Updated November 2026 US, UK, Canada and Australia Free calculator
Detailing looks like easy money until the first minivan with a dog, three children and a spilled milkshake. The same package can take two hours on a tidy commuter car and six on a family SUV, and a mobile detailer only fits two or three jobs into a day. If your price list has one number per package, the dirty cars will eat the profit the clean ones make.
For $160–$280 you can sell a full interior and exterior detail on a mid-size sedan in the US and be priced like working mobile detailers. In the UK, where the lighter end of the trade is called valeting, a full valet on a medium car runs £80–£140. In Canada the same job runs C$180–C$330 and in Australia A$200–A$350. The calculator below adjusts for package, vehicle size, condition and extras.
Set the job details to get a price to quote, then check what that price leaves you per hour once driving, supplies and tax are counted.
vehicles
Vehicles of the same size and package, detailed at one address on the same visit.Vehicles of the same size and package, valeted at one address on the same visit.Vehicles of the same size and package, detailed at one address on the same visit.Vehicles of the same size and package, detailed at one address on the same visit.
We only publish going rates for the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Enter the price you plan to charge and the calculator shows what it pays you per hour, and the lowest price you should accept.
Charge about
$200
per job, for 1 vehicle
Budget$160Typical$200Premium$280
$
per job, in your own currency
What you really keep
$37an hour in your pocket at the typical price
Adjust the numbers above to match your job.
The price is built as a base fee plus a rate for the size of the job, then adjusted for the options you pick. Time is an estimate for one person working alone; change it if you know your own pace.
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Price list
Car Detailing prices by job size
Job
United States (USD)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
One vehicle
$160–$280full detail, mid-size sedan
£80–£140full valet, medium car
$180–$330full detail, mid-size sedan
$200–$350full detail, mid-size sedan
Two vehicles
$300–$540same address, same visit
£150–£270same address, same visit
$340–$640same address, same visit
$370–$670same address, same visit
Three vehicles
$440–$800a household or small office
£220–£400a household or small office
$490–$940a household or small office
$540–$990a household or small office
Small fleet
$720–$1,3205 vehicles, over two days
£360–£6605 vehicles, over two days
$800–$1,5505 vehicles, over two days
$880–$1,6305 vehicles, over two days
Hourly rate
$50–$100what working pros bill
£20–£45what working pros bill
$40–$90what working pros bill
$50–$100what working pros bill
Minimum charge
$60smallest job worth the trip
£25smallest job worth the trip
$70smallest job worth the trip
$80smallest job worth the trip
Prices are per job in local currency, from a fair budget price to an established operator in a higher-cost area.
United States: Real job data from detailing businesses puts a mobile detail at $109 to $250, with a median of $175. Full details run about $200 to $350 on the West Coast and $150 to $260 in the Midwest. Paint correction and ceramic coating are separate, higher-priced services.
United Kingdom: The trade splits into valeting and detailing. A mini valet is a 30 to 45 minute wash and vacuum, a full valet takes two to four hours, and detailing means machine polishing and paint protection on top. Marketplace booking data put the average mobile valet at about £70 for a small car and £93 for a large one, with full valets from about £115 to £144.
Canada: Published prices put a complete detail at roughly C$150 to C$350, and broader guides at C$100 to C$500 or more depending on the vehicle. Winter is the selling season for interiors: road salt stains carpets and mats, and takes real extraction time to remove, so price salt-stained interiors as heavily soiled.
Australia: A basic detail runs A$70 to A$135 and a full detail about A$205 to A$310, with Sydney mobile packages commonly A$170 to A$400. Large four-wheel drives, dual-cab utes and seven-seaters need their own price band, and beach sand and red dust both add time.
Method
Ways to price car detailing
01Packages by vehicle size
The standard. Three or four packages, each with a price for small cars, sedans, SUVs and large vehicles. Customers can choose without a phone call, and you can upsell from one level to the next. This is how the calculator on this page works.
02Package plus condition surcharge
The package price assumes a normally kept car. Pet hair, sand, mold, smoke and heavy stains are charged on top, at a stated amount. Put the surcharges on your price list and ask for photos before you confirm, so the surcharge is never a surprise at the curb.
03Hourly
Useful for neglected vehicles, biohazard clean-ups and paint correction, where nobody can promise a finish time. Quote an estimate in hours with a cap. For ordinary packages a fixed price is better, because you get faster and keep the gain.
