Headlight Restoration in Calgary, Canada: Compare Scope and Protection

PRSTN offers a condition-priced mobile appointment covering both headlights; Car Spa Pro’s $79 restoration is a detailing add-on, not a standalone purchase. [1][2] For Calgary vehicle owners, the useful comparison is the complete two-headlight total, the condition each provider can address and the protection included—not the advertised price alone.

Describe the lens condition before requesting a quote

Send vehicle details and photographs of both headlights, not only the worse-looking lens. As a practical starting point, describe:

• Whether one or both lenses look cloudy, yellowed, pitted or scratched, including visible cracks or deep chips. These are conditions the providers identify when discussing suitability and the work involved. [1][3][4][5]
• Whether haze appears outside the lens or inside the housing. Flag condensation, damaged reflectors and broken housings or mounting tabs; Obsidian distinguishes these from surface oxidation. [3]
• Anything you cannot identify confidently. Ask what the provider can assess from photographs and what needs an in-person inspection.

Condition affects the scope: Obsidian says deeper yellowing or pitting requires additional wet-sanding stages and time, and recommends an in-person assessment before quoting. [3] A description of “hazy headlights” may therefore be too broad for a firm price.

When to request assembly diagnosis instead

Surface haze, yellowing and oxidation may suit restoration. Obsidian identifies cracks, internal condensation, degraded reflectors and broken housings or mounting tabs as reasons for assembly diagnosis or replacement rather than external polishing. [3]

PRSTN also warns that cracks, deep chips or moisture inside the housing may prevent full resolution through surface restoration. [1] Detail Masters flags internal cracking and deep structural damage as potentially requiring replacement. [4]

If those symptoms are present, ask a qualified provider to identify the fault before authorizing polishing. External lens work is not a repair for failed bulbs or wiring, trapped moisture or structural damage. [1][3][4] Obsidian offers condition-based assessment and quotes at its southeast Calgary studio. [3]

PRSTN vs Car Spa Pro: what does each appointment buy?

PRSTN Autos

• Pair scope and required purchase: PRSTN treats both lenses as a matched pair and offers a free, no-obligation, condition-based quote rather than a posted restoration price. It presents restoration as an individual service rather than a detailing-package add-on. [1]
• Access and vehicle downtime: The service comes to your driveway in Calgary or Airdrie. Someone must be available at the start to confirm vehicle access, but you need not stay throughout the appointment. [1]
• UV finish and photographic evidence: The package includes UV-resistant sealant, a final inspection in natural and direct light, and customer-specific before-and-after photographs. [1]

Car Spa Pro

• Pair scope and required purchase: The $79 restoration must accompany a detailing package; the page suggests Full Detail or Interior Detailing. The cited page does not state whether $79 covers both headlights or give the required detailing package’s price. [2]
• Access and vehicle downtime: Customers may wait at the shop or leave the vehicle. The 500 Rocky Vista NW address is an administrative office only, with no detailing performed there. [2]
• UV finish and photographic evidence: Car Spa Pro identifies a UV-protective sealant. [2] Request customer-specific before-and-after photographs if you want them included in the agreed scope.

Compare PRSTN’s complete restoration quote with Car Spa Pro’s detailing-plus-restoration total. The $79 add-on alone is not the cost of booking Car Spa Pro’s service. [1][2]

Put the quotes beside confirmed two-headlight prices

Auto Glow and Detail Masters provide published pair-price benchmarks, with different access arrangements. [4][5]

Auto Glow Studio

• Pair scope and price: The advertised $79 covers both driver and passenger headlights. [5]
• Access and vehicle downtime: Auto Glow offers mobile service anywhere in Calgary. [5] Request an appointment duration and ready-to-use time before booking.
• UV finish and photographic evidence: UV-resistant sealant is included. [5] Ask for customer-specific photographs as a deliverable if required.

Detail Masters

• Pair scope and price: The published $100 per set of two plus 5% GST works out to $100 × 1.05 = $105 on that base price. [4]
• Access and vehicle downtime: Work is exclusively at the Seton Detail Centre. The stated service time is 45–60 minutes depending on condition; severe oxidation may require additional sanding and polishing time. [4]
• UV finish and photographic evidence: The package includes lens protection and a final quality check. [4] Confirm the protective product and request photographs if you want a record of the result.

