7 Questions to Ask Any Ceramic Coating Installer

By Mike Holland, Owner

The best questions to ask a ceramic coating installer cover who backs the warranty, whether paint correction is included, how long they’ll keep the car, whether maintenance is required, what aftercare they teach, and where the work is done. At Level Up Detailing in Lexington, NC, Owner’s Pride exterior coatings start at $1,199 and include single-stage paint correction.

Package	Coupe / sedan	Midsize SUV / truck	Large SUV / van / truck
Owner’s Pride exterior 3-year	$1,199	$1,499	$1,699
Owner’s Pride exterior 5-year	$1,349	$1,649	$1,849
Owner’s Pride exterior 7-year	$1,499	$1,899	$1,999
Owner’s Pride exterior 9-year self-healing	$2,099	$2,299	$2,599
Owner’s Pride interior 7-year (separate; no paint correction)	$699	$775	$799

Prices match our online shop (shown for price reference only). Exterior packages include single-stage paint correction. The 5-year is the most common choice. To set up an appointment, call or text (336) 780-7868.

Kernersville sits where I-40, I-74 and US-421 meet, and it has grown from 26,449 people in 2020 to about 29,128 in July 2025 (Census). That means plenty of newer daily drivers and plenty of choice in who coats them. Coating is a drop-off job at our Lexington shop, about 24 miles (roughly 40 minutes) from central Kernersville, mostly on NC-150, so it’s worth asking the right questions before you hand over the keys for two or three days. In this blog, we’ll cover the seven questions that help you compare any ceramic coating installer, and how we answer them at Level Up Detailing.

Key Takeaways: Questions to Ask a Ceramic Coating Installer

• Ask the right questions: the key questions to ask a ceramic coating installer cover the warranty, paint correction, timing, maintenance, aftercare, reviews and where the work is done.
• Warranty first: who backs it, what it covers, and what the limits are — not just how many years are printed on a brochure.
• Correction included? single-stage paint correction comes with every warrantied exterior package at Level Up; two-stage is quoted after we see the car.
• Time in the shop: an exterior coating takes about 48 to 72 hours; an interior package about 24 hours.
• No forced maintenance: an optional maintenance wash every 3 months is care, never a requirement for the warranty.
• Kernersville drivers: every job is done inside our Lexington shop, about 24 miles (roughly 40 minutes) away, mostly on NC-150.

Who Backs the Warranty, and What Does It Actually Cover?

Owner’s Pride’s exterior warranty is a manufacturer’s limited product warranty, not an insurance policy or a motor vehicle service contract. Owner’s Pride LLC in Omaha, Nebraska, is the warrantor and administrator, and the warranty comes bundled with a professional application. It covers permanent damage from listed causes such as UV, bird waste, tree sap and road salt.

The published list also includes weather-induced fading, chalking and loss of gloss, acid rain, de-icing agents, ocean spray, brake dust, rail dust, paint overspray and fuel stains (Owner’s Pride warranty). If covered damage happens, Owner’s Pride pays a facility in its nationwide installer network to repair the surface — detailing, polishing or correction — or to re-apply the product. It does not pay for body-shop repaints.

Limits to look for in any warranty: a $4,000 aggregate cap, a requirement to report damage within 30 days, an exclusion for pre-existing damage, and pre-approval before repairs. If you move or travel, Owner’s Pride has a nationwide network of installers. For the full write-up, see what an Owner’s Pride ceramic coating warranty covers. Choosing among 3, 5, 7 and 9 years is covered in how to choose a ceramic coating warranty.

On our Kernersville ceramic coating page, we describe Owner’s Pride as the only federally compliant warrantied ceramic coating in North America with no forced out-of-pocket maintenance program. Piedmont Triad International averages about 33.3 days a year at 90°F or hotter, and winter road brine is another reason to ask what a warranty actually names.

Is Paint Correction Included, and What Kind?

Yes. Single-stage paint correction is included in every warrantied exterior Owner’s Pride package at Level Up Detailing. Two-stage correction, a full cut and polish, costs extra and is quoted after we see the car. The interior 7-year package is a full interior detail plus coating, so no paint correction applies there.

A coating locks in whatever is under it. If swirls, light scratches or etching are still in the clear coat when the coating goes on, they stay there — just shinier. That’s why correction should happen first. Our paint correction self-check and paint correction basics explain what we look for. We don’t publish a standalone correction price; two-stage work is quoted after a visual inspection.

