How much does paint protection film cost?
Paint protection film at SeaWraps averages $1,400 for partial front coverage, $2,000 for a full front end, and $7,000 for a full vehicle. Windshield film runs $400 to $650 by vehicle. What moves your number is how much coverage you choose, how complex the panels are, and your paint condition.
Partial Front
The essentials package, covering the leading-edge surfaces that take the most direct hits on I-5 and SR-167. Honest take: we recommend at least the Full Front End, since partial coverage stops mid-hood and leaves a film line and exposed paint. But if cost is the major deciding factor, this protects where impacts happen most.
- Front bumper
- Partial hood (leading edge)
- Partial front fenders
- Headlights
- STEK DYNOshield with self-healing top coat
Full Front End
Our most popular package. Every forward-facing panel is protected with no visible film lines on the hood or fenders. This is the coverage most Kent and Seattle drivers choose.
- Everything in Partial Front, plus:
- Full hood and full front fenders
- Mirror caps
- Door cups and door edges
Full Vehicle
Every painted surface protected. The choice for new deliveries, exotics and daily-driven vehicles that need to stay flawless, and the foundation for a Color PPF transformation.
- Everything in Full Front End, plus:
- Doors, rear fenders and rocker panels
- Roof, trunk and rear bumper
- Available in clear, or as Color PPF in 212 colors
Prices shown are shop averages, not quotes. Exact pricing varies model to model. Coverage images are illustrative templates showing typical coverage areas, not a representation of any specific vehicle or price.
How much does PPF cost by coverage level?
The whole price guide on one line each, so you can compare coverage, time in the shop and average cost at a glance.
| Coverage | What it includes | Turnaround | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial front | Front bumper, leading edge of the hood, partial fenders and headlights | About 1 day | $1,400 |
| Full front end | Full hood and fenders, bumper, headlights, mirror caps, door cups and edges | 1–2 days | $2,000 |
| Full vehicle | Every painted panel: doors, rear fenders, rockers, roof, trunk and rear bumper | 3–5 days | $7,000 |
Windshield protection film is a separate job at $400 to $650 depending on the vehicle, and it is the most common add-on to a full front end. Prices in the table are shop averages, not quotes.
How much does it cost to PPF a car of your size?
Coverage decides which package you are buying. Vehicle size decides where inside that package's range your quote lands. If you are working out how much to PPF a car like yours, start with the coverage level and then adjust for size: a full front end runs $1,500 to $2,500 across the cars we film, and that spread is almost entirely a question of painted area and panel shape.
| Vehicle class | Typical examples | Why it prices where it does | Full front end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact cars and sports coupes | Miata, GR86, Civic Si, Golf R | The least painted area on the road and the simplest panels to wrap cleanly | Low end, near $1,500 |
| Sedans and small crossovers | Model 3, Camry, RAV4, Audi A4 | Moderate hood and fender area with conventional bumper shapes | Middle, near the $2,000 average |
| Full-size SUVs and trucks | F-150, Tahoe, Model X, Rivian R1S | Long fenders, tall bumpers and wide flat hoods use the most film and the most hours | Top of the range, near $2,500 |
| Exotics and wide-body builds | Lamborghini, McLaren, wide-body GT-R | Deep curvature, splitters and multi-piece bumpers mean more individual pieces and more time per piece | Quoted individually, above the standard range |
The same ordering holds for the other two packages: partial front and full-vehicle coverage move up and down with size for exactly the same reasons. Electric vehicles are worth calling out because owners ask constantly, and the answer is that they price like any other car of their size. A Model 3 films like a sedan and a Model X films like a large SUV. What actually complicates an EV install is sensor housings and camera cutouts, which cost time rather than film.
Why we quote by the panel, not by the square foot
Some shops advertise paint protection film per square foot, and the rate looks easy to compare right up until you ask what it counts. A square-foot number rarely tells you whether it measures the film that goes on the car or the film pulled off the roll, and curved hoods and bumpers generate offcuts that a bulk figure quietly absorbs. It rarely tells you whether the edges are wrapped around the panel or trimmed flush at the line, which is the difference between film that stays put through a wet Puget Sound winter and film that starts lifting at the first pressure wash. And it rarely tells you whether disassembly is included, though clean edges require it: badges, mirror caps, lights and trim come off so the film tucks behind them instead of stopping short in the middle of a panel.
We price by coverage package because the package is the thing you actually receive. Every figure on this page is the finished job, including the film, the labor, the disassembly and reassembly, and the edge work that makes a good install invisible from three feet away. If you are comparing our number against a square-foot quote from somewhere else, ask the other shop those three questions first. The quotes are usually closer than they look.
Is PPF worth the cost?
The sticker price is a bad way to judge film, because film is not a consumable. Spread a $2,000 full front end across the 10-year manufacturer warranty on STEK DYNOshield and it works out to roughly $200 a year, and it is defending the panels a body shop charges the most to refinish. A hood and bumper respray cannot simply be sprayed and returned to you: it has to be blended into the adjacent panels to match, which is why chip repair on the front of a car is rarely a small invoice.
