Is Detailing Worth The Money?

What is a Detail?

We thought it’d be good to start with defining what a “detail” is. For the average consumer, it can be easy to think of a detail as a “nice” exterior wash and interior clean. Your local car wash takes only minutes to provide an exterior “wash & wax,” plus it doesn’t take much longer to pick up and vacuum the interior afterward. So what makes a detail any different?

The Difference is In The Detail…

Puns aside, detailing is an elevated version of cleaning your car’s exterior and interior. For an exterior, the paint will be pre-rinsed/pre-treated based on the vehicle's condition. For example, a foam application will help dislodge and bring down most of the dirt on a vehicle. Chemicals will address bugs and other organic matter, iron, tar, and water spots. A contact wash will remove the remaining traffic film and dirt on the car. Tires are scrubbed, wheels are carefully cleaned without scratching sensitive finishes, wheel wells are washed, etc. Every reachable surface on the exterior is cleaned, all while preserving its original condition. Furthermore, a mechanical decontamination step (i.e., clay barring) is often included to remove embedded decontaminates in the paint and glass that the prior chemicals and contact washing could not eliminate.

Lastly, drying is where most marring can happen due to a lack of lubrication. This lubrication is often in the form of a paint sealant, which a detailer will use to give your exterior protection for weeks to months - this is the modern-day “wax.” All this constitutes an exterior detail.

The interior is approached in the same detail. An air blowout / initial vacuum will often begin the process. All cracks and crevices are visited in these steps. Floor mats are taken out and washed. The carpet is cleaned. All glass is wiped down. All vinyl, plastics, leather, cloth, and any other interior surface is appropriately addressed. Steam and extraction are often used for a deeper clean. As for protection, conditioner products are usually applied on certain surfaces to help preserve and protect your interior condition.

As you can see, all surfaces are appropriately addressed in a standard detail. This takes a significant amount of time, expertise, chemicals, equipment, and tools, which ALL need to be accounted for when determining the price of these services.

What’s the Investment?

The cost of detailing reflects the above scope of work (and more that wasn’t “detailed” above) and the amount of shop time it takes. We always point out the latter as it’s essential to know that a business needs to make “x” amount an hour to stay in business for the long haul. This “shop rate” accounts for ALL business expenses and is what the shop should make at a minimum per hour. As an example, let’s use $100/hr. This is an excellent number for a small business of one tech (which may be owner/operator).

At $100/hr, a 5-hour detail should cost around $500+ for the service. This amount will often include the exterior and interior, depending on size, condition, and the detailer’s package scope. NOTE: If there are multiple techs on the job, the time could very well be shortened. In turn, the hourly rate goes UP to cover the additional techs per hour. This means that this same “5-hour” detail could very well be turned into a 2.5-hour detail for THIS business, still costing the same $500+ for the job. The point is a shop will need to charge enough to make it worth their time…otherwise, there is no point in a shop detailing if it can better accomplish its financial goals through other services.

Is A $100+/hr Detail Worth It?

In short, it depends on you and your investment. Do you care about resale value or your vehicle’s exterior and interior appearance? Does your profession and professional appearance benefit from a maintained car, similar to your grooming and attire? A regularly washed car, whether it be hand-washed or not, will age better than a neglected car. Better yet, a hand-washed car will age best among these groups. Add a ceramic coating to the mix, and you’ll have almost stopped your exterior from aging. Your interior also benefits from regular maintenance and protection - it’ll preserve all your interior surfaces and keep them looking new for you and the next buyer.

If you care about your investment, then detailing is right for you. Remember, you can choose the proper interval that fits your lifestyle. For some, a weekly or bi-weekly maintenance detail is necessary and part of their car life. For others, once every month or two. For another group, it’s every 3-6 months.

Can I Just Tunnel Wash and Vacuum it Regularly Instead?

If this is more your investment level, then yes. Some sort of washing is usually better than none at all. Why not get a FULL YEAR of car washes for the price of ONE exterior OR interior detail?

Here are some words of caution:

1) Brushless tunnel washes can be the safest type of auto wash….however, they often use the most extreme pH chemicals to compensate for the lack of a contact wash. These pH extremes will degrade paint and plastics over time. Consider a single investment in a ceramic coating that can protect your vehicle from these chemicals from 1 to 5+ years. Otherwise, use the wax or paint sealant option at your auto wash for light protection between washes.

2) The brush tunnels pose the most threat, as leftover dirt and debris can damage a vehicle’s paint condition. At the minimum, your paint will see
a lot of micro-marring and scratching that adds up over time - this dullens and weakens your clearcoat. Any severe damage incurred needs solid proof that the car wash damaged your car to receive any compensation. Severe damage is not an uncommon occurrence.

3) Any automatic wash will never decontaminate, remove all dirt and debris, or properly dry your vehicle. Furthermore, a simple DIY vacuum and spot wipe will not preserve your interior nearly as well as a professional interior detailer will.

A Note To The Consumer

Everyone’s car life is different. This means how you clean your car is entirely up to you, and to make an informed decision, it’s great to know about the options available. We hope this helps you decide what type of maintenance is best for you. Happy car life!