Is the Ceramic Coating Cost Worth it?

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General Introduction

It is too necessary to take out your calculator now since we are going to get mathematical. It is a well-known fact that DIY ceramic coatings are remarkably good products for guarding the cars’ paint surface. However, what is the actual cost included in the prep, smear, and care for this stuff made to offer superior paint protection?

It is one difficult query to respond to. There are various kinds of ceramic coating products, varying between professional ceramic coating stuff followed by the skilled detailers to DIY Nano-ceramic coatings kits. Some vehicles need more prep tasks inclusively the paint correction to the clear coat in some conditions, which also influences the whole cost.

Thus, for the sake of making things simpler, we are going to present this article with a comprehensive hit. It will be time taking to crack up the costs for the subsequent things.

The Distinction Between the Price and the Cost

It actually relies on the personal likings or comfort level of the person to decide whether something worth devoting money or not. Let’s someone is very easy-going for devoting money ($3K) for ceramic pro installation and another person for devoting $1K money to give in order to get rid of the swirl marks. Most of the people will attempt to help themselves regardless of not knowing the pros and cons of doing it.

Now when everything explained in this regard, we will explain to you the distinction between the price and cost.

The Price:

The price is signified as the monetary sum of cash you devote to the specific product or service. Let’s you have purchased the Armor Shield IX Nano-ceramic coating kit is $69 USD.

The Cost:

The cost is connected to the sum of cash (time or sweat equity) that is related to utilizing a specific product. Let’s say the cost of investing on the Armor shield IX will comprise of following things:

  1. The fee of the detailing provisions inclusively the car washing, clay bar treatment, buffing, and the last wipe off.
  2. The sweat equity or paying the laborers for doing their tasks includes the completion of the prep work that is to say that how much money your time is of value or the fee you will give to have someone else accomplish the task.
  3. The time is taken for smearing the product
  4. The fee charged for any maintenance.

Conferring to this thing, we will attempt to give you as many details as possible. The subsequent detail shows the three most prominent ways of guarding vehicle paint for 2 years or more.

The Pro Ceramic Coating: $5240 (Install plus 2 years)

The DIY Ceramic Coating: $620 (stuff or product +2 years)

The Wash-down/Wax/Glaring: $740 (supplies plus 2 years)

The Professional Ceramic Products- Cracking up the Costs

A professional-level ceramic coating is importantly made to be installed by the certified installation specialists. It is generally a five-day procedure from the beginning which includes a little more prep task than a DIY ceramic coating to applying and curing.

Thus, what the monetary cost is related to choosing the professional level stuff? You can see what we have found that is the most professional coatings are marketed in packages that will comprise of:

  1. The fundamental prep works inclusively the washing-down auto, peeling off the old wax, glossing treatment, and lastly, the IPA wipe down.
  2. The product provisions add the ceramic coating, stuffs to set up, for example, the applying tools that differ grounded on the kind of the professional coating
  3. The labor for smearing the ceramic coating’s cost.
  4. The capacity of the auto for curing and prep work.

When you choose for the professional dealing then you are fundamentally remunerating them to tackle everything. The one extra “charges” you will reimburse will be the maintenance and care costs. For a professional and DIY ceramic coating, the elementary maintenance signifies washing down the auto every two weeks.

Notably, some professional ceramic coatings recommend having the paint correction accomplished. Meanwhile, this is a factor grounded on the specific makers, the grade of paint correction needed, and the charge of having professionals accomplish the service for you. We will leave it out. However, assure you to accomplish the due persistence to decide the price and time needed for the specific brands. We will crack down the charge of the materials for the paint correction in the DIY section subsequently.

Cracking Down the Price for the Professional Level Coating Packages:

Another popular professional coating brand offers similar package options, but they break it down as such:

We are going to mention a few packages for professional coating brands. For instance; (1) the Gold Package (2) Silver package (3) Bronze package

The Gold Package:

This package gives everlasting safety with a complete lifetime guarantee. It adds the four layers of their superior line coating and a film of the top-coat product. The assessing for this first-class package will differ grounded on the scale of the auto, and prep tasks needed- however, most of them vary between $1500 to $2500.

The Silver Package:

This package is a 5-year guarantee plan. SO with this warranty, merely a single coat of their premium 9H product is required coupling with the first of their light product as a superior coating. The price varies for this package is $900 to $1400.

The Bronze Package:

This is the fundamental package that adds the first coat of their light making. It is given surety for up to twenty-four months. The price varies for this is $600 to $900.

