Look at a dark car in direct sun and you will see a web of fine scratches in the clear coat: swirls from automatic car washes, scratches from dirty towels, water spots etched by the sun, and on older cars a dull haze of oxidation. Waxes and glazes fill them temporarily. Paint correction removes them, by machine-polishing away a few microns of clear coat until the surface is level and the light reflects straight back.
One step or two
| Service | From | Removes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-step correction | $320 | Light swirls and scratches, haze; restores depth and shine | Most daily drivers; the step before a Gold ceramic |
| 2-step correction | $640 | Moderate defects: deeper scratches, heavy swirling, oxidation; compounding then polishing | Neglected or dark-coloured paint; the step before a Platinum ceramic |
Prices start at a mid-size car; larger vehicles and condition are quoted after the assessment.
What it does for the car
- Restores a deep, glossy, new-car shine, often better than factory, because factory paint is rarely levelled.
- Removes defects permanently rather than hiding them until the next wash.
- Raises the value and the appeal of a car you are selling or trading. Detail before you sell.
- Prepares the paint for ceramic coating, which locks in whatever is under it. Ceramic coating.
What it cannot do
Correction cannot remove a scratch that is through the clear coat into the colour or primer, which you can feel with a fingernail; that is paint repair. It cannot fix clear coat that is already peeling. And it is not something to repeat every year: each correction removes a little clear coat, which is why we protect the result with a sealant or a coating. The free assessment tells you which of your defects will come out and which will not, before you spend anything.
Start with the free paint assessment
Thirty minutes at your home or work. We inspect the whole exterior, mark up a diagram of swirls, scratches, oxidation and etching, give the paint a health score, and recommend a plan, whether that is a one-step, a two-step, a coating, or nothing at all. You keep the report either way. Schedule it.
Is paint correction safe?
Done with a paint-depth gauge and the right pads and compounds, yes. The risk is in going too far, which is why we measure the clear coat first and stop at the point of diminishing returns.
How long does it take?
A one-step on a car is most of a day. A two-step on a truck or a dark SUV is a full day or two. We will tell you at the assessment.