Detailing quotes are hard to compare because the word covers so much ground. One provider's detail is a wash and vacuum; another's is eight hours of correction and coating. Comparing the numbers without comparing the scope is how people end up disappointed.
This guide breaks pricing down by service level so you can see what you are actually buying.
Service levels from lightest to heaviest
- Maintenance wash: exterior focused, shortest appointment, designed for a vehicle already in good shape
- Interior detail: deep cleaning of the cabin, priced mainly on soiling level and vehicle size
- Exterior detail: wash, decontamination and protection, priced on paint condition
- Full detail: both sides in one visit, the most common request
- Paint correction: machine polishing, priced by defect severity and number of stages
- Ceramic coating: correction plus preparation plus application, the highest investment
What makes an interior expensive
Interior pricing is dominated by three things: pet hair, spills that soaked into padding, and sand. All three require time rather than product. A cabin that just needs dust removed is a fraction of the work of one that needs extraction throughout.
What makes exterior work expensive
On the exterior, the variable is paint condition. Washing and protecting is predictable work. Correcting swirl marks, oxidation and water spot etching is not, because it depends on how the paint responds. A test section tells us far more than a photograph.
Comparing quotes fairly
- Ask whether decontamination is included or only washing
- Ask whether any polishing is included, and how many stages
- Ask what protection is applied and how it was prepared for
- Ask how long the appointment is expected to take
- Be suspicious of a coating quote that includes no correction
Frequently asked questions
- Is detailing cheaper in the off season?
- Demand in the valley shifts through the year, but the labor involved does not change. Pricing follows the work rather than the calendar.
- Do you charge extra for pet hair?
- Heavy pet hair is quoted as an addition because it genuinely adds hours. Light hair is normally covered within an interior detail.
- Can I get a quote from photos?
- Photos help a great deal, particularly for paint condition and interior soiling. Combined with the vehicle details, they usually produce an accurate quote.