Car detailing allows you to preserve and correct your vehicle’s exterior, improve its interior, and even preserve your vehicle’s resale value if you ever decide to sell. 

The problem is, it’s not always easy to know if you’re spending too much at your local car detailing business, paying the going rate, or could benefit from purchasing car detailing products and looking after your vehicle yourself. 

To understand if what you’re currently doing makes the most financial sense, it may help to learn average car detailing prices in the U.S. You can find out this information and more below. 

What is Car Detailing?

Car detailing typically includes the following services:

• Exterior washing and drying
• Sealing and waxing
• Polishing
• Paint claying (this involves using a clay bar to remove contaminants, overspray, and residue)
• Scrubbing and brushing
• Vacuuming
• Glass cleaning
• Steam cleaning
• Leather trimming 
• Perfuming

Why Is Pricing Important for Car Detailing?

Pricing is important for car detailing for a number of reasons, depending on whether you’re a car detailing business or a customer searching for one. 

Many customers aspire to receive value for their money. You want to know that the business you choose uses quality products and that you’re not being charged far more than the going rate. 

As a car detailing business owner, you aim to make customers happy and earn a profit, but you need to strike a balance between the two. Charge too much, and you’ll lose repeat customers. Charge too little, and you may barely make enough money to cover your costs while possibly being over-run with customers.

What Is the Average Price for Car Detailing Nationwide?

According to Mobile Tech RX, the average amount you will spend on detailing across the United States is $160.16, with prices ranging from $114.59 to $213.67. 

Many factors contribute to this range of car detailing prices, such as the size of the vehicle, the products used, and the types of services like custom hand washing, engine steam cleaning, odor treatment, wheel and tire washing, and mini details. 

What Is the Average Car Detailing Price Per State?

While the national average price of vehicle detailing gives you insight into what you can expect to pay for the service through a professional business, it’s essential to know that the price can vary state by state. Some have higher averages than others. 

For example, you could pay as much as $296 for car detailing in Oregon but as little as $186. The average detailing prices can differ dramatically in Hawaii, with car lovers spending as little as $90 or as much as $270. 

You will likely spend over $175 for a professional service in Kentucky, Kansas, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. 

What Determines a Car Detailing Price?

Many things can contribute to the price of car detailing as a professional service, such as where you receive the service and what you request. 

Car wash chains with detailing services generally offer some of the most cost-effective pricing, while you can receive superior results through professional detailers that provide different tiers of service. Body shops also offer detailing, but you may need to part with your vehicle for at least a day and spend upwards of $200. 

Services like paint repairs and reconditioning can add several hundred dollars to your detailing bill, along with complete interior and exterior detailing, scotch guarding, waxes, and leather cleaning and treatment.

How to Choose a Car Detailing Service

When getting your car detailed, picking a detailer is a personal choice, and your wants and needs for your vehicle may differ from those of another vehicle owner. 

However, reputation, cost, products, and services all count for a lot. You might ask friends and family for recommendations based on their own experiences, or you might look at online reviews and testimonials. 

If you’re on a budget or grooming a car to sell, the cost of the car detailing service may be your main priority. You may consider grabbing yourself an Ethos Car Washing Bucket and some car detailing products and doing it yourself. 

What Does the Average SUV Detailing Cost?

The average SUV detailing cost can depend on the SUV detailing business you choose, their products, and even where their business is. How dirty your vehicle is will also factor into the cost since it can take longer to clean an SUV covered in mud versus one that’s not. 

Due to the size of SUVs compared to cars, you may also expect the cost to be much higher than the average for a car, which is $160.16.

What Does the Average RV Detailing Cost?

Anyone who owns an RV will know how challenging it can be to clean them. That’s why you may be questioning the average RV detailing cost so that you can see whether this service is in your budget. 

Many car detailing service providers charge for this service by foot. According to Mobile Tech RX, the average RV detailing service can start at $5 per foot for an exterior-only clean. For a more thorough clean of the interior and exterior, you may be spending upward of $25 per foot.

What Does the Average Boat Detailing Cost?

After several hours at sea, boats can require significant deep cleaning. Fortunately, boat detailing services exist to save you from having to clean it yourself. According to Mobile Tech RX, you may be spending between $8 per foot to $40 per foot, depending on the detailing products in use, the size of the boat, the business location, and other factors. 

What Does the Average Truck Detailing Cost?

How much you pay for truck detailing can depend on the size of the semi-truck, how dirty it is, whether it has a sleeper cab, and whether you’re opting for extra services like wheels and rims, carpet shampooing, and more. 

Generally, you can spend upwards of $100 per service, with trucks featuring sleeper cabs often costing upwards of $300 for a professional interior and exterior clean. 

Products to Use for Car Detailing

Often, the products a business or individual uses for car detailing contribute to not only the average price you pay but the quality of the finish. There are vehicle detailing products for all vehicles and situations, such as cleaning and maintenance, protection, car kits, and accessories. 

The same products professionals use are often ones that everyday consumers have access to. As a result, if you don’t believe you have the money to spend on a one-off car detailing service, you may like to purchase a car cleaning kit and detail your vehicle yourself using professional-grade products. 

Car detailing prices can differ from one state to the next. Now that you know what to expect, you can make an informed choice about whether you hire a convenient service or purchase car detailing products to take care of your vehicle on your own.