Cut and polish and paint correction are the same kind of work: machine polishing that levels the clear coat to remove swirls and light scratches. A cut and polish is the lighter version, from $264. Multi-stage paint correction goes further and makes sense before a ceramic coating, which starts at $750 with correction included.
Which one does your car need?
- Choose a cut and polish if the paint is clean but looks flat, or shows fine swirls in direct sun, and you want the gloss back.
- Choose the Ultimate Detail if the paint needs that and the cabin needs a deep clean as well.
- Choose multi-stage correction with a ceramic coating if you plan to keep the car and want the finish corrected once, then protected.
- Choose neither if the paint already looks sharp after a wash (a Mini Detail or Full Detail will do), or the damage goes deeper than the clear coat.
What is a cut and polish?
Most modern car paint is built in layers: primer, a colour coat, then a clear coat on top. Swirl marks and light scratches are fine grooves in that clear coat. They scatter light, which is why a swirled bonnet looks grey and hazy in the sun even when it's clean.
The "cut" is an abrasive compound worked over the panel with a machine polisher. It removes a very thin layer of clear coat and levels the surface down towards the bottom of the scratch, so the scratch stops catching the light. Nothing gets filled in. The "polish" is a finer abrasive that clears the haze the cutting stage leaves and brings the gloss up.
Our Cut & Polish starts with a wash, bug and tar removal and a paint decontamination treatment. Polishing over bonded grit would only drag it across the panel.
So what is paint correction?
The same work, taken further. The paint is machined in several stages, stepping from coarser abrasives to finer ones, and the target moves from "much better" to "as close to defect-free as the clear coat safely allows".
That effort pays off most under a coating, because a coating sits on top of whatever finish is there when it goes on. Multi-stage correction is included in every Gloss Go 10H ceramic coating for that reason. Still deciding on a coating? Read whether ceramic coating is worth it first.
Cut and polish vs paint correction: side by side
| Option | Machine work | Interior | Price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut & Polish | Machine cut and polish to reduce swirls and scratches | No, exterior only | $264 / $294 / $324 |
| Ultimate Detail | The same cut and polish | Yes, the full Interior Detail | $344 / $394 / $444 |
| Multi-stage correction with ceramic coating | Multi-stage correction for swirls and light scratches | No | From $750, quoted per vehicle |
*Hatch or sedan / small SUV or wagon / large SUV, 4WD or 7 seater.
Why shouldn't you cut and polish every year?
Because clear coat is finite, and every cut spends some of it. General Motors tells its dealers that the clear coat on a vehicle is typically 1.5 to 2 mils thick (a mil is a thousandth of an inch), that it contains the UV screeners, and that removing more than 0.5 mil may lead to early paint failure. You can't put clear coat back without repainting.
So polish when the paint needs it. A date on the calendar is no reason. Afterwards, careful washing protects the result: RACV points out that fine swirl marks generally come from dust or dirt being wiped along the bodywork, and that part is in your hands.
What can't machine polishing fix?
- Scratches through the clear coat. Run a fingernail across the scratch. If the nail catches, RACV's guide says the scratch is likely deeper than the clear coat. Polishing may soften how it looks. It won't remove it.
- Stone chips. A chip is missing paint, and polishing only takes material away. Chips need touch-up paint.
- Failed clear coat. Peeling, flaking or chalky white patches mean the clear coat itself has broken down. There is no sound layer left to level, so the panel needs repainting.
Even on healthy paint, expect swirls and scratches to be reduced, with the deepest still faintly there. Our own inclusions list says some deeper scratches may remain. That is the honest result of polishing within what the clear coat can spare.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cut and polish cost?
At Gloss Go a cut and polish costs $264 for a hatch or sedan, $294 for a small SUV or wagon and $324 for a large SUV, 4WD or 7 seater. The price includes the wash and paint decontamination done before the machine work.
Will a cut and polish remove every scratch?
No. It reduces swirls and light scratches that sit within the clear coat. A scratch your fingernail catches in is usually too deep to polish out safely, and stone chips need touch-up paint.
How often should a car be cut and polished?
Only when the paint needs it. Each cut removes a little clear coat, so there is no point polishing to a calendar. Gentle washing between details means the paint needs correcting far less often.
Do I need paint correction before a ceramic coating?
Yes. A coating goes over whatever finish is on the car, so swirls left underneath stay visible. Multi-stage paint correction is included in every Gloss Go ceramic coating, which starts at $750 and is quoted per vehicle.
Not sure which one your paint needs? Compare the packages and prices, or send a booking request and tell us what the paint looks like in the sun. We come to your home or workplace across Melbourne's south east, 7 days a week.