Ceramic Coating — 9 Year
Two-step correction + Crystal Serum Ultra + EXO topper, IDA-warranted
Duration3-4 days
Tier I · from$2,650
01 / Measured, not guessed
Paint work you can measure.
Correction, coating and paint protection film in North Austin. We log paint depth on every panel and put the reading in your hands before we start.
Panel
Deck lid
Depth
118 µm
Defect
Buffer trail
These readings are illustrative.
02 / The cars we work on
Porsche
Tesla
Corvette
Ford
Lexus
Rivian
Toyota
Audi
BMW
Cadillac
2,400+
Cars completed
70-95%
Defect removal
96-150µm
Depth logged
$2M
Insured
04 / Services
Every price, before you ask.
12 services · 3 sizes · $149–$7,400
Twelve services. Every price, at every size. Correction work is quoted after a paint depth reading rather than before, so the figure below is where it starts, not where it lands.
Prices are per vehicle size. Tier I is a coupe or compact, II a sedan or two-row SUV, III a three-row SUV, full-size truck or van. Dually, RV and Sprinter are quoted after inspection.
Two-Step Paint Correction
Compound + refine, 70-85% defect removal, paint depth logged per panel
Duration2 days
Tier I · from$1,150
PPF — Full Front
Full hood, full fenders, bumper, mirrors, A-pillars
Duration2-3 days
Per vehicle · from$2,950
Interior Deep Clean
Full extraction, steam, leather clean + condition, headliner, vents, ozone if needed
Duration5-7h
Tier I · from$395
Wheels Off Coating
4 wheel faces + barrels, calipers, coated
Duration1 day
Every size$650
Maintenance Wash
Two-bucket contact wash, decon rinse, blow dry, interior vacuum, glass, tire dressing
Duration2h
Tier I · from$149
One-Step Enhancement
Wash, chemical + mechanical decon, single-stage machine polish, sealant
Duration1 day
Tier I · from$595
Glass + Trim Coating
Windshield hydrophobic, exterior trim restore + coat
Duration4h
Every size$325
Multi-Stage Correction
90-95% defect removal, edge and jamb work, hand-finished
Duration3-4 days
Tier I · from$2,200
Ceramic Coating — 3 Year
Prep + one-step correction + Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light · 2 days
Tier I · from$1,395
PPF — Partial Front
Bumper, 18in hood, fenders, mirrors, XPEL Ultimate Plus · 1-2 days
Per vehicle · from$1,850
PPF — Full Body
Every painted panel, wrapped edges where possible · 5-7 days
Per vehicle · from$7,400
Add-ons · every size
Engine bay detail $180
Headlight restoration $220
Pet hair removal $120
Ozone odor treatment $150
Paint depth mapping report $95 free with correction work
Film is priced per model, not per size. Film is cut from a pattern made for your exact vehicle, so a size class does not describe it. We quote it after we see the car.
Every price, at every size
2 weeks Typical lead time
05 / Since 2016
Measured, not guessed.
2,400+ cars · 900+ coatings · $2M insured
We photograph the paint under inspection lighting before we touch it, we tell you which defects we can remove and which we cannot, and we hand you the reading in writing — most shops sell you a result, we sell you the measurement.
Blackline started in a two-bay unit off Research in 2016 with one polisher and a paint depth gauge. The gauge is the part that stuck. Nine years and twenty-four hundred cars later we still start every job the same way — the car goes under inspection lighting, every panel gets read, and you get told what is coming off and what is staying. Some shops find that conversation awkward. We think it is the only honest place to begin.
- Gtechniq Accredited Detailer Crystal Serum Light and Ultra installed by an accredited shop.
- XPEL Certified Installer XPEL Ultimate Plus, 10-year against yellowing, cracking, delamination.
- IDA Certified Detailer Two on staff. The 9-year coating carries the IDA-accredited warranty.
- $2M garage-keepers insurance Your car is covered for every hour it is in the bay.
06 / Accreditation
Four things you can check.
4 credentials · verifiable
Every one of these is a register you can search without asking us. We list the accreditation number on the invoice.
Gtechniq
Accredited Detailer
Only accredited shops can buy and warrant Crystal Serum Ultra.
XPEL
Certified Installer
Required for the 10-year film warranty to be valid.
IDA
Certified Detailer, 2 on staff
International Detailing Association, examined not paid for.
