Ceramic coating in Sacramento, applied at your place
A ceramic coating is a hard, slick layer bonded to your paint. Water and dirt slide off it, so the vehicle stays cleaner between washes and is easier to wash when it isn't. I apply ceramic coating in Sacramento at your home, ideally in your garage, or at a suitable office. On a newer midsize car it starts at $800. If your paint needs correcting first, that's priced separately.
- 26+ years' experience
- 1-hour arrival window
- Home or office
- Hablo español
Why get a coating
A coating puts a barrier between your paint and things like bird droppings, road grime, bugs and mineral deposits. When they do land, they're generally easier to remove.
I tell people to expect about five years from it in real-world conditions. That's my own expectation from experience, not a promise and not the manufacturer's figure. How long yours lasts depends on how it's washed, how it's maintained and what it's exposed to.
What a coating job includes
- A walk-around with you first, where I look at the paint and tell you if it needs correcting before it's coated
- A wash
- A clay pass to take contaminants off the paint
- A polish and a prep spray, to get the surface ready
- The coating itself: Adam's Graphene Ceramic Coating™ Advanced
Not included:
- Paint correction. The polish in the prep gets the surface ready for the coating. It doesn't replace correction, which is a separate job priced on top.
- A standard detail or a wax. Ceramic is its own service, not something layered onto a regular detail.
What a coating can and can't do
A coating helps maintain the quality of your paint and makes it easier to keep clean. It isn't a repair.
Water spots are generally easier to get off a coated surface, but the coating doesn't make the paint immune to them. Sprinklers hitting a hot car can still spot it.
It can soften the look of very light surface marks, because it fills in minor imperfections. It won't hide deep scratches, or damage that's gone through the paint.
It can't fix clear coat that's already breaking down. Once the clear has failed, no detailing product brings it back. On an older vehicle, swirl-like marks can turn out to be failing clear coat, and I'll point that out on the walk-around.
It doesn't replace washing either. Regular washes are what keep a coating working, and a hand wash beats a drive-through.
Does your paint need correcting first?
A newer vehicle with healthy paint usually goes straight to the coating. Older paint, or paint with swirls and light scratches, usually needs correcting first. Correction has to happen before the coating goes on, not after. On older or imperfect paint, that usually means at least two stages.
From a few photos I can usually tell you which group yours falls in. I'll confirm it when I see the paint in person, and if correction is needed, you'll know what it adds before I start, never after.
If your vehicle was coated before and that coating has worn out, the prep is a wash, a clay pass and a one-stage polish before the new coating goes on. Any correction beyond that is a separate job, priced on top of the coating.
Correction has limits of its own. A scratch through the clear coat generally won't come out fully. My paint correction page goes through what polishing can and can't fix.
How a coating goes on at your place
A coating doesn't need a shop. It needs prepped paint, a dry day or a garage, and enough time. I bring the water, the power and the products, and on a coating I usually have a helper with me.
- We walk the vehicle together first. Tell me what's bugging you about the paint, and I'll tell you what I see.
- If the paint needs correcting, that happens first.
- Prep: we wash it, clay it, polish it and go over it with a prep spray.
- The coating goes on.
- I go over the aftercare with you before I leave.
On a newer car, the whole job takes about 2.5 hours with two of us working: roughly an hour and a half of prep and an hour for the coating. Most of the time goes into the prep. A large SUV or truck takes 3 hours at the least, and more with its size, its condition and the prep it needs. Correction adds its own time: a one-step job is about 1 hour 45 minutes, and each added stage is roughly another hour.
Where I need to work
A garage at your home is my first choice for a coating, and a suitable office can work too. I take one coating job a day, and I start it first thing in the morning. Outside, the weather decides: wind, fog, humidity or rain can mean moving the job to another day, unless we can move into your garage. When it's hot, the vehicle needs to be in shade.
You don't need to supply water or power. I carry up to 300 gallons of water and run my own generator. If there's an outlet in the garage, I'll ask before I use it.
After it's coated
- You can drive it that day.
- The coating is still curing, so keep it dry and out of the weather for about 24 hours.
- After that, wash it regularly, by hand if you can.
What ceramic coating costs
- Newer midsize car: from $800
- Large SUV or truck: from $1,000
Those are starting prices for paint that can be coated as it is. Correction, when your paint needs it, is priced on top of the coating. One-step correction starts at $275, and each added stage adds time and cost.
The size of the vehicle, its age and its condition are what move a coating price.
I'll confirm after a quick look or a few photos.
Travel fees may apply depending on location and service, and will be confirmed with your quote.
Reviews
What customers have said about working with me is below.
Ceramic coating questions
Is ceramic coating worth it?
I think so. It helps maintain the quality of your vehicle, and it makes keeping it clean easier. It still needs regular washes to do its job. Before you book, I'll tell you honestly whether a coating makes sense for your vehicle, given its age, the condition of the paint and how long you plan to keep it, and whether it needs correcting first.
Is a coating the same as a wax?
No. My regular details end with a hand wax, and machine waxing is an optional upgrade at an additional cost. A ceramic coating is a separate, dedicated service, and it lasts longer than a wax. If a wax is all you're after, a full car detail includes one.
Which coating do you use?
A graphene ceramic coating from Adam's Polishes, the Advanced version listed above. I'll go over it with you before you book.
What if it's supposed to rain?
A new coating needs about 24 hours kept dry and out of the weather. If rain is coming and there's no garage to keep the vehicle in, we'll move the job to another day.
Get a ceramic coating quote
Tell me the year, make and model, and I'll tell you if it can be coated as it is, and what it costs. A couple of photos of the paint help, and you can attach them on the full quote request form.