The other half of the value is that film comes off. When you sell the car or turn in a lease, the paint underneath is still the paint that left the factory, and that is not a claim a repaint can make. It is the reason full front end coverage is the most common thing we install on a new delivery.
The honest counter-case: if you drive occasionally, park inside, and stay off the freeway, you may never accumulate the chips that make film pay for itself. PPF earns its price on daily-driven cars, and the roads it earns it on are the ones our customers actually commute: I-5 through the valley, SR-167, and 405, where construction gravel and studded-tire season do most of the damage we see. If that is your commute, the question stops being whether the film is worth it and becomes which coverage level you can justify. Most of the cars we film come to Kent from Seattle and Bellevue, and the chip pattern we see is remarkably consistent across both.
What actually changes your PPF price?
Two identical packages can price differently on two different cars, and the reasons are concrete. Film quantity: a full-size truck or SUV simply carries more painted surface than a coupe. Panel complexity: deep bumper vents, sharp creases and wide curved hoods take more time to wrap without seams or stretched film. Paint condition: film preserves whatever is underneath it, so swirled or chipped paint may need correction first, quoted separately. Film choice: clear gloss, satin (DYNOmatte), or Color PPF (color change and protection in one film) sit at different price points. That is why we quote per vehicle rather than publishing a flat price sheet, and why the figures above are shop averages rather than promises. The quote is free, specific to your car, and comes back within one business day. We publish the same straight pricing for car wraps, window tint and ceramic coatings.
What else do people ask about PPF pricing?
How much does paint protection film cost in Kent and Seattle?
On average at SeaWraps: partial front coverage runs about $1,400, a full front end about $2,000 (typically $1,500 to $2,500), and full-vehicle coverage about $7,000. Exact pricing varies model to model: panel count, size, curvature and paint condition all move the number. Every quote is free and specific to your car.
Why do PPF quotes vary so much between vehicles?
Three things drive the price: how much film your vehicle needs (a Model Y uses far more than a Miata), how complex the panels are (deep curves, vents and aggressive bumpers take longer to wrap cleanly), and the condition of your paint. Film locks in whatever is underneath it, so some vehicles need paint correction first.
Do you recommend the partial front package?
We offer it, but we usually steer people to at least the Full Front End. Partial coverage stops partway up the hood, which leaves a visible film line and leaves the upper hood and fenders, two of the most chip-prone panels, unprotected. If cost is the major deciding factor, partial front is still real protection on the surfaces that take the most direct hits. Just know that upgrading later means removing and refilming those panels, which is part of why we suggest going full front the first time.
Is cheaper PPF worth it?
Film quality and installation quality both matter more than the sticker price. Budget film can yellow, peel at the edges or lose its self-healing ability within a couple of years. We install STEK DYNOshield and DYNOmatte exclusively, backed by a 10-year manufacturer warranty, with a hydrophobic top coat built into the film.
How does Color PPF pricing compare to a vinyl wrap?
A full Color PPF color change runs $6,000 to $12,000 by vehicle size and coverage, against $4,500 to $6,000 for a comparable vinyl wrap. It costs more because the material is protection film, not decorative vinyl, and it is installed with PPF technique. You are paying for color change and rock-chip protection in a single layer. For many owners that beats wrapping a car in vinyl and finding chips in the paint underneath.
Does PPF include paint correction?
Every install starts with a full decontamination wash and inspection. If your paint has swirls or defects, we will recommend correction before filming, because the film preserves the paint exactly as it is on install day. Correction is quoted separately when needed.
How much does windshield protection film cost?
Windshield film is a separate job from paint coverage and runs $400 to $650 depending on the vehicle. Glass size, sensor housings and cowl trim decide where your car lands in that range. It is the most common add-on to a full front end, because the windshield takes the same debris the hood does.
How much is PPF for a whole car?
Full-vehicle coverage averages about $7,000 and protects every painted panel, including the roof, doors, rockers and rear bumper. Size moves that number in both directions: a two-door coupe carries far less painted surface than a three-row SUV and prices below the average, while a full-size truck prices above it. Full-vehicle coverage is also the foundation for a Color PPF build, where the same film changes the color and protects the paint in one layer.
Does it cost more to PPF a truck or SUV than a sedan?
Yes, and size is the single biggest reason. A full front end runs $1,500 to $2,500 depending on the vehicle, and where you land inside that spread is mostly a question of painted area. Compacts and sports coupes sit near the bottom, sedans and small crossovers near the $2,000 average, and full-size trucks and SUVs near the top, because a long fender and a wide flat hood take both more film and more hours on the car.
Is PPF cheaper than a ceramic coating?
They are not substitutes, so the comparison is less useful than it looks. A ceramic coating adds gloss and makes the car easier to wash, but it is measured in microns and does not stop a rock chip. PPF is thick enough to absorb the impact, which is the entire reason it costs more. We quote coatings per vehicle rather than publishing a price, because coating cost is driven almost entirely by how much paint correction the car needs first.
How do I get an exact price for my car?
Use the quote form and tell us your year, make, model and the coverage you are considering. We respond within one business day with an exact figure. Pricing is not handled over phone or email, so the form is the fastest path.