04Maintenance plan
A customer who has had a full detail books a wash and vacuum every two or four weeks at a lower price. Each visit is quick because the car never gets bad, and regular plans fill the gaps between big jobs. Offer 10% to 15% off, not more.
Price factors
What changes the price
01The package
A wash and vacuum, an interior deep clean and a full detail are three different jobs, at roughly a third, three fifths and the whole of your full-detail price. Write down exactly what each package includes. Most disputes in this trade come from a customer who bought the small package and expected the large one.
02Vehicle size
More paint, more glass, more carpet and a third row of seats. An SUV or pickup should cost about 20% more than a sedan, and a large three-row SUV, minivan or van about 40% more. A small hatchback earns a modest discount, not a large one, because your setup and travel are the same.
03Condition
Condition changes the time more than size does. Sand, mud, mold, smoke and ground-in stains can add 40% or more to an interior. Ask for photos of the seats, the footwells and the boot or trunk before you confirm a price, and reserve the right to requote on arrival.
04Pet hair
Pet hair weaves into carpet and cannot be vacuumed out. It has to be lifted with rubber brushes or a stone, section by section, and a bad car adds an hour or more. US detailers charge $25 to $100 for it. Make it a listed extra and ask about pets on every booking.
05Water, power and where you park
A mobile job needs somewhere to work. A driveway with a tap and a socket is easy. A street space outside a flat or an office car park may mean carrying your own water and power, working around traffic, or not being allowed to wash at all. Ask before you go, and charge more where you supply everything.
06Travel and jobs per day
A full-time mobile detailer completes two or three jobs a day. Every job has to carry its share of the driving and setup, which is why two cars at one address are worth a better price per car, and a single wash and vacuum 40 minutes away is not worth taking at list price.
07Paint work is a separate trade
Machine polishing, paint correction and ceramic coating need more skill, more insurance and far more time. In the US, paint correction runs $200 to $1,000 and ceramic coating $450 to $2,000. Do not fold them into a detail package. Quote them on their own after inspecting the paint.
Worked examples
Real quotes, step by step
United States
Full detail on a family SUV with a dog
A two-row SUV used for school runs and a labrador. The owner wants a full detail inside and out, with the dog hair removed from the cargo area and back seat.
This is most of a working day. The pet hair extra pays for a slow hour that the package price does not cover, which is why it has to be a listed charge and not a favor.
Base price, 1 vehicle
$200
SUV, crossover or pickup
× 1.2
Pet hair removal
+ $50
Quote, rounded
$290
Going range
$240–$390
Time, with 15 min driving
5.25 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $21
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $67
You keep
$38 an hour
United Kingdom
Two cars on a maintenance wash
A couple with two medium hatchbacks on the same driveway, booked for a wash and vacuum on both cars every four weeks.
Two quick cars at one address with one trip is good hourly money for a small ticket. Regular mini valets are what fill the diary between full valets.
Base price, 2 vehicles
£190
Maintenance wash and vacuum (mini valet)
× 0.35
Quote, rounded
£65
Going range
£55–£95
Time, with 15 min driving
2 hours
Supplies and fuel
− £12
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− £13
You keep
£20 an hour
Australia
Premium detail on a dusty four-wheel drive
A large seven-seat four-wheel drive back from an outback trip, with red dust through the cabin and vents. The owner wants a premium detail with polish and sealant.
This is a two-day job for one person, and the price has to reflect that. Large, dirty vehicles on the top package are the best work you can get if you quote them properly and the worst if you quote from the sedan price.
Base price, 1 vehicle
$260
Premium: full detail plus clay, polish and sealant
× 1.6
Large SUV, minivan, van or 3 rows
× 1.4
Heavily soiled: stains, sand, mud or smoke
× 1.3
Quote, rounded
$760
Going range
$580–$1,020
Time, with 15 min driving
11.5 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $28
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $183
You keep
$48 an hour
Canada
Interior detail after a salty winter
A mid-size sedan in March, with white salt stains across the carpets and mats. Interior only.
Salt has to be dissolved and extracted, often twice. Treat it as heavy soiling, and sell the customer rubber mats for next winter while you are there.
Base price, 1 vehicle
$240
Interior only: deep clean of seats, carpets and trim
× 0.6
Heavily soiled: stains, sand, mud or smoke
× 1.3
Quote, rounded
$185
Going range
$140–$260
Time, with 15 min driving
3 hours
Supplies and fuel
− $24
Set aside 25% for tax and overheads
− $40
You keep
$40 an hour
Your costs
What it costs you to do the work
A mobile detailer can start from the back of a car with a few hundred dollars or pounds of kit, and build up. Insurance is the cost new operators most often skip, and it matters when you are working on someone else's vehicle.