So the price range is grounded on the person’s location or an authorized dealer. Irrespective of the fact that the package you opt, professional ceramic coatings, or a DIY coating will not create your car repellant against the rock chips, bullets, or other seriously solid products.

The Maintenance for the Professional Ceramic Coatings

1. The Spray Wax Prices:

Many of the professional coating dealers support an aftercare product, which is significantly a spray wax. It is mostly vented from the installation place and corrected to assure the dealer gets a good profit surplus. The price for this kind of stuff will vary from $50 to $75 and will endure for about one year.

2. The Price for the Car Washing Down Professional:

Except for utilizing the product, the other way to maintain your car is to wash down every two weeks. In case you have a preference for professional tackle your car upkeep, then you will expectedly be fine remunerating for a professional car wash down and detailing task every two weeks. The regular price for washing down and interior care by a professional mobile detailer will be $60.

3. The Overall Cost for Professional Ceramic Coating:

Now we will be a bit mathematical. Presuming that you select a lifespan guarantee professional ceramic coating package and you maintain your car for five years prior interchange, this is what you are considering at spending:

  1. $2,000 for the setting up
  2. $60 (regular price a year)  plus with the  5 years for caring spray = $300
  3. $60 for a car wash-down every 2 weeks plus with 5 years = 130 weeks or $7,800

The overall cost for the professional ceramic coating is equal to $10,100. This is obvious that you can reduce the cost by washing down your car every two weeks, however again you require obliging to this every two weeks.

The DIY Ceramic Coatings- Cracking up the Cost

 You are the Do it Yourself person and give prevalence to deal with the prep task and setting up of the high-quality ceramic coating by yourself. What are you up to about devoting your money?

When we cracked down the professional level stuff, we somewhat enclosed everything added in the prep work excluding for the paint correction. We will get back to that onward.

So with the DIY ceramic coating, you will have to accomplish the prep task on your own (remunerate a professional to have it done)

The Price for the Materials Required:

Presuming that you need the complete DIY experience, we will crack up the price for the material required.

1. The Car Wash Materials:

The two-bucket way, a high-quality motorized shampoo, microfiber wash mitt, a chamois, and microfiber cloth. Many car owners will buy the kit with all of the things, at a price varied from $70 to $100. You need to contemplate it as a good investment since you will utilize this similar kit post-care.

2. The Clay Bar Kit

Aftermath washing down you requires the clay bar doing to the entire car. This adds utilizing the clay bar and lubrication. Many kits can be bought for $30.

3. The Buffing Materials:

You will like to utilize the variable speed electric buffer, glossing compound, and microfiber towels. Considering the preceding mentioned information, the budget at least $150 for these materials.

4. The IPA or Prep Spray:

The last step in the DIY prep task adds the scattering of IPA and cleaning with the microfiber cloth. You can get the spray for about $10 and a good lavish microfiber towel for about $10 each. Let’s say that you are not considering doing pain correction, then the overall cost becomes $280 bringing a total amount for the prep work.

The DIY Ceramic Coating Price:

There are a lot of Do it yourself ceramic coating stuff available these days. Some are good and some are not. It is always good to buy a DIY product that is completely revised by direct purchasers and independent people.

We just require making and vending the products just like Armor Shield IX. Thus, for the reason of fair competition, we will presume that you are giving preference to the purchase Armor Shield IX.

Our material is vended in the lit that adds a 30ml bottle alongside the applying sponger, three applying suede, a microfiber shinning cloth, and professional nitrile hand gloves.

The scale of the auto will decide how much stuffs and materials you will require.

  1. The Big sedans and little SUV’s will utilize the two kits that are sold for $105 which also adds a buy one and get second fifty discount
  2. The huge trucks and SUV’s will need 3 kits that are vented for $140 which also adds a buy 2 and receive 1 free discount.

The Cost for Setting up by Yourself:

The setting up of the DIY ceramic coating kit completely relies on the size of your auto since it can take up to 4 to 8 hours fully to do it accurately. You will have to make time for prep work which will take 4 to 8 hours. This familiarizes that what is your time worth idea we talked previously so that you will have to solve that.

The Cost of the Routine Upkeep and Care:

Considering the DIY concept, washing down your car after every two weeks is expectedly going to be an indoor project. SO in case you have prepped your auto accurately, you will expectedly now bought the accurate car washing materials. Moreover, we do not suggest utilizing a safety spray, so we can curtail it from the budget list.

