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Aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide powder samples coated by zinc hydroxystannate (ZHS) to various extents have been studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For quantification of the XPS results a model was applied in which the substrate was covered by islands of ZHS, and this system was considered to be covered by a uniformly thin carbonaceous contamination overlayer. The surface coverage by ZHS and the thickness values of the carbonaceous and ZHS layers were determined for each sample by the recently developed XPS MultiQuant program. Relationships were established between the surface coverage, the layer thickness and the applied bulk concentration of ZHS. Low coating thickness values in the range of several nanometres have been obtained, which may account for the previously observed high flame retardant and smoke suppressant efficacy of zinc hydroxystannate-coated fillers when applied in various polymeric formulations.