What’s the Difference Between a Wash & Coat and a Warrantied Ceramic Coating?

By Mike Holland, Owner

The wash and coat vs ceramic coating choice comes down to paint and warranty. A Wash & Coat is a ceramic coating with no polishing or warranty, lasting up to 3 years. Owner’s Pride warrantied coatings add paint correction and a warranty. At Level Up Detailing in Lexington, NC, Wash & Coat starts at $699 and Owner’s Pride starts at $1,199.

	Wash & Coat	Owner’s Pride warrantied exterior coating
Starting price	$699 (coupes, sedans, midsize SUVs, small trucks); $799 large truck, SUV or van	$1,199 (3-year, coupe or sedan) up to $2,599 (9-year self-healing, large vehicle)
How long it lasts	Up to 3 years	3, 5, 7 or 9-year warranty
Warranty	None	Owner’s Pride manufacturer’s limited warranty
Prep	Hand decon wash, clay bar, iron decon	Hand wash, iron decon, clay bar, surface prep
Paint correction	Not included	Single-stage included; two-stage extra, quoted after inspection
Coated surfaces	Paint, factory wheel faces, headlights, tail lights	Body, trim, wheel faces, headlights, tail lights
Time at the shop	About 5 to 7 hours	About 48 to 72 hours (drop-off)
Best for	Paint already in good shape	Paint with swirls or light defects, or a car you’re keeping for years

Prices match our online shop (shown for price reference only). To set up an appointment, call or text (336) 780-7868.

West Winston-Salem drivers ask us this one a lot. Our Lexington shop is about 14 miles (roughly 25 minutes) from Winston-Salem on NC-150, and the two options don’t ask the same thing of your schedule: a Wash & Coat is about a 5-to-7-hour job, while a warrantied package is a drop-off for two to three days. Forsyth County’s pollen season runs from early February through late October (Forsyth County), so a car that sits outside here sees a lot of yellow dust and sun either way. In this blog, we’ll cover what each package includes, what each one costs, and how to tell which one your paint actually needs.

Key Takeaways: Wash & Coat vs Ceramic Coating

• Both are real ceramic coatings: the wash and coat vs ceramic coating choice isn’t coating vs. no coating. It’s no warranty and no correction vs. a warranty with correction included.
• Wash & Coat: starting at $699. It lasts up to 3 years and takes about 5 to 7 hours.
• Warrantied Owner’s Pride: exterior packages start at $1,199. Single-stage paint correction is included, and warranties go up to 9 years.
• The paint decides: Wash & Coat goes over the paint as it is, so swirls and light scratches stay. Correction removes them first.
• No forced maintenance: neither option requires a maintenance wash. Our optional maintenance wash is extra care every 3 months.
• Winston-Salem drivers: every job is done inside our Lexington shop, about 25 minutes away.

What Are the Different Types of Ceramic Coating Packages?

At Level Up Detailing, ceramic coating packages fall into three groups: the Wash & Coat, the Owner’s Pride warrantied exterior coatings (3, 5, 7 and 9 years), and a separate Owner’s Pride interior coating. The Wash & Coat and the exterior packages both protect paint; the difference is correction and a written warranty.

Here’s how they line up:

• Wash & Coat: a decon wash, clay bar and iron decon, then a multi-year ceramic coating on the paint, factory wheel faces, headlights and tail lights. It lasts up to 3 years. It isn’t warrantied, and there’s no polishing.
• Owner’s Pride exterior coatings: a full prep with single-stage paint correction, then a coating backed by a 3, 5, 7 or 9-year manufacturer warranty. The 9-year option is dual layer and self-healing.
• Owner’s Pride interior coating: its own package with a 7-year warranty, starting at $699 for a coupe or sedan. It covers the inside of the car, has no paint correction, and isn’t part of this comparison. It can be added to either exterior option.

If you only want a light layer of protection, our Wash/Clay/Spray ($299) adds a 1-year spray ceramic after a hand wash and clay. It isn’t warrantied either. For a full rundown of every option, see our ceramic coating options page.

What Does a Wash & Coat Include, and Who Is It For?

A Wash & Coat includes a hand decon wash, a clay bar and an iron decon, followed by a multi-year ceramic coating on the exterior paint, the face of the factory wheels, and the headlights and tail lights. It takes about 5 to 7 hours and lasts up to 3 years. No polishing or paint correction is included.