Item
USA (USD)
UK (GBP)
Canada (CAD)
Australia (AUD)
Starter mobile kit: pressure washer, wet vacuum, buckets, brushes, towels and chemicals
$800–$5,000
£600–£4,000
$1,100–$6,500
$1,200–$7,500
Machine polisher, pads and compoundsOnly needed once you sell premium packages.
$150–$600
£120–£450
$200–$800
$220–$900
Trailer or van fit-out with water tankOptional at the start. Lets you work where there is no tap or socket.
$1,000–$4,000
£800–£3,000
$1,400–$5,500
$1,500–$6,000
Business insurance, per yearCheck that it covers damage to customers' vehicles while you work on them, not just public liability.
$1,200–$3,600
£300–£1,200
$1,500–$4,500
$1,500–$4,500
Avoid these
Pricing mistakes that cost beginners money
One price per package, whatever the car
A tidy commuter sedan and a neglected minivan are not the same job. Price by size, add a stated surcharge for heavy soiling, and ask for photos. Without that, your worst cars set your real hourly rate.
Removing pet hair for free
It is the slowest single task in interior work. List it as an extra, ask about pets when the customer books, and quote the higher end for long-haired breeds and cargo areas.
Vague package descriptions
"Full detail" means something different to every customer. List what is in each package and what is not: engine bay, headlights, stain removal, odor treatment and paint polishing. Send the list with the quote.
Forgetting the drive
With two or three jobs a day, an hour of driving is a large share of your working time. Set a service area, add a travel charge outside it, and book jobs in the same part of town on the same day.
Selling paint correction before you can do it
A machine polisher in untrained hands burns through clear coat, and the repair costs more than a month of profit. Practice on scrap panels, get insured for it, and only then put it on the price list.
Discounting to fill the diary
Detailing customers who come for a cheap deal rarely come back at full price. Keep discounts to 10% to 15% for maintenance plans and second vehicles, and fill quiet days with regular wash customers.
Questions
Common questions about car detailing prices
How much should I charge for car detailing?
For a full interior and exterior detail on a mid-size sedan, charge $160–$280 in the US, £80–£140 in the UK, C$180–C$330 in Canada and A$200–A$350 in Australia. Charge about 20% more for an SUV or pickup, 40% more for a large three-row vehicle, and extra for heavy soiling and pet hair.
How much should I charge per hour for detailing?
Detailers bill about $50–$100 an hour in the US, £20–£45 in the UK, C$40–C$90 in Canada and A$50–A$100 in Australia. Sell fixed-price packages and use the hourly figure to check that each one pays, and for neglected vehicles where a fixed price is a gamble.
What is the difference between valeting and detailing?
In the UK, valeting is cleaning: a mini valet is a wash and vacuum, and a full valet is a thorough clean inside and out. Detailing goes further, with clay, machine polishing, paint correction and protective coatings, and takes four to eight hours or more. In North America and Australia the word detailing covers both.
How much more should I charge for an SUV or truck?
About 20% more than a sedan for a two-row SUV, crossover or pickup, and about 40% more for a large SUV, minivan or van. US price guides put a full detail at $150 to $250 for a sedan, $200 to $350 for an SUV and $200 to $500 for a truck.
How much should I charge for pet hair removal?
US detailers charge $25 to $100 on top of the package, depending on how much hair there is and where. Charge the upper end for long-haired dogs and carpeted cargo areas, and quote from photos.
How long does a full detail take?
One person needs three to five hours for a full detail on a normally kept sedan, longer for a large or dirty vehicle. An interior detail alone takes one and a half to four hours, and a basic wash and vacuum about 45 minutes.
How many cars can a mobile detailer do in a day?
Two or three full jobs for a full-time mobile detailer working alone, once travel and setup are counted. Maintenance washes are quicker, so a day of regular wash customers in one area can be five or six cars.
Should I offer ceramic coating?
Only once you have the training, the insurance and a clean indoor space or reliable weather. It is priced as its own service, typically $450 to $2,000 in the US, and always follows paint correction. It is a good second step for an established detailer, not a starting point.
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Where these numbers come from
The rates on this page were set in November 2026 from the published price guides below, then checked so that the calculator, the price list and the examples all agree. How we work out prices.