Mobile Detailing FAQ, San Francisco

The fastest way is Book Now. Pick your service, date, and time online and you're set. That covers San Francisco and the northern Peninsula. If you're in Marin, the southern Peninsula, or the East Bay, use Request a Quote instead and we'll confirm the date by text. Either way you can just text (415) 360-1964 and we'll set it up for you. Full guide: how much notice each service needs.

Sometimes — gaps open up and it's always worth texting (415) 360-1964 if it's urgent. Standard services can be booked online instantly across San Francisco and the northern Peninsula, and a few days' notice gets you a better choice of times. Correction and coating need more planning than that. Full guide: how much notice each service needs.

Standard details usually go on the calendar within a few days. Weekends and the end of the month fill first. Paint correction and ceramic coating need about a week of lead time because they're all-day jobs and they need dry weather. We work every day, 8 AM to 7 PM. Text (415) 360-1964 and we'll tell you the next open slot. Full guide: how much notice each service needs.

We're open every day, 8 AM to 7 PM, weekends included. Because full details and coatings take most of a day, the earlier start times go first. If you need us outside those hours, text (415) 360-1964 and ask, we'll tell you honestly whether we can make it work.

Not required, but photos genuinely help, especially for pet hair, stains, odor, or paint contamination. The more we can see ahead of time, the more accurately we can quote and prepare. After requesting a quote, you can email photos to [email protected] and we'll factor them in.

Pricing is fixed by service and vehicle size, so you know the number before we show up. Prices below run sedan / midsize SUV / large SUV or truck.

Interior Detail: $229 / $250 / $300
Full Package (interior + exterior): $279 / $300 / $350
Exterior Wash & Protection: $100 / $125 / $150

Add-ons are priced separately: engine bay $75, headlight restoration $50 per headlight, pet hair removal $75 to $100, odor treatment $50, iron decontamination $75 to $125, clay bar $50 to $100, seat extraction $25 per seat. Paint correction and ceramic coating are quoted after we see the paint. We don't sell correction on its own, it always comes paired with at least a 12-month sealant, and that combination starts at $649 on a sedan. Everything is laid out on the services page, and we break down what drives the number in our guide to detailing costs in San Francisco.

Yes, either on its own. Interior Detail starts at $229 and Exterior Wash and Protection starts at $100, both by vehicle size. The Full Package at $279 is the two together and is cheaper than booking them separately, which is why most people take it.

If you book an interior detail and then want the outside done too, adding the exterior wash at the time is $50 flat at any vehicle size. Full guide: which of the three to book.

Yes. On a sedan the Full Package is $279, which is $50 more than the interior detail alone at $229 and less than paying $229 plus $100 for the two booked apart. Same on the other sizes: $300 on a midsize SUV and $350 on a large SUV or truck. If both halves of the car need attention, the Full Package is always the right call. Full guide: which of the three to book.

The floor is $100 for an exterior wash on a sedan. The most common booking is the $279 Full Package. Add-ons typically bring a thorough job to somewhere between $300 and $500. Ceramic coating packages start at $399 for a 12-month sealant on a sedan and run up from there depending on tier, vehicle size and how much correction the paint needs. Full guide: the whole price list.

The lowest-priced service is an Exterior Wash & Protection at $100 for a sedan, $125 for a midsize SUV and $150 for a large SUV or truck. There's no separate minimum on top of that, and no call-out fee anywhere in San Francisco or the northern Peninsula.

The base price is fixed by service and vehicle size, and you see it before you book rather than after we arrive. Add-ons are priced individually and you choose them yourself. The only thing that can move the number after that is condition, and only when it is genuinely beyond normal use.

If you want certainty before committing, send photos with a quote request and we will confirm the number in writing. Full guide: how a quote is put together.

Sometimes, but not usually. The price is set by service and vehicle size, and for normal buildup that covers the job. Heavier buildup than average can push it up a little. A real condition surcharge only comes in on severe cases, meaning a vehicle that is extremely dirty, heavy pet hair, strong odor, or years of neglect, and most cars never get near that. Add-ons are separate either way: pet hair runs $75 to $100, odor treatment is $50, and seat or carpet extraction is $25 per seat, capped at $125 on sedans and midsize SUVs and $175 on large vehicles. Whatever the number ends up being, you get it before we start, not after. Mention the condition when you book and we'll price it up front. Full guide: what actually changes the price.