$2M
Garage-keepers insurance
Covers your car while it is on our floor, not just our tools.
07 / Paint depth mapping
Most shops sell you a result. We sell you the measurement.
5 panels logged · 96–150 µm
We measure paint depth per panel and tell you which defects stay.
No, and any shop that says yes is planning to bury the scratch, not remove it. If a defect is deeper than the clear coat, removing it means removing more clear than is safe.
Deck lid
118 µm
Buffer trail
Quarter
104 µm
Swirl marks
Roof
96 µm
Clear coat etch
Fender
132 µm
Wash marring
Hood
150 µm
Swirl marks
These readings are illustrative. They demonstrate the measurement the shop performs; they are not a reading taken from a real vehicle.
08 / Proof
Five jobs, documented.
6 frames · 5 jobs · 4.2 µm max removed
We photograph the work, not the car. Customer vehicles and plates stay off this site. The frames show the operation; the record beside them carries the vehicle, the paint and the reading.
Scroll the rail
Guards Red
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
Dealer-installed swirls plus a 300mm buffer trail across the deck lid. Multi-stage correction, 4.2 microns removed at the worst panel, Crystal Serum Ultra.
Duration4 days
Pearl White
2021 Tesla Model 3
Soft factory paint, wash marring across every horizontal panel, two rock chips on the hood. Two-step correction, full-front PPF, 3-year coating.
Duration3 days
Blizzard Pearl
2015 Land Cruiser
140k miles, oxidized clear on the roof, tar down both rockers, dog hair welded into the third row. Full decon, two-step, interior extraction, wheels off.
Duration3 days
Amplify Orange
2023 Corvette C8
New from the dealer with delivery marring. One-step, full-front PPF, 9-year coating.
Duration3 days
Declared out of scope in writing
2018 Ford Raptor
Cedar pollen etching, hail dimples (left alone — declared out of scope in writing), bed liner restore, ceramic on wheels and glass.
Duration2 days
Coming to this rail
Before and after, side by side
Frames are labelled During or Finished for what they actually show. A comparison slider needs the same frame twice, shot under the same lighting — until those pairs exist this is a gallery, not a before and after, and it says so.
09 / Process
Five steps, every car.
−4.2 µm correction · +3 µm coating
Appointment only. The order never changes, and neither does the part where you get told what is staying.
-
01 Inspection
The car goes under inspection lighting, every panel gets read, and you get told what is coming off and what is staying.
-
02 Decontamination
Two-bucket contact wash, chemical and mechanical decon, tar and iron off before anything touches the paint.
-
−4.2 µm
03 Correction
Compound + refine, 70-85% defect removal, paint depth logged per panel. Multi-stage where the reading allows it.
-
+3 µm
04 Protection
Coating or film goes on last. The coating locks in whatever is underneath it, which is why it goes on after the correction and never instead of it.
-
05 Handover
We give you the list and the products at handover, and the first maintenance wash is included.
Coating and PPF work runs about two weeks out.
Book an inspection10 / Packages
Four ways to put it together.
4 packages · $795–$6,450
Every package is the same twelve services, bundled at the combinations owners actually book.
Baseline
- Interior deep clean
- One-step enhancement
- Glass coating
$895
Book an inspection for the Baseline packageLong Haul
- Two-step correction
- 3-year coating
- Wheels off
- Glass
$2,290
Book an inspection for the Long Haul packageConcours
- Multi-stage correction
- 9-year coating
- Full-front PPF
- Wheels off
- Glass + trim
$6,450
Book an inspection for the Concours packagePre-Sale
- One-step enhancement
- Interior deep clean
- Engine bay
- Photo set for the listing
$795
Book an inspection for the Pre-Sale packageWarranty
3-year coating3 years against loss of gloss and hydrophobics, annual inspection required.
9-year coatingIDA-accredited warranty, transferable once, annual inspection required.
PPFXPEL 10-year against yellowing, cracking, delamination.
Correction workNot warranted — paint is a consumable. Stated up front, in writing.
11 / Coverage
What each package actually touches.
15 surfaces · 4 packages
Packages differ by surface, not by adjective. This is the whole difference, in one grid.
