Detailing a Car Quick Facts
- A good exterior wash and wax by hand costs about $100, depending on where you live.
- A complete detailing of small cars costs at least $200, and larger trucks and SUVs can cost at least $350.
- For a minor paint correction with exterior detailing, expect to pay $500 or more. More extensive corrections to paint cost $750 on up.
The cost of car detailing is determined by vehicle size, age, level of work, and the detailing services you select. Detailing costs also vary by region.
A partial detail that only includes interior detailing or exterior detailing on a well-maintained car might start at $100. A complete car detail with interior and exterior services would be $200.
Suppose a car received no detailing in the past 6 to 12 months, or the owner drives in extreme conditions such as high heat, snow, or ice or lives by an ocean. That car will likely require decontamination or special cleaning before additional protection is applied to the surfaces. Decontamination details are much more time- and product-intensive. Vehicle owners can expect to pay prices starting at $175 for partial detail and from $200 to $350 for interior and exterior detailing, depending on the type of service.
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You may be asking yourself whether the extra cost of the decontamination steps of the car detail is worth it. Absolutely! Without the decontamination steps of a car detail, the car wax, paint sealant, leather protectant, or vinyl protectant will have decreased performance. Car exterior contamination comes from embedded brake dust, baked-on tree sap, and road tar, which a car wash can’t remove. Similarly, the interior might have salt stains, sand, foul odors, pet hair, or spilled food/drink, which require extra time – and expense – to clean.
Starting prices for trucks and SUVs are higher than those listed above due to the extra size of the vehicle. Vehicles fall into four categories based on size: small, medium, large, and extra-large.
Keeping your vehicle in top shape not only looks great but also helps you retain your vehicle’s value. If you ever need to sell your car, detailing keeps it looking beautiful, and you could even get more money for your vehicle, especially when you sell it privately because you kept it well-maintained. Read on to learn about costs and estimates for detailing.
Cost for a Complete Detail by Vehicle Size
Though prices do not include decontamination, we break down the costs and assume drivers keep their vehicles well-maintained.
Small: coupes, hatchbacks, sedans = $200+
Medium: crossovers, wagons = $250+
Large: SUVs, small trucks = $300+
Extra Large: 3-row SUVs, large trucks, and minivans = $350+
Car Detailing Price Estimates
All car detailing prices are for small vehicles and should be used as a starting price to help determine an approximate cost. Keep in mind that heavily contaminated or larger vehicles will require extra time and money to detail.
- Interior Car Detailing Cost
- Exterior Car Detailing Cost
- Paint Correction Cost
- Building a Car Detailing Package
Interior Car Detailing Cost
Quick Interior Detail = $100+
- Vacuum carpet, floor mats, and upholstery
- Clean interior and exterior glass
- Apply leather and vinyl protectant
Complete Interior Detail = $175+
- Vacuum carpet, floor mats, and upholstery
- Steam clean headliner, leather, vinyl, and plastic surfaces
- Deep clean carpet, floor mats, and cloth upholstery with a hot water extractor
- Clean door jambs
- Clean interior and exterior glass
- Apply leather, vinyl, and plastic protectant
Interior Odor Elimination = $75+
- Apply an odor-eliminating product or use an ozone machine
- Air out the interior using a high-speed fan
- Interior odor elimination should only be performed after a complete interior detail
Exterior Car Detailing Cost
- Hand wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Apply a layer of wax or paint sealant
Complete Exterior Detail = $175+
- Hand wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Clean door jambs
- Apply iron and tar remover to paint
- Clay bar paint and glass to remove bonded contamination
- Polish stainless steel exhaust tips
- Apply a layer of wax or paint sealant
Engine Compartment Detail = $100+
- Apply all-purpose cleaner to the engine compartment
- Steam clean the engine compartment
- Apply plastic and rubber protectant
Headlight Restoration = $125+
- Wet sand headlights to remove oxidation and pitting
- Compound headlights to remove sanding marks
- Polish headlights to restore clarity
- Apply UV protective coating
Convertible Top Restoration = $175+
- Hand wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Apply convertible top cleaner and rinse
- Apply convertible top protectant
Paint Correction Cost
Minor Paint Correction = $500+
- Perform complete exterior detail
- Polish paint to remove light paint defects
Major Paint Correction = $750+
- Perform complete exterior detail
- Compound paint to remove heavy paint defects
- Polish paint to remove compounding haze and restore gloss
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Building a Car Detailing Package
Choosing the right car detailing services from a menu of options can be confusing. The most significant deciding factors are time and budget. How long can you go without your vehicle, and how much money are you willing to spend to clean it?
