Paint Correction Calgary
Machine polishing that removes swirl marks, haze and light scratches instead of hiding them. One-stage paint correction starts at $600, done by hand at our SE Calgary shop.
What Is Paint Correction?
Paint correction is machine polishing that levels a very thin layer of your car's clear coat to remove the defects sitting in it: swirl marks, wash scratches, haze, oxidation and water-spot etching. Nothing is filled in or covered up. The marks are gone, so the gloss and colour come back and stay back.
Most Calgary cars pick these marks up from automatic car washes, snow brushes and gritty winter road film. If your paint looks dull in the sun, or shows spider-web circles under a streetlight, that is what paint correction fixes.
It is also the step that makes a ceramic coating worth paying for, because a coating locks in whatever is underneath it.
What Paint Correction Can't Fix
We look over your paint with you when you arrive and tell you what will and won't come out before we start.
How Much Does Paint Correction Cost in Calgary?
One-stage paint correction at YYC Detail starts at $600 for a car. It is our Platinum exterior package, so the price includes the full wash, decontamination, machine polish and a long-term sealant. Small SUVs and trucks add $100, and 7-seaters and vans add $200. Multi-stage correction for heavier defects is quoted after we see the paint.
| Vehicle | One-stage correction | Multi-stage correction |
|---|---|---|
| Coupe or sedan | From $600 | Quoted in person |
| Small SUV or truck | From $700 | Quoted in person |
| 7-seater or van | From $800 | Quoted in person |
| Time in the shop | 6–8 hours, same day | Given with the quote |
Prices before GST. One-stage bookings start at 9, 10 or 11 AM so the car is finished the same day.
- Hand wash and hand dry
- Clay bar decontamination
- Iron fallout removal
- Stage 1 machine paint correction
- Swirl and light scratch removal
- Oxidation treatment
- Headlight restoration
- Engine bay clean
- Premium long-term paint sealant
- Wheels, tires and trim cleaned and dressed
One-Stage or Multi-Stage:
Which Do You Need?
| One-stage | Multi-stage | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Light swirls, haze and dull paint on a daily driver | Heavier swirls, deeper marks, dark colours, a show finish |
| How it's done | One polishing pass that cuts and finishes together | A cutting pass, then one or more refining passes |
| Result | A clear jump in gloss, with most light marks gone | As much defect removal as the paint safely allows |
| Price | From $600 | Quoted in person |
| Also part of | Elite Shield ceramic package | Pro Shield ceramic package |
Most daily drivers only need one stage. We look at your paint under inspection lights and recommend the lighter option whenever it will do the job. Clear coat is thin and every pass removes a little of it, so we never polish more than the paint needs.
Paint Correction vs Car Polishing
Polishing is the work, and paint correction is the result. Both use a machine polisher, pads and abrasive polish. The difference is how far it goes.
A quick "polish" at a car wash is often a glaze: oils that fill the swirls and make the paint look glossy for a few weeks. After a few washes the swirls are back, because they never left.
Paint correction removes the scratched layer itself, so there is nothing to wash away. If you searched for car polishing in Calgary because your paint looks dull or scratched, correction is the service you are after.
How We Correct Your Paint
Keeping Corrected Paint Looking New
The correction is permanent, but paint can be scratched again. What you put on top, and how you wash it, decides how long the finish lasts.
Related reading: why paint correction comes before ceramic coating, what automatic car washes do to paint, hard water spots on Calgary paint and common polishing mistakes.
Paint Correction Questions
Ready to See Your Paint
Without the Swirls?
Book online, or call and tell us what your paint looks like.