Mobile detailing quote template

What a detailing quote should include

The interior package as a list: vacuum, shampoo, steam, leather conditioned. The exterior package: wash, clay bar, iron remover, sealant. The time on site so the client can plan around it. Then the things that need a look before pricing: heavy pet hair, biohazards, paint correction beyond a light polish.

What you bring. Mobile means water and power come with you; say so, because clients worry about the hose. Say what you need from them: the car unlocked, the driveway clear, and personal items out of the cabin. A before and after photo of a similar car does more for the quote than any adjective.

How to price mobile detailing

Detailing is priced per package for a vehicle size, with sedans as the base and SUVs and trucks at a premium of $25 to $75 per package. In 2026 a full interior detail on a sedan runs $150 to $300 and an exterior detail with clay and sealant $125 to $250; the sample uses $225 and $175 for a base of $400. A basic wash and vacuum is $50 to $100 and belongs on a different quote, because a client who wants a detail should not see a number that low next to it.

The optional lines are where the day is made. A one-step paint polish runs $200 to $400 and the sample uses $250; a two-step correction is $500 to $1,000 and needs a look at the paint first. Ceramic coating is $500 to $1,500 depending on the product and the years of protection, and the sample lists a two-year coating at $600. Engine bay cleaning is $50 to $100, headlight restoration $60 to $120 a pair, and pet hair or heavy soil adds $50 to $150 to the interior. With the polish on, the sample stop is $650.

Mobile pricing runs slightly above shop pricing because the client is paying for the drive, and metro areas run above these ranges. Fleet work is priced per vehicle at a discount with a minimum count. Check the numbers against the detailers your customers already compare you with.

How to price the optional items

A one-step polish on by default; it is the visible difference and most clients keep it. Ceramic coating off by default at its real price; it is a two-year decision and belongs in the client's hands. Engine bay off. Optional lines like these lift a $400 stop to $650 without a hard sell, and the client feels they chose the upgrade rather than being talked into it in the driveway.

Mistakes that lose detailing jobs

Quoting a range and settling it in the driveway. Clients feel ambushed. Not stating the reschedule policy. A 24-hour notice line protects your route. A 7-day expiry is right; detailing is booked within the week.

Promising correction and delivering a polish. Say what a one-step does and does not remove, and put deeper scratches and etching on a separate line that needs a look. Forgetting the vehicle size. A quote written for a sedan and sent to a Suburban owner is a loss before you arrive.

Deposit and payment

No deposit by default; payment on completion through the same page, where the client pays by card or you record cash. Turn a deposit on for fleet or multi-vehicle jobs, for a ceramic coating where the product is ordered ahead, or for a first-time client at the far end of your route.

Sending it and following up

Send the quote within minutes of the call or the message, while the client is still looking at the car. Most detailing is booked within the week, so a 7-day expiry with a reminder on day three keeps it moving. If they turn on the polish and the coating you will see it before you load the van, and a change order handles the headlights they mention when you arrive.

Questions

Should I bundle interior and exterior?

List them as separate required lines with the steps in each description. Clients see the value of each package on its own, and for a client who only wants the interior you make the exterior optional and let them turn it off rather than writing a new quote.

How do I sell ceramic coating?

As an optional line, off by default, with the price and the years of protection in the description. The clients who came to you because they just bought the car will turn it on themselves; nobody else feels pushed, and the quote still reads as a $400 stop.

Do I need a signed quote for detailing?

It settles the scope, which matters when a client expected paint correction and paid for a polish. Acceptance takes them ten seconds on their phone, records what was included and the reschedule policy, and gives you something to point to if the review goes the wrong way.

How much more should I charge for an SUV or truck?

A $25 to $75 premium per package for the extra glass, carpet, and panel area, more for a three-row SUV or a lifted truck. Ask for the year, make, and model before you quote, and put the vehicle in the proposal title so the price is tied to the car.

Should I charge for pet hair?

Yes, as a separate line of $50 to $150, because it can double the interior time. Ask about pets on the first call and add the line before sending. A client who sees it on the quote accepts it; a client who hears it in the driveway argues about it.

How do I quote fleet or multi-vehicle work?

Set the vehicle count as the quantity on each package line and price per vehicle at a discount for the volume, with a minimum count in the terms. Turn the deposit on for fleets, since you are blocking a day or more, and send a change order when they add a van.