Paint correction restores the paint. Ceramic coating protects it. They're complementary services, not alternatives — and almost every premium detail involves both, in that order.
Paint correction
Machine polishing to remove swirls, light scratches, water spots and oxidation. The goal is to bring the paint back as close to factory-fresh as possible before any protection is applied.
Correction is measured in stages. A single-stage correction uses one polish to remove around 70% of visible defects. A two-stage adds a finer finishing polish that removes the haze the first stage can leave behind. A full three-stage correction is reserved for show cars and heavily neglected paint.
Ceramic coating
A semi-permanent SiO2 layer that bonds chemically to the clear coat. It seals in the corrected finish, repels water, dirt and contaminants, and protects against UV damage.
Which do you need?
- New car — single-stage correction + coating
- 1–3 year old daily — two-stage correction + coating
- Older / neglected — full correction, possibly wet-sanding spot fixes, then coating
Cost expectations
Correction-only services start around $600 for a small car single-stage and run up past $2,000 for a full multi-stage on a large vehicle. Adding a coating typically costs another $400–$1,200 on top, depending on warranty length. Bundling correction and coating into a single package almost always saves money versus booking them separately.
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