Fleet Wrap Warranty & Workmanship Guarantee | CFW

Chicago Fleet Wraps has been operating out of Portage Park since 2001. In that time we have wrapped more than 19,400 vehicles and logged zero verified paint-damage claims. Our 2-year workmanship warranty is not a marketing phrase. It is a contractual commitment backed by cast vinyl materials, a climate-controlled install bay, and a crew that has done this longer than most competitors have existed.

Why a Warranty Only Matters If the Company Can Back It Up

Any shop can print the words "satisfaction guaranteed" on a business card. What separates a real warranty from a sales tactic is the paper trail behind it. We have 2,800+ active fleet accounts across Chicagoland. Those clients renew contracts, add vehicles, and refer other fleet managers. That does not happen when a shop cuts corners and walks away from problems.

We are not perfect. No shop is. Wraps can develop issues. What matters is what happens next. Our warranty defines that answer in writing before we ever touch your vehicle.

What the 2-Year Workmanship Warranty Covers

The warranty runs for two years from the date of installation. It covers defects that originate from our work, not from the environment or the driver. Here is exactly what is covered and what is not.

Covered Under Warranty

• Edge lifting and peeling that starts within the first 24 months and is not caused by mechanical damage or chemical contact
• Air bubbles and blistering that appear after installation and are not caused by post-install heat exposure beyond normal Chicago summer conditions
• Seam failures where two panels separate at a join our installers made
• Color inconsistency or print defects visible at normal viewing distance that existed at delivery
• Adhesion failure on clean, properly prepped surfaces where our team did the prep work

Not Covered Under Warranty

• Physical damage from road debris, collisions, or pressure washing at high PSI directly at panel edges
• Chemical damage from fuel spills, harsh solvents, or non-approved cleaning products
• Fading or discoloration caused by parking in direct sun without the UV overlaminate we apply on every job
• Damage from modifications made to the vehicle after wrap installation
• Pre-existing paint defects the client declined to address before installation
• Normal wear after year two, though well-maintained cast vinyl typically lasts five to seven years

We document vehicle condition with photos before we start. That protects you and it protects us. If a pre-existing rust pocket or peeling clear coat shows up in our pre-install photos, we flag it in writing. You decide whether to address it. If you decline, that area is excluded from warranty coverage. No surprises later.

The Materials Behind the Guarantee

Our warranty means nothing without the right substrate under it. We use cast vinyl exclusively. We stock Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Supercast and 3M IJ180-CV3, along with the newer 3M IJ280, all applied with UV overlaminate. We never use calendered vinyl on fleet vehicles.

Here is why that matters for warranty claims. Calendered vinyl shrinks over time, especially through Chicago winters. It lifts at edges, cracks around rivets on cargo vans, and fails in ways that look like installer error but are actually material failure. Cast vinyl is manufactured to hold its dimensions. When we warranty our work for two years, we need a material that will cooperate for at least that long. Cast vinyl does. Calendered vinyl often does not.

We cut using 3M Knifeless Tape instead of blade-on-surface methods. That eliminates scores in your clear coat during installation. It is one reason we have never had a verified paint-damage claim in 25 years. The method costs more in materials and time. We absorb that cost because it keeps our warranty record clean.

How We Handle a Warranty Claim

If you see a covered defect, call us at (312) 597-1286 or email. We schedule an inspection, usually within a few business days. We bring the vehicle into our climate-controlled bay at 4711 N Lamon Ave #7 in Chicago. We assess the defect against our pre-install documentation. If it falls under warranty, we repair or replace the affected section at no charge. We also handle pickup and delivery across Chicagoland at no cost, so a warranty repair does not take your van off the road for a full day.

What we will not do is argue about a legitimate defect. We have 2,800+ active fleet accounts. We are not going to lose a fleet relationship over a panel repair.

Chicago-Specific Conditions That Affect Wrap Life

A warranty built for Phoenix is not the same as a warranty built for Chicago. Our clients drive on the Kennedy, the Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower. They park in Wicker Park in August with temperatures reflecting off asphalt, and in Bridgeport in February when temperatures drop below zero. Our materials are selected for this specific range.