Yes — 5% off the combined total for any number of vehicles at the same address on the same visit. It comes off the whole invoice rather than per car, so two cars or five, it's 5% off the lot. Mention it when you book so it's on the quote from the start.

Interior detail 2 to 2.5 hours. Exterior wash and protection 1 to 3 hours. Full Package 3.5 to 5 hours, or 5 to 6 on a full-size SUV, truck or van. One-step correction 4 to 6 hours, two-step 6 to 8 or more. A ceramic coating install is 7 to 8 hours or more and becomes a two-day job with correction first. You get a specific window for your car before we start. Full guide: every service with its real window.

Most standard interior details take 2 to 2.5 hours. This covers a full vacuum, surface wipe-down, and glass cleaning. Leather care and odor treatment are add-ons. Larger vehicles (SUVs, minivans, trucks) or cars with heavy buildup may run closer to 3 hours. We'll give you a specific estimate when confirming your appointment.

Roughly 1 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the vehicle, how many of us are on the job and how much buildup we are dealing with. Add-ons like iron decontamination and a clay bar add time on top of that, since both need dwell time as well as working time. You get the window before we start. Full guide: what an exterior detail covers.

A Full Package, interior and exterior in one visit, typically takes 3.5 to 5 hours on a standard vehicle in average condition. Full-size SUVs, trucks, and vans run closer to 5 to 6 hours. You get the expected window before we start. The step-by-step is on our process page.

One-step polish (enhancement or light correction) typically takes 4 to 6 hours depending on vehicle size. Two-step paint correction (heavy cut plus refinement) takes 6 to 8 hours or more, sometimes a full day on a large vehicle or badly swirled paint. Both are quoted after we look at the paint. Correction is always paired with at least a 12-month sealant rather than sold on its own, and a one-step with a 12-month sealant starts at $649 on a sedan. See paint correction. Full guide: one-step vs two-step vs three-step.

Ceramic coating installs take 7 to 8+ hours. On a larger vehicle, or when paint correction comes first, it becomes a two-day job. Day one is prep, decontamination, and correction. Day two is the Gtechniq application and cure. The car needs to stay dry for 24 to 48 hours after application, so we plan the dates around the forecast with you. More on the ceramic coating page. Full guide: the full coating timeline.

Add-ons, mostly — extraction adds working time and then drying time on top. Vehicle size matters, and so does genuine buildup, which needs a different process rather than just more of the same one. The one thing you control: a full boot or cabin, because we can't clean carpet under a load. Clearing it beforehand is the biggest single thing that keeps an appointment on schedule.

For a standard interior or exterior detail, yes, drive it right away. For ceramic coating, keep the car dry and out of the rain for 24 to 48 hours after application. For paint correction, give any finishing product a few hours to cure. We walk you through the care instructions before we leave.

Prices run sedan / midsize SUV / large SUV or truck.

Interior Detail, $229 / $250 / $300: Full vacuum, wipe-down of every plastic and trim surface, and glass. Leather care, seat extraction, and odor treatment are separate add-ons.

Exterior Wash & Protection, $100 / $125 / $150: Pre-rinse, snow foam, hand wash, wheels and tires, trim dressing, and streak-free glass. Clay bar ($50 to $100) and iron decontamination ($75 to $125) are separate add-ons.

Full Package, $279 / $300 / $350: Both of the above in one visit.

You can see all three on real cars over on our work. Full guide: the three compared side by side.

Four tests tell you most of it. Open the door on a cold car and notice the smell. Press your palm on the carpet and drag it — grey palm is surface dirt, clean palm on dull carpet means it's in the fibre. Run the back of your hand over washed paint — gritty means bonded contamination. Shine a phone torch on the bonnet after dark — a halo of fine scratches is swirl marks. Full guide: the four tests and what each result maps to.

It's less about how bad it looks and more about whether the dirt has bonded to something, because bonded dirt needs a different process rather than more time. Light means everything is loose and a standard detail covers it. Moderate means flat grey carpet, set-in stains, gritty paint — base service plus two or three add-ons. Heavy means years of accumulation plus some damage that won't reverse. Full guide: what a first detail in years can and cannot fix.

