DIY vs. Professional Paint Protection – What to Choose?

Every truck deserves to have its paint protected; that’s something pretty much everybody who cares for vehicles agrees on. But when it comes to the kind of protection and who applies it, that’s where people have all kinds of opinions.

The fact is, a professional can apply paint protection (of any type) far better than someone who’s not experienced; that’s pretty self-explanatory. However, that doesn’t come cheap, so if you can go the DIY route and save on costs, why shouldn’t you? And that’s exactly the problem – can you ACTUALLY DIY it, or do you just think you can? Sure, you might be able to wax the truck with little to no experience, or you could even put on a sealant correctly. However, when it comes to ceramic coating, the difficulty spikes drastically. If you try paint protection film (PPF), things become even more complicated and difficult.

And based on the popularity of the four main car paint protection methods: car wax, car sealant, ppf, and ceramic coating, we can easily see that car wax is still very popular, as it pretty much always was due to its availability, cost, and user-friendliness, but when it comes to actually protecting the paint of their cars, two methods reign supreme – ceramic coating and ppf, both of which are not really DIY-friendly (at all).

Search interest comparison in the U.S. based on the data from Google (2024)

And if you’re there screaming, “Heeey, what about graphene coating?”. Well, that’s just ceramic coating infused with graphene. It has pretty much the same properties, with the graphene giving the product little to no notable benefits. There are some plausible benefits when it comes to thermal conductivity, which is more applicable in the space industry than it is for regular car paint protection (unless, of course, you like driving your car through an inferno; then it’s great… for the paint of the car, not really for you OR the actual car).

So, if you decide to try to do it yourself and you mess the paint protection application up, you’ll still have to have a professional take care of it and plus, you’ll (likely) need to pay extra to remove whatever it is you tried to apply (the damage/mess caused).

Is it worth it to take the risk, or is it better to bite the bullet and pay more for professional service?

Let’s see.

Pros and Cons of DIY Paint Protection

DIY paint protection has its limits, and so do you. But if you really want to protect your truck’s paint and you really, really don’t want to pay a lot of money for it, it could be worth it to give it a try. 

Here are the pros and cons, so you can decide for yourself. 

1. Saving Money

This is the main (and sometimes, the only) reason people choose to apply paint protection themselves over going the professional route. A paint protection kit is usually far cheaper than hiring a professional, so it makes sense. And most of the cost is labor-related. 

With DIY, all you need to pay is the product, and if you’re looking to regularly maintain your truck, the savings are pretty significant in the long run. The problem with DIY kits is that their quality varies and a lot of times, cheaper ones aren’t as effective. 

1. Flexibility and Convenience

With DIY, you don’t need to schedule an appointment or leave your truck at the shop, which is extremely convenient. Keep in mind, though, applying paint protection takes quite a while, especially if you’re a beginner. 

You’re looking at a few hours for prep work, application, and drying time. 

1. Skill and Precision

If you like hands-on projects, this could be very rewarding. You have full control over the process and you can be proud of the results.

As previously mentioned, if you opt for car wax (carnauba wax), you’ll probably be able to handle it yourself. Because even if you mess up, it doesn’t cost much, or require much (other than some good old elbow grease) to reapply it. Pretty much the same goes for car sealants. 

Ceramic coating already becomes very difficult to apply compared to these two. And this goes beyond just simple skill and knowledge. You also need to prepare the surface of the care beforehand so that the coating can cure onto the paintwork properly. And for that you need tools (can be expensive, and you also need to know how to handle them); you also need a closed, well-ventilated space where the elements, dust, bugs, sap, and similar things cannot interfere with the application and curing process.

Paint protection film, on the other hand, is pretty much impossible for the average Joe to apply – well, improbable is more accurate. First of all, it’s a two-man job. Some legendary PPF legends can do it solo. But these people are extremely skilled. So, already from the get-go, you’re looking at requiring another skilled person who’ll do it with you. You’ll also need to prep the paint beforehand. Because, if you’re already applying PPF and going through all that trouble and the cost of material, you don’t want damaged, dull, swirl-marked paint underneath that protection film. And to prep the paint, you’ll again need all those tools, which cost money and you need to know how to use them, as well. These are some really impactful costs and factors that people often overlook when thinking about how expensive PPF is to install. So if you’re an avid DIYer, then sure, go for the challenge; but when it comes to PPF, it is definitely not recommended (unless you’re looking to get the experience to start your own PPF business).

PPF can be applied to specific areas that might be more prone to scratches (the front of the hood or ‘clear bra’, or the bottom side/door panels), so you can customize the coverage. But it’s always better to protect the whole vehicle because you can never know where the damage may hit.

Precision is key here, and if you don’t have experience with it, it can quickly become difficult and frustrating.

Even a tiny little error can compromise the look and protection of the coating.

1. Product Selection

The good thing about a DIY approach is that you have the freedom to choose a product you want. The bad thing is, if you’re not experienced, you can easily get overwhelmed with everything on the market and choose wrong.

There are certain products that might not work with the paint on your truck or they might need some special application method.

Pros and Cons of Professional Paint Protection

If you want maximum durability, precision, and peace of mind, then you need professional service. Of course, nothing’s perfect, and that option also comes with drawbacks. Let’s see if the pros outweigh the cons. 

1. Cost

The number one question on everybody’s mind – what’s this gonna cost me? Well, it’s not cheap, and that’s mostly due to labor costs and premium materials pros use (which aren’t really accessible to you unless you’re a certified business). But even with the higher initial cost, professionally applied paint protection can actually save you money in the long term because the results tend to be better and more resilient.

The cost is really the only significant downside to professional application. 

1. Effectiveness and Quality

A skilled professional will make sure that every part of your truck’s surface is evenly coated; no bubbles, gaps, or anything else. This isn’t something you can easily achieve if you try to DIY it. 

Usually, professionals use top-tier products, so when you combine that with training and experience, you get the best results possible. 

1. Durability and Maintenance

Durability is another big advantage of professional application because what the pros apply tends to last longer. Professionally applied coatings can withstand more wear and tear, so you get longer-lasting protection.

Also, you’ll need less maintenance, although a lot of professionals also provide quick maintenance options.

So, if you don’t really feel like doing anything to maintain your truck, you really don’t have to; the pros can take care of everything for you.

So, if you want to sum all of the above up, here’s a quick table that should give you a quick glimpse into what you can expect when choosing to protect the paint of your vehicle. The table below will give a score from 0-10 for three different aspects: cost, application difficulty, and overall DIY-friendliness for all four of the primary paint protection methods:

As you can see, ceramic coating is not the ideal choice for a DIY endeavor. And PPF is even less so. So, if you’re leaning more towards the DIY route, perhaps pick a good wax or a sealant. Or if you feel daring, well… you know what to do. Otherwise, it might be best to consult a professional car dealer for an installation.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you’ve reached your decision now. And if you haven’t, it should be easier to decide now. If we were to sum up the entire article into a few words, we’d tell you that the only con of professional service is the higher cost. 

As far as DIY goes, you’ll save a decent amount of money upfront, but if you’re a beginner, arm yourself with patience because it will take you a while to get this right.