How we get our numbers - and why you can trust them.
Our pricing comes from public sources only - published shop rates, manufacturer data, and owner-reported quotes. Every figure is cited, dated, and human-reviewed before it publishes. We take no paid placements and never sell rankings.
The rules we build on
Three standards, no exceptions
Public data only
We only use information anyone can verify: published shop menus, manufacturer specs and guidance, and owner-reported quotes. No scraped private data, no paywalled sources, no guesses.
Every number is cited and dated
Each price range points to where it came from and when we last checked it. If we can't source a figure, we don't publish it as fact - simple as that.
Human-reviewed before publish
Research is assisted by tools, but a person reviews and approves every number before it goes live. Nothing publishes on autopilot.
Sources
Where our numbers come from
Three kinds of public information, cross-checked against each other:
What we use
- +Published shop pricing - public price menus and quotes installers share openly.
- +Manufacturer data - brand spec sheets, warranty documents, and published guidance.
- +Owner-reported quotes - what real vehicle owners say they were quoted or paid.
What we never do
- −Scrape private, personal, or paywalled data.
- −Let a shop pay to change a number, rating, or ranking.
- −Publish a figure we can't trace back to a real source.
- −Anchor with a single lowball price - we always show a range.
The process
How a price gets published
Every published range goes through the same steps before you see it.
Research
We gather published prices for a service, vehicle, and metro from public sources - using a research assistant (AI plus web search) to cast a wide, current net.
Sourced draft
Each figure is attached to its source and dated, and shaped into a range - never a single number - that reflects how price varies by vehicle.
Human review
A person checks the sources, sanity-checks the range against what's realistic locally, and approves or rejects it. This gate is the difference between data and noise.
Publish with context
Approved ranges publish with a plain-language explanation and a note that the real number depends on your vehicle - tied back to this page.
Re-check and re-date
Prices move. We revisit published numbers, update them, and change the date so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Correct in the open
If we get something wrong and you can show us, we fix it and say so. Accuracy beats being right the first time.
Where we are today
Honest about what's live
We're rolling out sourced local pricing one metro at a time, starting with Tampa. Building a pricing database the right way - sourced, dated, and reviewed - takes longer than guessing, and we'd rather be slow and right.
Until a metro's numbers are published and reviewed, the prices you see are typical published market ranges, clearly framed as such - always a range, always with a "depends on your vehicle" note, never a single low anchor. When sourced local pricing is live for your area, it replaces the general range.
Independence
Why none of this is for sale
Paint Protection Pros is an independent resource - not a shop. A shop can earn a place in our network and clearly-disclosed exposure, but money can never buy a number, a rating, a ranking, or a recommendation. We take no paid placement that changes our data or our recommendations. Our only job is to be the resource you check before you buy - which only works if you can trust that nothing behind our guidance was bought.
See it in action
Straight pricing, sourced the honest way.
Browse our pricing guidance, or tell us what you drive and we'll point you to a fair range, and a vetted shop as our network opens near you.