The Overall Cost of DIY Ceramic Coating:

Presuming that you opt to buy the Armor shield IX, you have a full scale pick up. And you retain your for 5 years prior exchanging in, this what you are up to for devoting money.

  1. The $280 goes for the prep work
  2. $140 for the three kits adding all that you require to smear.
  3. $100 for the car washing down kit plus years (you can possibly alter it every year)=$500

The Total Cost of a DIY Ceramic coating=$920

While equating the regular cost for the professional package choices against the DIY option – by choosing for the DIY ceramic coating idea, you will expectedly conserve more than $8000 over a time period of 5 years.

The Cost of Accomplishing the Paint Correction:

SO let’s crackdown what you will require to accomplish the elementary paint correction-in contrary, we had already penned down a piece on DIY paint correction, which we suggest to read.

  1. Put on cutting compound with an electric polisher ($100) and microfiber cutting pad.
  2. The cutting and glossing compound is supplied in $90
  3. The microfiber glossing pads (you will require minimum 15 to 20 each car- and can buy packages of 5 sleeves for about $15 each package)

In case you like a professional to accomplish this previously before doing the ceramic coating, you will expectedly devote anywhere from $400 to $800 (grounded on the extent of work required and the company you opt. There are a number of factors to contemplate correctly ordering guessed coat for this service.

The Cost of Number of Ceramic Coatings Utilized:

Here comes the amusing part. Let’s presume that you belong to an old mindset of schooling and you want to guard your paint through the wash down/wax/glossing handling. You have a number of choices to contemplate.

1. The Professional Detailing Cost:

We talked about this thing previously too; however, it is significant to review again. Let’s presume that you like a detailing company to wash down, wax and gloss your car. Whilst you will expectedly devote $60 for the car wash every 2 weeks plus 5 years which equals 130 weeks or $7800- including the wax and glossing services to this package will include an additional $100 each month.

Thus, take that $7800 for five-year car wash and interior care cost, including the $6000 additional for waxing and glossing the car for five years, which is approximately $13800 in professional car care.

2. The DIY Detailing Cost:

If that figures previously mentioned terrified you, you are not supposed to get blamed. In case you want to do this plan by yourself then contemplate devoting your money on the subsequent things:

  • The Auto Wax and Gloss materials:

Many buyers will utilize the mixed wax and shine products just like a 3 in 1 product. The A16 bottle will charge each $20 and will run for 3 usages. This should be utilized every six weeks or approximately 9 times per year- for a yearly charge of $180 or $900 overall.

  • The Application Materials:

The accurately smeared this product, you will require good factor speed electric glossing $100- and five microfiber pads each usage i.e. $10 for a set of five- or a yearly charge of $90 or $550 for everything at 5-years.

  • The Car Washing Materials:

Presuming that you like doing it yourself, we will utilize the similar car washing numbers from the ceramic coating-$100 for the car washing kit plus five years since you should alter it every year which equals $500.

The overall for DIY car wash, wax, and glossing tactic equal to $1950. It should be observed that even utilizing the finest quality of car wash or even paint sealant materials, the safety grade is way lesser than a ceramic coating.

SO, What Is the Result?

Since we already asked this query at the beginning that is the ceramic coating worth it? Well then contemplate the details.

  1. If the ceramic coating is prepped and smeared accurately then it can end up to the 5 years. This occurs to correspond with the regular length of time the common new auto owner retains their vehicle before exchanging in.
  2. Interestingly, the ceramic coating needs lesser daily services and upkeep. There is no necessity for wax, polishes, or care products. However some ceramic coatings are increased with the remarkable care plans, the result is not 100% vented on them yet
  3. The ceramic coating will generate a brilliant gloss, increase the glare of your auto, generate higher hydrophobic attributes, and manufacture eliminating the bug splashes, bird excrement, and other gluey material a breeze.
  4. When equating a professional level ceramic coating as compared to the DIY Nano-ceramic coating just like Armor shield IX, the figures are not wrong- $1000 is too much. Moreover, the $7000 by washing down your car every two weeks is even more money.
  5. Equating a DIY ceramic coating as compared to the DIY car wash, wax and gloss will conserve you $1000 and you will see better outcomes.

Thus, in case you are prepared to install the prep work, have the elementary motorized detailing capacity and tolerance to put in by yourself. Also if you are eager to wash down your own car every two weeks, then Okay, purchasing a DIY ceramic coating is the most surely worth it.