How much does ceramic coating cost in Orlando?

Short answer: a professional ceramic coating in Orlando costs anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Where your car lands depends on three things: how big it is, how much paint correction it needs, and how long you want the coating to last.

At APES, ceramic coating starts at $499 for a 3 Year Guard on a sedan. The 5 Year Shield and 10 Year Armor are quoted based on your vehicle and paint condition. Every package uses Suncoat ceramic coatings and includes decontamination and paint correction, because a coating locks in whatever is underneath it.

Here's what actually drives the number, so you can compare quotes without getting played.

1. Paint correction is most of the labor

The coating itself goes on fast. The hours go into getting the paint right first.

Ceramic coating bonds to your clear coat and seals it in. If the paint has swirl marks, haze or fine scratches when the coating goes on, those defects are now protected for years. That's why we never coat over uncorrected paint.

How much correction your car needs depends on how it's been washed. Most swirl marks come from automatic car washes and dirty towels, not from driving. A brand new car usually still needs a light polish, because dealer prep and transport leave marks too.

What this means for price: two identical cars can get very different quotes. A garage kept car with clean paint might need a one step polish. A daily driver that's been through the brush wash every week might need multi stage correction, which takes much longer.

2. Coating level: 3, 5 or 10 years

Longer lasting coatings cost more because they use harder, thicker products, often in multiple layers, and they come with more correction and more surfaces covered.

If you're leasing or trading in within a couple of years, the 3 year option usually makes the most sense. If you're keeping the car long term, the cost per year of the 10 year option tends to be the better deal.

3. Vehicle size

More surface means more correction and more product. A Civic costs less than a Tahoe. Trucks, full size SUVs and vans are priced higher, and so are cars with a lot of complex trim or large wheels if you want those coated too.

What a cheap coating usually leaves out

If you get a quote that's dramatically lower than everyone else, ask these questions:

1. Is paint correction included, or is it just a wash and coat? A "ceramic" product sprayed on after a wash is closer to a sealant. It won't last years.
2. What exact product are you using, and how long is it rated for? Get the name.
3. Where is it applied? Coatings need a clean, controlled space to bond and cure properly. Driveway application in Florida heat and pollen is risky.
4. What's the maintenance plan? Every coating needs the right wash technique to reach its full life.

Is it worth it in Florida?

For most people who keep their car more than a couple of years, yes. Central Florida paint deals with strong sun all year, acidic lovebugs and bird droppings that etch in the heat, hard sprinkler water and oak pollen. A coating takes those hits instead of your clear coat, and it makes washing much faster. We break that down in detail in Is ceramic coating worth it in Florida?

What a coating won't do is stop rock chips or deep scratches. That's what paint protection film is for. See Ceramic coating vs PPF.

Get a real number for your car

Pricing depends on your vehicle and your paint, so the fastest way to get an exact number is to tell us what you drive. We'll recommend the level that fits how you use the car, not the most expensive one.

Get a quote or call or text (689) 210-0907.

APES does ceramic coating and paint correction for drivers across Orlando, Winter Park, Lake Nona, the UCF area, St. Cloud and the rest of greater Orlando.