Scroll the grid
| Surface | Baseline | Long Haul | Concours | Pre-Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hood | Included | Included | Film | Included |
| Front fenders | Included | Included | Film | Included |
| Front bumper | Included | Included | Film | Included |
| Mirrors | Included | Included | Film | Included |
| A-pillars | Not included | Included | Film | Not included |
| Doors | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Quarter panels | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Roof | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Deck lid | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Rockers | Not included | Included | Included | Not included |
| Wheel faces | Not included | Included | Included | Not included |
| Wheel barrels | Not included | Included | Included | Not included |
| Glass | Included | Included | Included | Not included |
| Exterior trim | Not included | Not included | Included | Not included |
| Interior | Included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Engine bay | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
Included Film Not included
PPF is film, not coating. A ticked film cell means urethane over the paint; a ticked coating cell means a chemical layer bonded to it.
12 / Recent work
Out of the bay.
3 jobs · Mar–Aug 2025
13 / Reviews
What owners say.
5 reviews · Google + Yelp
Rated 5 out of 5
They sent me photos under inspection lights before touching the car and told me straight that two scratches were through the clear and they would not chase them. Nobody had ever told me no before. Car came back better than the showroom.
Marcus D.Aug 2025Google
Rated 5 out of 5
Three summers on the Macan and water still sheets off it. I wash it myself with two buckets and that is it.
Priya R.Jun 2025Google
Rated 5 out of 5
Paid for the depth mapping report on a used GT3 before I bought it. Found a repainted quarter the seller did not mention. Saved me $14k.
Tom W.Mar 2025Yelp
Rated 5 out of 5
Interior on the Suburban had two kids and a golden retriever in it for four years. It smells like nothing now. That is the highest praise I have.
Danielle K.Jan 2025Google
Rated 5 out of 5
Full body PPF on the C8. Edges wrapped, no lifting after a year, and they re-torqued the panels they pulled.
Andre L.Nov 2024Google
Fictional demo business. Reviews and job history are invented.
14 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
8 questions · 2-week lead
Will a ceramic coating stop rock chips?
No. Coating is roughly 2-3 microns thick and stops chemical etching, UV and staining. Rock chips need paint protection film, which is 200 microns of urethane. Anyone telling you a coating stops chips is selling you the wrong product.
How long does a coating actually last in Texas?
Crystal Serum Light realistically runs 3-4 years here, Ultra 7-9, provided the car is washed properly and inspected annually. The killer in Central Texas is not time, it is automatic car washes and hard water left to bake.
Can you remove every scratch?
No, and any shop that says yes is planning to bury the scratch, not remove it. If a defect is deeper than the clear coat, removing it means removing more clear than is safe. We measure paint depth per panel and tell you which defects stay.
Why is correction more expensive than the coating?
Because the coating is two hours and the correction is three days. The coating locks in whatever is underneath it. Coating over swirls preserves the swirls for nine years.
Do you come to me?
Corrections and coatings are shop-only — they need controlled lighting, temperature and a dust-managed bay. Maintenance washes are shop-only too. We are appointment based, not mobile.
How do I wash it afterwards?
Two buckets, pH-neutral soap, one clean microfiber per section, blow dry. No automatic washes, ever — the brushes will put swirls straight through the coating. We give you the list and the products at handover, and the first maintenance wash is included.
My car is brand new. Do I still need correction?
Usually yes. Cars arrive at the dealer covered, get washed by whoever is available, and most new vehicles we see already carry delivery marring. New paint is also soft and corrects easily, which makes it the cheapest correction you will ever buy.
How far ahead do I need to book?
Coating and PPF work runs about two weeks out. Interior and maintenance work is usually within the week. Hail season in spring is the busiest stretch of the year.
Appointment only, 2-week typical lead time on coating work.
Book an inspection15 / Service area
Central Texas eats paint.
10 cities · 2-week lead
Appointment only, North Austin. We cover the ten cities below and we will tell you honestly if you are outside the range.
9 months
of UV load a year. Clear coat oxidises fastest on a south-facing driveway.
48 hours
is how long spring love bugs need to eat through clear coat.
40 mph
is all it takes for I-35 and 183 construction to throw rock at a bumper.
3 months
of hail season, March to May. Book correction work around it, not during it.
Austin · Round Rock · Cedar Park · Lakeway · Bee Cave · West Lake Hills · Georgetown · Pflugerville · Dripping Springs · Leander
16 / Appointment only
Book an inspection.
2-week lead · $95 depth report
Coating and PPF work runs about two weeks out. Interior and maintenance work is usually within the week.