DetailKit / Free tools / Price calculator
Detailing price calculator
Stop guessing what to charge. Put in your target hourly rate, how long the job takes you, and what supplies cost — get a price for every vehicle size that actually pays you what you're worth.
| Vehicle | Est. time | Charge | You make / hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan / coupe | 3.0 h | $225 | $60/hr |
| SUV / crossover | 3.8 h | $275 | $61/hr |
| Truck / large SUV | 4.2 h | $305 | $62/hr |
| Van / minivan | 4.7 h | $335 | $62/hr |
At this mix that's roughly $7,400/mo in revenue.
Formula: (sedan hours × size multiplier × rate) + (drive time × ½ rate) + supplies, rounded to the nearest $5. Multipliers: SUV ×1.25, truck ×1.4, van ×1.55 — a van has roughly 50% more surface and seats than a sedan, so it should never be sedan-priced.
Tired of quoting this by text, one customer at a time? DetailKit gives you a booking page that charges by vehicle size automatically — set these four prices once and clients book themselves.
Try it free for 14 daysTypical US detailing prices (2026)
Rough sedan-based ranges we see across the US — your market, skill level and demand can push these up or down. Treat them as a sanity check, not a target:
| Service | Sedan range | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior wash & wax | $40–80 | 1–1.5 h |
| Interior-only detail | $80–160 | 1.5–3 h |
| Full detail (in + out) | $150–300 | 3–5 h |
| Paint correction (1-step) | $300–600 | 4–8 h |
| Ceramic coating | $500–1,500+ | 1–2 days |
Four pricing rules that keep solo detailers profitable
- 1. Price by vehicle size, always. The single most common mistake: one flat price for "a car." A Suburban isn't a Civic — it takes 40–60% longer. If your price doesn't know that, you eat the difference.
- 2. Set a minimum job. Loading, driving, unloading and setup cost the same whether the job is $60 or $260. Most mobile detailers set a $100–150 minimum so small jobs stop being losses.
- 3. Don't compete with the $25 car wash. You sell hours of skilled labor at someone's driveway, not a conveyor belt. Clients who ask you to match tunnel-wash prices are not your clients.
- 4. Take a deposit. No-shows are a pricing problem too — one dead 4-hour slot wipes out the margin of your whole day. A $30–50 deposit filters out the flakes. Need the wording? Generate a cancellation policy →
FAQ
How much should I charge for mobile detailing?
Work backwards from your target hourly rate. Most skilled solo detailers in the US aim for $50–90 per hour of labor. Multiply by the hours the job actually takes on that vehicle size, add your supply cost and something for drive time, and round up. A full detail commonly lands around $150–300 for a sedan and more for SUVs, trucks and vans.
Should I charge more for SUVs and trucks than sedans?
Yes — always. A large SUV or van has roughly 25–55% more surface area, glass and seating than a sedan, so the same package takes significantly longer. Quoting one flat price means your sedan clients subsidize your Suburban clients. Use multipliers: around 1.25x for SUVs, 1.4x for trucks and large SUVs, 1.55x for vans.
How much does mobile detailing cost in 2026?
Typical US ranges: a basic exterior wash runs about $40–80, an interior-only detail about $80–160, a full interior + exterior detail about $150–300 for a sedan, and paint correction or ceramic coating starts around $500 and up. Prices vary a lot by market — dense metro areas support the top of each range.
Should I charge for drive time as a mobile detailer?
You should account for it, even if you don't show it as a line item. A common approach is to bill windshield time at about half your labor rate, or to set a minimum job price (for example $100) so short cheap jobs far away never make sense. If you use booking software with a service radius, you can simply refuse jobs outside your profitable zone.
When should I raise my detailing prices?
When you're booked out two weeks or more, when you haven't raised prices in a year, or when nobody has pushed back on a quote in months. Raise for new clients first, then move existing clients on their next booking. Losing your most price-sensitive 10% while charging 20% more is a raise.
Put it on autopilot.
DetailKit is booking software for solo mobile detailers: vehicle-size pricing, deposits, reminders and a booking page clients use without an account. $19/mo flat, 14-day free trial, no card required.