Paint protection film, fitted at our Harrogate unit
- Covers
- Bumper, headlights, mirrors, and the front of the bonnet and wings
- Price
- £850 to £1,100
- At our unit
- 1 day
- Film warranty
- 10 years
- Covers
- Bumper, headlights, mirrors, the whole bonnet and both front wings
- Price
- £1,600 to £2,200
- At our unit
- 2 days
- Film warranty
- 10 years
- Covers
- Every painted panel on the car
- Price
- £4,200 to £5,500
- At our unit
- 4 to 5 days
- Film warranty
- 10 years
What film actually is
Paint protection film is a clear sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane, laid over the paint and trimmed to each panel. It is around 150 to 200 microns thick. The clear lacquer on top of your paint, the layer that carries all the gloss, is only about 35 to 50 microns. The film is roughly four times thicker than the thing it is protecting.
That thickness is the whole point. A stone that would punch through lacquer and into the colour coat hits the film instead, and the film absorbs it. What you see afterwards is usually nothing, or a small mark in the film that can be replaced on that one panel.
The self-healing part, honestly
Good film has a soft top coat that flows back when it is warmed, so fine swirls and light scuffs disappear in the sun or under warm water. It is real, and it is why filmed cars still look sharp years later. It heals light marks, not cuts. A key down the door goes through the film, and the film then needs replacing on that panel.
What film will not do
Film protects paint, not metal. A big stone at motorway speed can still dent the bonnet underneath; the film stops the paint chipping around the dent. It also does not stop the car getting dirty, although it washes easily and pairs well with a ceramic coating on top.
Film is removable. Taken off properly with heat, it leaves the paint underneath as it was on the day it went on, which is why a lot of our customers fit it to a new car and take it off before they sell.
Wrapped edges or cut edges
Where a panel allows it, we wrap the film around the edge, so there is no visible line and nothing for dirt to catch. Where it does not, around some badges, sensors and tight shut lines, we finish a millimetre short of the edge. We will show you which edges are which before we start, not after.
How we fit it
Five steps, the same on every car.
- 01
Inspect and measure
We take paint depth readings across every panel and look for existing chips, because film goes over whatever is there. Anything that should be touched in or corrected first, you hear about before we book the fit.
- 02
Wash and decontaminate
A full safe wash, then iron fallout remover and clay to take off anything bonded to the surface. Film laid over a speck of grit shows that speck for years.
- 03
Correct if it needs it
Most new cars still have swirls from the dealer's valet. A single-stage polish takes them out before they are sealed under the film. On a new car this is usually half a day.
- 04
Fit, panel by panel
The film is cut from patterns for your exact car, then laid wet, positioned and squeegeed out by hand. Every edge is wrapped or finished and then set with heat so it stays down.
- 05
Cure and check
The car stays inside overnight so the film settles. We inspect every edge the next day under the lights, then check it again at a free visit a week later.
What would it cost for your car?
Three answers. The figure you get is not a formula — it is what we actually charged on the jobs in our own book that match yours.
Typically £865, across 4 jobs in our book.
Paint correction
Depth readings first, then two or three stages until the paint is right.
Every figure here is what we actually charged for work like yours. Yours is confirmed on the paint, with depth readings, before anything is booked.
In every fit
- Paint depth reportReadings for every panel, before and after.
- DecontaminationIron remover and clay before any film goes on.
- Pre-fit polishA single-stage correction where the paint needs it.
- Wrapped edgesWherever the panel allows, so no line shows.
- Overnight cureInside the unit, so the film settles properly.
- One-week checkA free visit to inspect every edge.
- Aftercare kitThe shampoo and mitt to wash it safely.
- 10-year warrantyAgainst yellowing, cracking and peeling.
What film customers say
Live Google reviews, straight from our own profile.
Two-stage correction on the RS6. The black finally looks black.
Ceramic on a new Macan before its first winter. Beads like glass.
Tom showed me the paint readings before touching anything.
Film questions
The honest answers, including the ones that cost us work.
Will film stop every stone chip?
It stops the everyday ones that would chip paint. A large stone at speed can still mark the film itself, and very occasionally dent the panel underneath. When the film is marked, we replace it on that panel, and the paint below is untouched.
Will I see the film?
Not on a clean car in normal light. Up close you may spot a finished edge where we could not wrap it, usually around a badge or sensor. We show you those before we start.
Does it go yellow?
Cheap film can. The film we fit carries a ten-year warranty against yellowing, cracking and peeling, backed by the manufacturer and registered to your car.
Can I put a ceramic coating on top?
Yes, and it is worth doing. A coating on the film makes it even easier to wash and keeps the top coat in good condition. We can do both in one visit.
What happens when I sell the car?
You can leave it on, which helps the sale, or we can take it off with heat and leave the original paint underneath as it was on the day the film went on.
Film for drivers across North Yorkshire
Every fit happens at the unit in Harrogate. We collect and return from all of these.