For scheduling, distinguish hands-on service time from total vehicle downtime. Ask about the actual start time, finish-curing requirements and collection. For mobile work, confirm parking access, shelter, utilities and weather contingencies rather than assuming what you must provide.

Separate UV protection from warranty coverage

A protective finish and a commitment to fix later deterioration are different parts of the purchase. PRSTN, Car Spa Pro and Auto Glow identify UV-resistant sealant; Detail Masters lists lens protection. [1][2][4][5]

• Car Spa Pro says results typically last 2–3 years, depending on sun exposure and parking conditions. This is a vendor-reported lifespan, not a stated warranty period. [2]
• Detail Masters says results typically last 1–3 years, depending on UV exposure, storage and whether protective sealant is applied. Its general promise to renew foggy headlights to their “original glory” is separate from that estimate. [4]
• PRSTN says plastic lenses eventually oxidize again and describes its sealant as slowing recurrence. It advises garaging the vehicle where possible. [1]

Ask PRSTN, Car Spa Pro and Detail Masters to confirm warranty duration, exclusions, remedies and claim procedures in writing rather than treating an advertised lifespan as coverage. [1][2][4]

Keep appearance and lighting performance separate, too. Obsidian’s and Auto Glow’s performance claims are not accompanied by a common independent beam-testing protocol that would support ranking the services by brightness percentages. [3][5] Do not treat an appearance improvement as proof of roadworthiness.

What to confirm with each provider

Use the same quote request for each shortlisted service:

Please quote the total for both headlights on my [make/model], including any mandatory detailing purchase, taxes and condition-related additions. Specify the protective finish and expected result for each lens.

If the initial inspection changes the scope or price, please obtain my approval before additional work or charges.

Please confirm model eligibility, appointment availability, total vehicle downtime, and written deposit, rescheduling and cancellation terms.

Then resolve the provider-specific gaps:

• PRSTN: obtain the condition-based price, appointment duration, specific warranty period and any restrictions on vehicle use after application. [1]
• Car Spa Pro: confirm pair coverage, the required detailing package and its price, the actual service address, combined appointment duration and photograph arrangements. [2]
• Auto Glow: confirm tax treatment, appointment duration, photographs and written follow-up terms. [5]
• Detail Masters: identify the included protective product, any condition-related price change, photograph arrangements, warranty duration, exclusions, remedy and claim procedure. [4]

For each provider, request written cancellation and deposit conditions, product-specific care instructions, and warranty coverage, exclusions, remedy and claim deadline. These are questions to settle before booking, not terms to assume.

Check the result before collection or mobile sign-off

Compare both lenses with the agreed scope. Note remaining haze, uneven appearance and defects identified before work as outside the restoration. PRSTN includes a final inspection in natural and direct light, which provides a useful opportunity to review the result alongside its before-and-after photographs. [1]

You can also take your own photographs from comparable angles and lighting before and after the work. Use them to document appearance, not as a substitute for diagnosing unresolved lighting or assembly faults.

Request an itemised invoice recording the two-headlight scope, protection applied, unresolved defects and agreed follow-up terms. Obtain written care instructions, including when washing or other treatments are permitted, rather than assuming a curing interval.

Choose by purchase and condition: PRSTN offers a matched-pair mobile appointment with included photographs; Car Spa Pro’s add-on suits a purchase that already includes detailing. [1][2] Auto Glow supplies a published mobile pair-price benchmark, while Detail Masters supplies a Seton shop benchmark with stated service time and GST. [4][5] If the problem is internal moisture, cracks or housing damage, prioritize qualified assembly diagnosis over a polishing price. [1][3][4]

References

1. Headlight Restoration in Calgary | PRSTN Autos (prstnautos.ca)
2. Professional Headlight Restoration in Calgary | Car Spa Pro (detailingcarspa.com)
3. Headlight Restoration in Calgary: Cost & Process (2026) (obsidianauto.ca)
4. Headlight Restoration Calgary | $100 Per Set (detailmasters-calgary.ca)
5. Headlight Restoration Calgary | Restore Clarity & Brightness | Auto Glow Studio (autoglowstudio.com)