A Full Package plus decontamination is the usual starting point, with interior add-ons depending on the carpets and seats. The base price doesn't change because a car is dirty — what changes is which add-ons it genuinely needs. On a heavy job we'll often suggest splitting it across two visits, which keeps each appointment realistic and lets you see the interior result before deciding what to spend on the paint. Send the worst photos you have, not the best ones.

Yes, and it is one of the few pre-sale spends that reliably returns more than it costs. For most private sales a Full Package plus one or two add-ons is the right budget — the things a buyer reacts to first are smell, pet hair, the driver's touch points, clean glass and clear headlights. Tell us the car is being sold and we will keep the list to what actually changes the price you get. Full guide: what actually pays back before a sale.

A Full Package plus whichever one or two add-ons your car actually needs. Buyers react to smell, pet hair, the driver's touch points, clean glass and clear headlights — in roughly that order — and barely register paint condition. Multi-stage correction and ceramic coating almost never return their cost on a private sale. Tell us it's being sold and we'll keep the list to what changes your price. Full guide: what actually pays back.

Yes. Porsches, Teslas, Audis, BMWs, and Range Rovers are regulars on our schedule, and soft paint, delicate leather, and sensitive trim all get handled accordingly. You can see some of them on our work. If you have something rare or particularly valuable, request a quote and we'll walk through the exact scope before anything gets booked.

Yes. Compact cars up through full-size SUVs, pickup trucks, minivans, and Sprinter vans. Large vehicles have their own fixed price rather than a custom quote: Interior $300, Full Package $350, Exterior $150. Give us the year, make, and model when you book and we'll confirm which size band you land in. Full guide: what changes on a big vehicle.

Yes, and pricing is by vehicle size rather than drivetrain — a Model 3 is priced as a sedan, a Model Y as a midsize SUV. What genuinely differs is the large glass roof, the screen-first interior, and the synthetic upholstery most EVs use instead of hide. Two of our documented jobs are Teslas. Full guide: what is actually different on an EV.

Yes, at the same price as any other car of that size — there's no soft-top surcharge. Fabric roofs get a fabric-safe clean and a fabric protectant that repels water and resists staining, rather than the process we'd use on paint. Tell us it's a soft top when you book so the right products are on the van.

Yes, and it is a different rhythm from a private car. A vehicle carrying strangers all day wants a full detail every two to three months and an exterior wash every one to two weeks, with odour treatment and extraction as the two add-ons that matter most. You do not need to be there, so the appointment costs you no driving time. Full guide: detailing a rideshare or delivery car.

No — cars, SUVs, trucks and vans only. We'd rather tell you that up front than take a booking we're not set up for.

Yes. Every exterior is washed by hand: full hand wash and rinse, wheels and tires cleaned, door jambs wiped, exterior glass cleaned. Nothing about the process involves a machine dragging brushes across your paint. Full guide: what an exterior detail covers.

Because washing removes what is sitting on the paint, and roughness is caused by what is stuck in it. Brake dust, industrial fallout and road tar bond to the clear coat and a wash slides straight over them.

Two add-ons deal with it. Iron decontamination dissolves the embedded metal particles, $75 on a sedan, $100 midsize, $125 large. A clay bar treatment shears off the rest, $50 sedan, $75 midsize, $100 large. Most cars that feel like sandpaper want both, and taking the two together is cheaper than taking them separately. Full guide: the full decontamination guide.

Brake dust is metal, and it embeds into your clear coat rather than sitting on top of it. Iron decontamination is a chemical that dissolves those particles so they rinse away instead of being scrubbed at. It is the step that makes a clay bar work properly afterwards, and on light-coloured cars it is what stops the paint looking faintly orange up close.

$75 on a sedan, $100 on a midsize SUV, $125 on a large SUV or truck. Full guide: how decontamination works.

Yes, that is the bug, tar and sap removal add-on, $50 at any vehicle size. Tree sap in particular is worth dealing with sooner rather than later, because it etches into clear coat the longer it sits in the sun. Full guide: how fast sap and droppings damage paint.