That makes it a strong fit for:

• A newer car, or one that’s been washed carefully, with paint that’s already in good shape
• A driver who wants real coating protection and gloss without paying for a warranty
• Someone who can’t be without the car for two or three days

Is a Wash & Coat a real ceramic coating? Yes. It isn’t a wax or a spray sealant. It simply comes without a warranty and without correction. If you want the difference between a coating and a sealant spelled out, read ceramic coating vs paint sealant.

When Is a Warrantied Ceramic Coating the Better Choice?

A warrantied Owner’s Pride coating is the better choice when your paint has swirls, light scratches or water-spot etching, when you’re keeping the car for years, or when you want a written warranty behind the work. Single-stage paint correction is included, so defects are polished out before the coating locks the finish in.

Three quick checks help:

1. The paint test. Look at the hood under a bright light or in direct sun. If you see fine circles, those swirls will stay under a Wash & Coat. Our paint correction self-check walks you through it.
2. How long you’ll keep it. The 5-year is the most common choice. The 7-year fits a vehicle staying in the family for years, and the 9-year self-healing gives the deepest gloss and longest warranty. Our guide on how to choose a ceramic coating warranty goes tier by tier.
3. Whether a warranty matters to you. Owner’s Pride’s manufacturer’s limited warranty covers listed environmental damage such as UV, bird waste, tree sap and road salt. Here’s what an Owner’s Pride warranty covers.

Plan on about 48 to 72 hours at the shop. That time covers the wash and decon, correction, coating and cure, all inside our building. A ceramic coating appointment takes a 30% deposit, which is nonrefundable.

How Much Does Each One Cost?

At Level Up Detailing in Lexington, NC, the Wash & Coat starts at $699 for coupes, sedans, midsize SUVs and small trucks, and it’s $799 for large trucks, SUVs and vans. Owner’s Pride warrantied exterior coatings start at $1,199 for a coupe or sedan with a 3-year warranty and run up to $2,599 for a large vehicle with the 9-year self-healing coating.

Owner’s Pride exterior package	Coupe / sedan	Midsize SUV / small truck	Large SUV / van / truck
3-year	$1,199	$1,499	$1,699
5-year (most common choice)	$1,349	$1,649	$1,849
7-year	$1,499	$1,899	$1,999
9-year self-healing	$2,099	$2,299	$2,599

Why the gap? The warrantied price includes single-stage paint correction, two to three days of prep, coating and cure, and a manufacturer warranty. Two-stage correction costs extra and is quoted only after we see the car. If you want to spread the cost over the years you’ll own the car, see what ceramic coating costs per month.

Do You Need Maintenance Washes With Either One?

No. Neither the Wash & Coat nor the Owner’s Pride packages require a maintenance wash, and Owner’s Pride has no forced out-of-pocket maintenance program. Wash by hand and dry with microfiber, wait 7 days after the coating before the first wash, and the finish will keep beading and rinsing clean.

If you’d rather we handle it, our optional $199 Ceramic Maintenance Wash is recommended every 3 months for coated cars. It’s care, never a requirement for the warranty. Wondering about drive-through washes? Read can you take a ceramic-coated car through a car wash.

Already have a coating and thinking about stepping up to a warrantied package later? Call us and we’ll look at the paint before recommending anything.

Why Choose Level Up Detailing?

• Both options under one roof: we’ll tell you honestly whether your paint needs correction or whether a Wash & Coat will do the job.
• Owner’s Pride warranties: 3, 5, 7 and 9-year exterior coatings with single-stage correction included.
• Indoor work: every car is done inside our shop at 275 Crystal Ridge Dr, Lexington, not in a driveway.
• Proven local shop: more than 200 customer reviews from drivers across the Triad.
• Close to Winston-Salem: see our Winston-Salem ceramic coating and Winston-Salem car detailing pages, or our Lexington ceramic coating page.

Areas We Serve

We work with drivers from Lexington, Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Lewisville, Kernersville, High Point, Thomasville, Greensboro, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Salisbury and Mocksville.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on Wash & Coat vs Ceramic Coating

The wash and coat vs ceramic coating decision is simpler than it looks. If your paint is already in good shape and you want real protection without the price of a warranty, the Wash & Coat, starting at $699, makes sense. If the paint needs correction or you’re keeping the car for years, an Owner’s Pride warrantied coating from $1,199 does more, and it puts a warranty behind the work.

Not sure which one your paint needs? Call or text us at (336) 780-7868, or send us your info through our contact page, to set up an appointment, and we’ll tell you honestly. You’ll find us at 275 Crystal Ridge Dr, Lexington, NC 27295, open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM.