint is polished to create an ultra-smooth finish for maximum reflection of light. Fine polishing provides excellent clarity and depth and imparts a Top Gloss to the paint. Your paint will have a brilliant appearance. The full process takes 3 to 4 days.
Spray Sealant: up to 6-months of protection (included with paint correction at no charge)
Polymer Paint Sealant Topped with Polymer Wax (2 separate layers): 9 to 12 months of durable protection & Top Gloss (price based on sealant-wax combination that is chosen)
I have a selection of sealants & waxes available to enhance different paint colors and provide the best protection based on how the vehicle is used.
Ceramic Coating: 4 to 5 years of durable protection with a rock-candy brilliant gloss. Water just slides off the paint. Super slick, anti-static properties will keep your vehicle cleaner for longer in between washes. Maintenance is required to maximize the service life of a ceramic coating.
(Price range $450 to $895 depending on the coatings selected and the size of the vehicle).
Vehicle must be kept dry for four days to allow to cure.
Level – 3
Ultimate Three-Step Paint Correction with Exterior Detail The Pursuit of Perfection at the Highest Level
- Pressure Wash vehicle with foaming cleanser to remove road film, dirt, salt, brine.
- Hand Wash vehicle – 2 buckets with grit guard screens
- Chemical Decontamination to remove industrial fallout, iron particles, road tars
- Clay Bar treatment to remove bonded contaminants from paint
- Deep Clean tires, wheels and wheel wells. Tires are dressed with a non-solvent, water-based tire protectant
- Wheels (rims) coated with long lasting Hi-Temperature resistant ceramic protection.
- Exterior Rubber, Vinyl, Plastic Trim deep cleaned, color restored and protection applied
- Crystal Clean windows inside & out. Glass is polished and sealed.
- Vacuum interior
- Headlights, taillights, hi-gloss exterior plastics are refinished and protected.
- Three-Step Paint Correction: A combination of compounds, medium polishes and ultrafine polishes are used to produce the ultimate finish from the paint. If desired, a test spot will be done so you can see with your own eyes the results before scheduling an appointment. Ultrafine polishing continues as long as needed to extract the best possible finish from each exterior surface on the vehicle; paint, plastic, vinyl, rubber and metal)
Multiple paint thickness measurements are taken to determine if deep scratches can be safely removed. Paint clearcoat is highly refined (jeweled) until a Top Gloss, flawless, mirror finish is achieved. Headlights, taillights and hi-gloss exterior plastics are polished and protected. - Requires a minimum of 25+ hours (5 days to complete). Price quote upon inspection of the vehicle.
Carnauba Wax (2 coats): Traditional wax treatment for show cars and collector cars. Adds depth to the paint with perfect clarity. Top quality carnauba waxes create a glossy wet look with a unique richness to the paint color. 4 to 5 months of protection.
Multiple wax choices are available to enhance white or silver paint, deeper dark colored paint or metallic or pearlescent paint.
Polymer Paint Sealant Topped with Polymer Wax (2 separate layers): 9 to 12 months of durable protection & Top Gloss (price based on sealant-wax combination that is chosen)
I have a selection of sealants & waxes available to enhance different paint colors and provide the best protection based on how the vehicle is used.
Ceramic Coating: 4 to 5 years of durable protection with a rock-candy brilliant gloss. Water just slides off the paint. Super slick, anti-static properties will keep your vehicle cleaner for longer in between washes. Maintenance is required to maximize the service life of a ceramic coating.
(Price range $450 to $895 depending on the coatings selected and the size of the vehicle).
Vehicle must be kept dry for four days to allow to cure.