The time required to complete a comprehensive car detail can be measured in days rather than hours. At the same time, the cost can exceed $1,000 for a small vehicle receiving a major paint correction, complete interior detail, engine compartment detail, and headlight restoration.
A complete interior and exterior detail combination is a popular and recommended car detailing package. Under average driving conditions, a vehicle should be thoroughly detailed annually. Most automobiles would benefit from one quick detail four to six months after the deep cleaning.
Paying $350 to $500 each year on car detailing will help retain resale value and make your time spent driving the vehicle more enjoyable. With the average price of new cars close to $50,000 in 2023, spending a fraction of one monthly payment per year will protect against excessive depreciation due to preventable damage.
Knowing the vehicle’s year, make, and model is helpful when searching for car detailing services. Also, be ready to share how long since the car was last detailed. In addition, mention any problem areas that may need extra attention to get the most accurate estimate online or over the phone. Of course, all estimates are subject to change until the car detailer has performed an in-person visual inspection.
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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published.
What is the normal uncharge for dog hair? Like… lots of dog hair 😬
Thanks!
Hi Gina. Thanks for reading. Removing dog hair from upholstery can be a tedious task, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will break the bank. Without seeing the “lots of dog hair” in person, it’s difficult to gauge the removal cost. Some hair types, and the type of upholstery/carpet you have can make the job more challenging. Still, a professional detailer will have the tools, tricks, and techniques to get the job done. If I expect the worst, my guess is that the expense range for removing a bunch of embedded hair might cost an additional $50-$100. If you try to get some or all of it out on your own, check out our article on how to remove dog hair from cars for some helpful DIY tips.
Hi,
I have a dirty DIRTY Jeep Wrangler. It’s filled with hair. What can I expect as an upcharge to address hair removal?
Thanks
Owner of a 2012 Chevy Equinox, mainly parked outside. This would be a first time detailing. The headlights are dull and some rusting at the bottom on the driver side door
Should I do interior and exterior, headlights restoration and paint? The car has only 12,000 miles. Should the engine be cleaned? Worry about electrical damage.
Thanks
Thanks for reading, Conni. Start with the headlight restoration on your Equinox because the lights play a part in safe driving. Have the exterior detailed at the same time, and check with the shop about your options to repair the rust damage before it spreads. Once that’s complete, be sure to get a ceramic coating to protect the finish. Next, a thorough interior detailing will make it seem like you have a brand-new ride. Under the hood, engine bay steam cleaning is the way to go. Because steam cleaners use only about a gallon of water per hour, you won’t need to worry about water damage to sensitive electrical components.
The engine bay can be cleaned but you have let the engine run while you wash it otherwise the engine can be damaged but if you do not let it run you can seriously damage the engine and electronics.
I have a 2004 Ford F150 Heritage, I had water damage on the back seat from a back window leak when it rained.
I wanted to prevent mold etc, so I asked for a quote from a nearby place. They quoted me a price of $350.00 for
a deep detraction type of interior detail, plus the rest of the interior is not well maintained. Dirty steering wheel, etc.
Does that sound like too much, or is it normal.
Thanks for reading, Tom. Sorry you had some water damage to your Ford. It’s hard to tell if the quote you got is a great deal or way over the top without know exactly what the cleaning procedure will involve. If the technicians do an ozone treatment or some sort of mold remediation, it’s a good deal. With no special treatments, I’d say their quote is in the upper end of normal pricing.