Condition reports and coating agreements, signed before the polisher comes out
Every detailer has heard it: that scratch wasn't there before. The fix is a condition report the customer signs before you touch the car, with photos of what's already there. Add the paint correction limits, the coating's care rules and the warranty registration, and you have the paperwork that protects a four-figure ceramic job. SignMaster gets all of it signed at the shop counter, in the driveway or by link.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 4 min read
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What a detail shop gets signed
- Vehicle condition reportSwirls, rock chips, curb rash, door dings, interior stains and odors, noted panel by panel with the customer's initials and a photo of anything serious.
- Paint correction disclaimerSome defects go deeper than the clear coat can safely give. The customer accepts that you'll stop before thinning the paint too far, even if a scratch remains.
- Ceramic coating agreementThe coating, the prep included, cure time before the first wash, the maintenance washes the warranty depends on, and what voids it, like brush car washes.
- Paint protection film installCoverage areas, wrapped versus unwrapped edges, the film maker's warranty, and the risk to resprayed panels when film is removed later.
- Mobile service termsWhether you need the customer's water and power, permission to wash where an HOA or apartment complex has rules, and where the runoff goes.
- Personal items releaseValuables out before drop-off, and what happens to anything left in the console or trunk. Short, initialed, and it ends a lot of arguments.
The walk-around at drop-off
Do the walk-around with the customer standing there, under good light, and get the condition report signed before the keys leave their hand. A signed report with photos turns a pickup argument into a two-minute look at the PDF.
- 1
Open the condition report
On your phone or the counter iPad, pick the template. A checkbox group for each area lists the common defects, and a dropdown picks the service package.
- 2
Photograph the damage
Add a Photo field for each panel that needs one. It opens the camera during signing and prints the picture inside the signed PDF. Use an Attachment field when you want a whole set of photos added at the end.
- 3
Hand over the device
Choose Sign in person. The customer reads the e-signature consent, initials the paint correction limits and the personal items line, and signs. In the iPhone and iPad app, your Face ID or passcode ends signing mode.
- 4
Sign off at pickup
When the car is done, send the completion sign-off with the care sheet attached in the same envelope, SignMaster's word for one or more documents going to one or more signers. The customer signs that they received the care instructions.
When everyone has signed, the customer and your shop get the sealed PDF with a certificate of completion: who signed, when, from which IP address, and a SHA-256 fingerprint of the original file.
Coating jobs booked by link
Ceramic and film customers usually book after a quote by text or email. Send the coating agreement by link with the vehicle, the package and the price filled in, and set an expiry so the quote can't be accepted after your product costs change. The customer signs on their phone without an account. Ask for the details your coating maker needs for warranty registration in the same form, then register it the way the maker requires.
If you also tint windows, some states limit how dark tint can be. Put your state's rule and the customer's acknowledgment into the tint work order, worded the way your lawyer approves.
Fleets, dealers and maintenance plans
A dealership or a fleet account signs a service agreement once, with per-unit prices and the lot where you work, by link and with a signing order. For maintenance wash plans and yearly coating inspections, bulk send the renewal to every customer from a CSV, with each vehicle in a labeled text box. Solo sends up to 250 rows at once and Crew 500.
Pricing for a detail shop
A mobile detailer working alone fits Solo at $15 a month, with unlimited envelopes. A shop with installers and a front desk fits Crew, $49 a month for 5 people, each extra person $8 a month. Free includes 3 envelopes a month. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. See every plan.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't book appointments or sell detail packages online.
- It doesn't take deposits or payments.
- It doesn't register coating or film warranties with the manufacturer.
- It emails signing links. Copy a customer's link to text it yourself.
Questions? Answers.
Do auto detailers need a vehicle condition report?
No law requires one, but it's the best defense against a damage claim. A report signed at drop-off, with photos of existing scratches and chips, shows what was there before you started.
Can I add photos of the car to the signed form?
Yes. A Photo field opens the camera during signing and prints the picture inside the signed PDF. An Attachment field adds a set of photos to the end of the PDF.
Can customers sign a ceramic coating agreement remotely?
Yes. Send it by link and they sign on any phone or computer without an account. Set an expiry if the quoted price shouldn't hold forever.
Can the customer sign on my iPad at the counter?
Yes. Choose Sign in person and hand over the iPad. Signing mode guides them field by field, and only your Face ID or passcode ends it.