Why Are Ceramic Coatings So Expensive?

Ceramic coatings are what everyone’s talking about here in the Rapid City, South Dakota auto detailing scene. We hear all kinds of information (facts and fiction) regarding ceramic coatings. So we wanted to clear up the confusion as much as possible.

First of all: WHY ARE CERAMIC COATINGS SO EXPENSIVE? Isn’t it insane to put a $1000 glorified wax on your car paint? Isn’t that only something that “rich car guys” would do? Not exactly.

We find that most of our customers here in Rapid City don’t totally understand what a ceramic coating is. Fundamentally ceramic coatings are the longest term paint protection that exists in the detailing industry. They are a HUGE jump from waxes and sealants that only last a few months at best. Ceramics on average last 5+ years, some even protect for the lifetime of your vehicle.

We’re talking water resistant, chemical resistant, scratch resistant, ultra durable paint protection - the difference between a car that IS coated and is NOT coated after a few years is staggering.

Now other than the extreme value (protecting your car for the lifetime that you own it) what’s with the expensive price tag? The other costs come from the labor, technical skill, and time involved preparing the vehicle to actually be coated in the first place. To properly prepare a vehicle to be coated, you are looking at a day's work minimum. Often (depending on the vehicle) this can extend past a single day's work. We recently ceramic coated a customer’s vehicle here in Rapid City that required a full weekend of time and attention.

In addition to the time, the installer (us) has gone through a pretty intense training program in order to get their certification, so at that level, we are charging for our expertise.

Coatings are changing the car world both for consumers and for those “car people” we all have in our lives. If you have any questions, we would love to help! Contact us here.