Illustration for Full-Front PPF or Fix Rock Chips as They Come? The Break-Even

The math depends on how deep your chips go, how many you get, and how long you’ll own the car.

The break-even table

Option Price we found Equals a $1,800–$2,100 full front at
Full-front film (hood, fenders, bumper, mirrors, headlights) $1,800 (Maryland Clean Rides); from $2,100 (EMWRAPS, Seattle); about $2,000 average (SeaWraps, Kent, WA) —
DIY touch-up kit, a dozen or fewer chips $49.95 (Dr. ColorChip Basic Kit) About 36 to 42 kits
Pro repair, one shallow (clear-coat) chip $50 to $90 (The Dent Dude, Alexandria, VA) About 20 to 42 chips
Pro repair, cluster of 5 to 15 chips $150 to $400 per visit (The Dent Dude) About 5 to 14 visits
Pro repair, hood cluster of 15 to 30 chips $300 to $600 flat (The Dent Dude) About 3 to 7 visits
One or two chips at a repair shop $200 to $250 (Paintcraft) About 7 to 10 visits
Full hood repaint $700 to $1,200 (The Dent Dude) About 1.5 to 3 repaints

The numbers come from operators’ and makers’ own pages. For what each film package covers, see our PPF cost by coverage guide. For repair prices by chip depth, see rock chip repair cost.

How to run your own numbers

Count the chips on your hood and bumper now, then think about how long you’ve owned the car. That gives you a rough chip rate per year.

  • A few shallow chips a year: At $50 to $90 each, five chips a year is $250 to $450 a year. Over four years, that’s $1,000 to $1,800, which reaches the low end of film pricing at best.
  • Highway commuter with a peppered hood: One cluster visit a year at $150 to $400 adds up to the film price in roughly 5 to 14 years.
  • Deep chips: A Northern Virginia mobile repairer charges $100 to $200 for a chip down to primer and $150 to $250 once rust starts. Deep chips reach the film price faster.

A touch-up isn’t a reset, though. One repair shop says its work improves the look by 75% to 95%, and says repaired paint looks much better but not brand new. Film keeps the original paint intact. A touch-up kit maker agrees that film gives substantially greater protection against future chips than coatings do.

What film can’t do

Film protects what it covers. One Kent, Washington installer recommends at least a full front. It says partial coverage stops mid-hood and leaves a film line and exposed paint.

The warranty covers the film, not your paint. One film maker says its warranty applies to the film only. It also excludes film installed over known or visible defects, including chips in the paint. A touch-up kit maker says to correct the paint first, then repair chips, then add protection. So budget for fixing existing chips before film, not instead of it.

When fixing chips wins

  • Lease or a short ownership. One lease company’s wear guide counts fewer than 4 dings per panel under 2 inches, and one scratch under 6 inches per panel, as normal wear. A handful of touched-up chips at turn-in costs far less than film. Our lease return detail guide covers the turn-in.
  • Paint that needs correction first. A touch-up kit maker says to correct and repair chips before any film goes on, which adds to the film’s real cost.

When film wins

  • You’ll keep the car five years or more.
  • Your hood already shows a steady crop of new chips each year.
  • The paint is a premium or specialty color. The Northern Virginia repairer charges $100 to $300 per chip for those.

Still deciding between film and a coating on a new car? See PPF vs ceramic coating. For a short trip, our guide to cheap front-end protection for road trips has lower-cost options.

How we research our articles: methodology.

Sources

Based on 9 sources · How we price