Road salt is the biggest enemy of wrap edges in Chicago. We apply extra pressure to all lower panel edges and wheel arch areas precisely because of winter road treatment in this city. We instruct fleet managers to avoid automated brushless car washes, which can pull at edges, and to rinse salt off within 24 to 48 hours after a road salt event. That instruction is part of our post-installation care sheet, which every client receives at pickup.

Our climate-controlled install bay matters here too. Vinyl applied in cold conditions adheses poorly. Vinyl applied in heat-stressed conditions can trap bubbles. We control the environment so the install itself does not create a warranty problem before the vehicle leaves the bay.

Fleet Pricing and What the Warranty Covers Per Contract

Our standard cargo van full wrap starts at $4,200. Fleet contracts open up discounts: three percent for two to four vehicles, seven percent for five to nine, eleven percent for ten to twenty-four, and fifteen percent for twenty-five or more vehicles under a single contract. The workmanship warranty applies to every vehicle under the contract at the same terms. There is no reduced warranty for discounted fleet pricing.

One thing to be honest about: if you bring us a vehicle with previous wrap damage, oxidized paint, or body filler work that is not properly sealed, we will note it and those areas carry exclusions. We will not warranty surfaces we cannot control. But we will tell you that before we start, not after.

Stats That Put the Warranty in Context

• 25 years in business, founded 2001, operating from Portage Park
• 19,400+ vehicles wrapped across Chicagoland
• 0 verified paint-damage claims in company history
• 2,800+ active fleet accounts renewing contracts year over year
• 2-year workmanship warranty on every installation
• 5 to 7 year expected lifespan on cast vinyl with proper care

Those numbers are not projections. They are running totals from our own job records. We mention them because a warranty from a two-year-old shop and a warranty from a 25-year-old shop are not the same thing, even if the language on paper looks identical.

People Also Ask

What does a fleet wrap workmanship warranty actually cover?

A workmanship warranty covers defects that come from the installation itself. At Chicago Fleet Wraps, our 2-year warranty covers edge lifting, air bubbles, seam failures, adhesion failure on properly prepped surfaces, and visible print defects at delivery. It does not cover physical damage from road debris, chemical spills, pressure washing at panel edges, or wear that occurs after the two-year period. Every vehicle is photographed before installation so pre-existing paint issues are documented and excluded upfront.

Can a fleet wrap damage my vehicle's paint when it is removed?

Paint damage from wrap removal is almost always caused by two things: low-quality adhesive left too long on compromised paint, or blade cutting directly on the vehicle surface during installation. Chicago Fleet Wraps uses cast vinyl only, Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Supercast and 3M IJ180-CV3 or IJ280, and cuts exclusively with 3M Knifeless Tape to avoid scoring the clear coat. In 25 years and more than 19,400 vehicles wrapped, we have logged zero verified paint-damage claims. That record exists because of material selection and install method, not luck.

How long does a commercial vehicle wrap last in Chicago's climate?

Cast vinyl wraps applied with UV overlaminate typically last five to seven years in Chicagoland conditions when properly maintained. Chicago's freeze-thaw cycles, road salt, and summer heat stress all accelerate wear, particularly at lower panel edges. Calendered vinyl fails faster under these conditions, which is why Chicago Fleet Wraps uses cast vinyl exclusively. The workmanship warranty runs for two years. Beyond that, lifespan depends on how the vehicle is washed, where it is parked, and whether edge lifting is addressed early when it occasionally appears after winter road salt exposure.

The Honest Tradeoff

Cast vinyl and proper install methods cost more than the budget alternative. A $4,200 cargo van wrap is more than some shops charge. What you are paying for is material that will not shrink and lift by February, an install method that does not score your paint, and a warranty from a company that has been at the same address in Portage Park for 25 years and has every incentive to honor it. If price is the only factor, we are probably not your shop. If keeping a fleet looking sharp and protecting your paint matters, we are worth the call.

Next Step

Call Chicago Fleet Wraps at (312) 597-1286 to schedule a 2-hour itemized quote. We cover the full scope of work, material specs, warranty terms in writing, and fleet pricing under a single contract. Free pickup and delivery is available across Chicagoland. Our shop is at 4711 N Lamon Ave #7, Chicago, IL 60630, in Portage Park. Bring us one van or twenty-five. The warranty terms are the same either way.

Frequently Asked Questions