One honest contrast: Wash & Coat is also a ceramic coating that lasts up to 3 years; it doesn’t include a warranty or paint correction. It’s for paint that doesn’t need that step, and it is not a warrantied Owner’s Pride package.

How Long Will You Keep My Car, and Does It Get Time to Cure?

At Level Up Detailing in Lexington, NC, an exterior ceramic coating takes about 48 to 72 hours, and an interior package takes about 24 hours. That drop-off window gives the paint time for prep, coating and cure in the shop. Wash & Coat, a separate non-warrantied ceramic coating, takes about 5 to 7 hours.

We schedule coating jobs so the car isn’t rushed in and out. Every vehicle is done inside our shop at 275 Crystal Ridge Dr, Lexington — not in a driveway, where dust, sun and weather work against a fresh coating. We’re open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM, and closed Sunday. A ceramic coating appointment includes a 30% deposit, which is nonrefundable; one courtesy reschedule is available at no cost for emergencies, and cancellations or no-shows without notice forfeit the deposit.

Is Any Maintenance Required to Keep the Warranty?

No. Owner’s Pride has no forced out-of-pocket maintenance program, so a scheduled maintenance wash is not required to keep the warranty. You should still wash the car normally. Our optional Ceramic Maintenance Wash is extra care for vehicles that are already coated, recommended every 3 months if you want us to handle it.

When you want a price, the optional $199 Ceramic Maintenance Wash is listed in our shop for previously coated vehicles. It’s optional care, never required for or tied to the warranty. Between visits, a coated car still needs a proper hand wash. If you’re wondering about automatic bays, see taking a coated car through a car wash.

What Aftercare Will You Teach Me?

Before you leave, we walk through how to wash a coated car: the two-bucket method, a clean microfiber mitt and no automatic brushes. A coated car still needs a proper wash. Customers mention we walk them through how to wash and dry the car, including which products to use at home.

Water beads and rinses off coated paint, so washing takes less time, but you still dry the car instead of letting it air-dry in the sun.

Ask any installer whether they’ll show you the wash routine before you leave. For the honest limits of a coating, read what’s the downside of ceramic coating.

Can I See Real Reviews and Real Work?

Yes. Level Up Detailing has more than 200 customer reviews across Google and Facebook. Look for recent reviews with specifics about the work, the shop experience and the aftercare conversation. You can also ask to see recent coating work before you decide.

Real reviews mention the process, the timing and how the car looked when it went home. Generic praise without details is harder to trust.

Where Is the Work Done, and What Exactly Is in the Package?

Every vehicle is done in our shop in Lexington, not in a driveway. An exterior package includes a luxury hand wash, iron decontamination, clay bar, single-stage paint correction, surface prep and coating on the body, trim, wheel faces and head and tail lights. Interior packages coat fabrics, carpet, leather, vinyl and plastic after a full detail.

We’ve been coating cars for more than 10 years. Current prices are in the table above; the 5-year exterior is the most common choice. For a deeper breakdown, see how much ceramic coating costs and ceramic coating cost per month. Package details are on our pages for ceramic coating in Kernersville, ceramic coating in Winston-Salem (including West Winston-Salem) and ceramic coating in Lexington. If the car also needs a strong interior clean first, start with car detailing in Kernersville.

Why Triad Drivers Choose Level Up Detailing

Every job is done at our shop at 275 Crystal Ridge Dr, Lexington, NC 27295 — not in a driveway. Owner Mike Holland is an emergency rescue helicopter pilot who brings the same attention to detail to every vehicle. We’re an authorized Owner’s Pride installer with more than 10 years of ceramic coating experience, offering warranties up to 9 years and no forced maintenance program. We’ve earned more than 200 customer reviews from drivers across the Triad. Call or text (336) 780-7868.

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 Questions to Ask a Ceramic Coating Installer

The questions to ask a ceramic coating installer are practical: who backs the warranty, whether paint correction is included, how long the car stays, what maintenance is actually required, what aftercare you’ll be taught, whether the reviews are real, and where the work is done. At Level Up Detailing in Lexington, those answers come with Owner’s Pride exterior packages starting at $1,199 and single-stage correction included.

Call or text us at (336) 780-7868, or send us your info through our contact page, to set up an appointment. You’ll find us at 275 Crystal Ridge Dr, Lexington, NC 27295, open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM.