How to start a car detailing business

How to start a car detailing business, step by step

1. 01

   Start mobile, add a bay later

   Mobile detailing means driving to the customer's home or office with your own water, power and products. It costs a fraction of a shop, and customers pay for the convenience. The tradeoffs are weather, setup time at every stop, and your city's rules on wash water.

   A shop or rented bay makes sense once you have more cars than you can reach in a day, or you add work that needs a controlled space, like ceramic coatings that cure best out of the rain.

2. 02

   Sell three packages, not a menu

   Most detailing falls into a few types: an interior detail (vacuum, shampoo, wipe-down, glass), an exterior detail (hand wash, decontamination, wax or sealant), and a full detail that does both. Paint correction, which polishes out swirls and light scratches, and ceramic coating are higher-priced add-ons.

   Put those into three named packages with a clear list of what each includes. Customers buy faster when they can compare three options than when they build an order from fifteen line items.

3. 03

   Price by vehicle size and condition

   A three-row SUV takes much longer than a coupe, so price every package in tiers: car, small SUV or truck, large SUV or van. Add a surcharge for pet hair, heavy stains or sand, and say so on your site so nobody's surprised.

   Time your first ten details from arrival to drive-away. Those numbers tell you whether your prices pay for your hours, products and driving, and which package needs a higher price.

4. 04

   Follow your city's wash water rules

   Many cities ban wash water from storm drains, because those drains often flow straight into rivers. Portland, Oregon prohibits vehicle wash water from the stormwater system, and mobile washers must keep it on site, collect it and discharge it to the sanitary sewer under a Mobile Washer Discharge Authorization. The annual program fee is $205.

   Portland also requires testing wash water to a pH between 5.0 and 11.5 before discharge and keeping a work plan and drainage map in each vehicle. Check your own city's stormwater office before your first driveway job.

5. 05

   Insure the cars you work on

   General liability covers injuries and damage to property, but a customer's car in your care needs its own cover. Garagekeepers coverage, which Progressive lists for auto detailers, pays when a customer's vehicle is damaged by fire, theft, vandalism or collision while in your possession. Personal items inside the car aren't included.

   Ask for both when you get quotes, compare the per-vehicle limits against the cars you'll see most, and put "fully insured" on your site only once the policy is active.

6. 06

   Buy the mobile kit

   Start with a dual-action polisher, a wet/dry vac that can also pull up shampoo water, a water tank for your truck or van, and plenty of microfiber towels. Add a small generator or a long extension cord for customers without an outside outlet.

   Buy products in gallon jugs once you know which ones you like, and keep separate towels for wheels, paint and glass so grit never touches the paint.

7. 07

   Build a site customers can book from

   Your site needs your three packages with prices by vehicle size, add-ons, the area you cover, before-and-after photos and reviews. Replo builds it from a description of your business and puts it live on your domain.

   Replo doesn't take bookings itself. Embed a booking calendar from Housecall Pro, Calendly or Cal.com, and add a quote form for fleets, boats and RVs that need a custom price.

What it costs to start a car detailing business

A mobile detailing setup in Portland, Oregon. Detail at customers' homes with their water at first to delay the tank.

Your first 30 days

1. Week 1

   Kit and paperwork

   • Buy a polisher, wet/dry vac, towels and your core products.
   • Get your EIN and quotes for liability and garagekeepers coverage.
   • Call your city's stormwater office about mobile wash water rules.

2. Week 2

   Practice and price

   • Detail three cars for friends and time each package.
   • Set car, SUV and van prices for your three packages.
   • Shoot before and after photos of seats, carpets and paint.
   • Launch your site with packages, service area and booking calendar.

3. Week 3

   Find first customers

   • Offer an intro price to coworkers and neighbors for one week.
   • Ask two office parks if you can detail cars in their lots.
   • Reply to every booking request within the hour.

4. Week 4

   Build repeat business

   • Offer every customer a monthly maintenance wash at a lower price.
   • Ask for a review with a photo of their finished car.
   • Note which add-ons sold and promote those on your homepage.

Build your car detailing site

Frequently asked questions

What are the different types of car detailing?

Interior detailing cleans and shampoos seats, carpets and surfaces. Exterior detailing hand washes, decontaminates and protects the paint. A full detail does both. Paint correction polishes out swirls, and ceramic coating adds a longer-lasting protective layer on top.

How much does it cost to start a car detailing business?

About $1,060 for a mobile setup in Portland: a polisher, wet/dry vac, water tank, towels, the city's mobile washer fee and a domain. Add insurance and scheduling software. A shop with a rented bay costs far more each month.

Is owning a car detailing business worth it?

It can be, if you build repeat customers. A mobile setup costs little compared with a shop, and monthly maintenance washes turn one-time details into steady income. It's physical, weather-dependent work, so price your time honestly.

What insurance do I need for car detailing?

General liability plus garagekeepers coverage. Progressive describes garagekeepers as paying when a customer's vehicle is damaged by fire, theft, vandalism or collision while in your possession, which general liability doesn't cover. Personal items left in the car aren't included.

Can I wash cars in a customer's driveway?

Often yes, if the water doesn't reach a storm drain. Portland prohibits vehicle wash water from the stormwater system and requires mobile washers to collect it and discharge it to the sanitary sewer under an authorization. Check your own city first.