Detailing & Car Wash
Headlight restoration near you
Headlight restoration that wet-sands, polishes and UV-seals yellowed, cloudy lenses, so the beam is clear again at night, in about an hour.
- Time at the shop
- 60 min
- about
- Mobile service
- Available
- at your address
- Shops in Canada
- 4
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
4 shops in Canada do this
Detailing & Car Wash
What headlight restoration is
Modern headlight lenses are polycarbonate plastic with a factory UV coating. Sun, heat, road grit and harsh cleaners wear that coating away, and the plastic underneath oxidizes into a yellow, hazy layer that scatters light and shortens how far the beam reaches. Restoration removes the damaged surface and puts a new protective layer on.
The technician masks the paint around each lens, wet-sands it through progressively finer grits until the haze is gone, then machine polishes it clear. The lens is wiped clean and sealed with a UV-blocking clear coat or coating. Haze on the inside, water trapped in the housing and cracked lenses cannot be sanded out, and call for a reseal or a new headlight. A pair takes 45 to 90 minutes.
- For cars, EVs, vans and trucks
- Takes about 60 min
- Can be done at your address
What does headlight restoration cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
4 shops across Canada do headlight restoration.
What to expect
Headlight restoration, step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- Lenses washed, with the bumper edge, hood edge and trim taped off to protect the paint
- Yellowing and oxidation wet-sanded away through progressively finer grits
- Machine polish to bring the lens back to a clear, even finish
- Lens degreased so the UV coat bonds
- UV-blocking clear coat or sealant applied so the haze does not return quickly
- Fog lights or tail lights restored on request
- Lights switched on to check the beam, with a note if a bulb looks dim or the aim looks off
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Ask whether the job ends with a UV clear coat or only a polish; without UV protection the yellowing returns within months
- 02Ask how long the coating is expected to last and what warranty the shop gives
- 03Have the shop confirm the haze is on the outside; moisture or clouding inside the housing needs a reseal or a new headlight
- 04Confirm the price is for both headlights, and whether fog lights or tail lights are included
- 05Mobile visit: choose a dry, shaded spot; the coating needs time to cure before it meets rain or a car wash
- 06If a lens is cracked or pitted through the surface, ask what replacement would cost before you commit
Signs
When you need it
- Lenses that look yellow, milky or foggy in daylight
- A weak beam at night, or glare scattered in rain and fog
- Clear coat on the lens peeling or flaking
- Haze that has come back after an earlier polish
- An older vehicle whose cloudy lenses make the front end look tired
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get headlight restoration done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
Related services
Auto Electrical
Headlight & bulb replacement
Burnt-out headlight, brake light, turn signal and taillight bulbs replaced with the correct type, then every lamp tested and the beam pattern checked.
Car detailing
Car detailing with hand wash, clay bar and wax or sealant outside and a deep vacuum and surface clean inside, for cars, SUVs, vans and trailers.
Paint correction
Paint correction that machine-polishes swirl marks, light scratches, water spots and oxidation out of the clear coat, then seals the finish.
Auto Electrical
LED lighting installation
LED lighting installation for interior ambient strips, cargo and bed lights, rock lights and underglow, wired to fused, switched circuits.
Inspections
Safety inspection (Safety Standards Certificate)
Safety inspection at a licensed provincial station: brakes, steering, tires, lights and body checked, then a safety certificate issued on a pass.
Questions
Questions about headlight restoration
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
How long does headlight restoration last?
A polish with a wipe-on sealant may fade within a year, since sunlight keeps attacking the plastic. A well-prepared lens with a cured UV clear coat commonly lasts a few years. Park in shade when you can, wash the lenses like paint, and keep them waxed or coated to slow the return of yellowing.
Does toothpaste or a DIY kit fix cloudy headlights?
Only for a while. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive that clears light haze for a few weeks, but it does not cut through real oxidation and adds no UV protection, so the yellowing returns. Sanding kits work better, though results depend on your care and the sealant supplied. The step most people skip is the UV clear coat, which is what makes the job last.
Is it cheaper to restore or replace headlights?
Restoration costs a small fraction of replacement, since a new headlight assembly commonly runs several hundred dollars each and more on LED or adaptive models. Replacement makes sense when a lens is cracked, moisture is trapped inside, the housing is broken or the surface is too pitted to polish clear.
Will restoring my headlights make them brighter?
Yes, because a hazy lens blocks part of the light, and clearing it makes a real difference to how far and how evenly you see at night. It cannot fix a dim or aged bulb, a poorly aimed beam or a corroded reflector. A shop can check the bulbs and aim during the same appointment if you ask.
Can headlights be restored at my home?
Yes, headlight restoration is one of the most common mobile jobs, since it needs water, a polisher and about an hour. Pick a shaded, dry spot, ideally a garage, so dust and rain do not touch the fresh coating while it sets. In freezing weather a shop bay is the better place, because a coating cures poorly when it is cold.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
Ready when you areTell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsFor detailers and car washes
Sign up as a business
Detailers and car washes across Canada: drivers post their Detailing & Car Wash requests here. Publish your weekly flyer, open the appointment windows you can take and bid on the jobs near you. Free while we launch, no commission.