What should I charge for mobile detailing?

Detailers who quote hours end up racing themselves to the bottom. The trade prices in packages — a maintenance wash, a full interior-and-exterior detail, and a restoration job for the truck that's been hauling dogs and drywall since 2014. Three tiers, written down, with what's included in each.

Build the middle package first, because it's the one most people buy. Add up your product, your water, your time (be honest — an interior takes longer than you think), the drive to their driveway, and the wear on a machine you'll replace. Then look at what shops in your county charge for the same thing and decide, on purpose, whether you're under, at, or over it. Being the cheapest detailer is a job, not a business.

The advantage you have is that you come to them. That's worth money to a person who works till six, and it's the reason a mobile detail can price above the drive-through and still be the easy yes.

No rates printed here — trucks around here are dirty and beloved, and that's a business, but the number is yours.