Paint protection film in Los Angeles
Clear urethane film over the panels that take the hits from the road, installed in your garage. It stops most chips from grit and small stones.
- Partial frontBumper, mirrors and the front of the hood and fenders1 day
- Full frontBumper, mirrors, the whole hood and both front fenders1 to 2 days
- Full bodyEvery painted panel3 to 5 days
Paint protection film, or PPF, is a clear urethane sheet laid over the paint. Grit and small stones hit the film instead of the clear coat. On a car driven on the freeways here, the bumper and the front edge of the hood take most of them.
When film makes sense
- A new car, before the first chip arrives
- Daily freeway driving, behind trucks and through work zones
- Paint we have just corrected, which you want kept that way
- Small chips already showing on the bumper or the hood, so most new ones don't join them
How the film goes on
- The free inspection at your home. Every chip already in the paint goes on your report before any film goes on.
- The paint is washed and clayed, so no grit is trapped under the film.
- Correction, where your report calls for it. Film locks in whatever is on the paint the day it goes on.
- Each piece is laid wet on a slip solution, moved into place and pressed down with a squeegee.
- We wrap the edges wherever the panel allows, so they sit tight and don't lift.
About 30 minutes at your car. You keep the report.
Before we price anything, we look at the paint where the car lives, in your garage or driveway. We bring the lights and the gauge, and the inspection is free.
What we look at
Every panel under a low, bright LED light that shows the swirls a garage bulb hides. We measure the paint on each panel, so we know how much there is to polish, and mark chips and old repairs on the map.
What you keep
The report, filled in at your car, with a fixed price for the work you choose. It is yours whether or not you book.
at your car
| No. | Panel | Paint depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front bumper | ||
| 2 | Hood | ||
| 3 | Left front fender | ||
| 4 | Right front fender | ||
| 5 | Left front door | ||
| 6 | Right front door | ||
| 7 | Roof | ||
| 8 | Left rear door | ||
| 9 | Right rear door | ||
| 10 | Left quarter | ||
| 11 | Right quarter | ||
| 12 | Trunk | ||
| 13 | Rear bumper | ||
| 6 to 13: the other doors, roof, quarter panels, trunk and rear bumper | |||
What sets the cost of paint protection film
- Which of the three coverages you choose
- How big the car is, and the shape of its panels: a bumper with deep vents and sensors takes longer to cover
- Correction before the film, if the report calls for it
- Old film that has to come off first
Every price is set at your inspection and fixed in writing before we start.
What film doesn't do
Film stops most new chips and can't repair old ones. A chip that is already there stays visible under the film, so it goes on your report first.
It stops most chips, not every one: a large stone at speed can still mark it. And because the film is clear, swirls left under it stay there.
The first week with new film
Keep the car dry and under cover for the first 24 hours after the film goes on, and wait 7 days before its first wash. Your care sheet has both dates and the wash rules, and your report is updated with the after reading on every panel we worked.
Asked about PPF
Can you see the film once it is on?
Up close, you can find the edge where a piece ends. We wrap the edges wherever the panel allows, and a wrapped edge sits behind the panel.
Which coverage does my car need?
The smallest of the three covers the area that takes the most hits, with less film, and ends part way back on the hood and fenders, where its edge can be seen up close. Full front covers the whole hood and both fenders, so no edge crosses the hood. Full body covers every painted panel, including the lower doors and the panels behind the wheels, which catch grit thrown up by the tires. At the inspection we look at where your chips already are.
Can film go on a car that isn't new?
Yes. The report marks the chips that are already there, and correction can come first so the film goes over corrected paint.
How do I wash a car with film on it?
Wait 7 days. Then wash with a pH-neutral car soap and a soft mitt, and skip car washes with brushes. Keep a pressure washer's nozzle away from the film's edges.
If our work shows a fault, we come back and fix it.
Film
If film we installed lifts or bubbles at an edge, we fix it free for as long as you own the car.
Seen one? Call (310) 857-2520 and we book the visit.
See what your paint needs before you spend anything.
The inspection is free and takes about 30 minutes at your home. You keep the written report and the fixed price whether or not you book the work.
Inspections by appointment. Same-day replies Monday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.