It depends entirely on how long they have been there. Fresh mineral deposits sitting on the surface usually come off with decontamination. Spots that have been baked on through a few SF summers have etched into the clear coat, and etching is not dirt, it is missing paint. Removing that is polishing work, not washing work.

Send a photo with your quote request and we will tell you which one you have. Full guide: the three kinds of water spot.

Yes. Black trim restoration is $75 on a sedan or midsize and $100 on a large SUV or truck, and it is a two-year product rather than a dressing that washes off next time it rains. It makes more visual difference on an older car than almost anything else at that price. Full guide: why trim goes grey.

Yes, engine bay cleaning is a $75 add-on. Low-pressure rinse only, never a direct pressure wash, plus engine-safe degreasers to take off oil film, dust, and road grime. A clean bay also means a fresh leak shows up instead of blending in with everything else. Add it when you book or mention it in your quote request. Full guide: is engine bay cleaning safe.

Yes. A hand wash with clean media is exactly what a coated car should be getting, and it is the maintenance most coatings actually need. Tell us the car is coated when you book so we skip anything abrasive and leave the coating alone. Full guide: looking after a coated car.

Yes. Headlight restoration is $50 per headlight, so $100 for the usual pair. Cloudy, yellowed lenses are oxidized plastic, not dirt, so wiping them does nothing. We sand the oxidation off in stages, polish the lens back to clear, and seal it so it doesn't yellow again in a month. It makes a bigger difference to how a car looks from the front than almost anything else at that price, and it genuinely improves how much light reaches the road at night.

It is $50 per headlight, so a normal car with two cloudy headlights is $100. If only one side has gone yellow, which does happen on cars parked with one side to the sun, you only pay for the one.

The lens is polycarbonate with a UV-protective coating on the outside. Sunlight breaks that coating down over years, and once it fails the plastic underneath starts oxidising. The yellow haze you are looking at is the plastic itself degrading, which is why it does not come off with glass cleaner or a magic sponge. It has to be sanded back and the surface re-sealed.

You can see the whole process step by step on our headlight restoration page. Full guide: why headlights go yellow.

Yes. Sanding alone leaves bare polycarbonate, which will yellow again quickly because you have just removed what was protecting it. The lens gets a protective coating as the last step, which is the part that decides how long the result lasts. Full guide: why sealing is the step that matters.

Paint correction is machine polishing that removes defects sitting in the clear coat: swirl marks, light scratches, water spot etching, and oxidation. If your paint looks hazy, or you see swirls in direct sun that weren't there when the car was new, you're a candidate. It's also what we do before a ceramic coating when the paint needs it, since the coating seals in whatever's underneath. Pricing depends on the paint, and correction is always paired with at least a 12-month sealant rather than sold on its own. A one-step correction with a 12-month sealant starts at $649 on a sedan. See paint correction. Full guide: the full correction guide.

Do the torch test. After dark, hold a phone torch close to the bonnet and move it around. If you see a halo of fine circular scratching, that's swirl marks and only machine polishing removes them. If the paint looks deep and clean under that light, you don't need correction and we'll tell you so — it removes clear coat you can't get back. Full guide: what correction actually does.

The fine circular scratches you see in direct sun, usually worst on the bonnet and boot. They are almost always caused by washing: automatic car washes, dirty sponges, or wiping a dusty car with a dry towel. On black and dark cars they are the single biggest reason paint looks dull.

They are removed by polishing, not by washing or waxing. Anything that claims to fill them is hiding them until it washes off. Full guide: where swirl marks come from.

We do both.

One-step polish (paint enhancement): a single pass with a light to medium compound that takes out light swirls, water spots, and mild oxidation. Right for paint that's basically fine and needs a refresh. It improves the finish, it doesn't perfect it.

Two-step paint correction: a cutting pass for the deeper defects, then a refining pass to clean up the finish. Right for heavy swirling, buffer trails, or real oxidation. Slower, more expensive, and a noticeably higher level of clarity and gloss.

We look at your paint first and tell you which one is actually worth the money on your car. Full guide: choosing a correction level.

It removes defects inside the clear coat: swirl marks, light scratches, water spot etching, and oxidation. Scratches that go through the clear coat into the base coat or primer, the ones you can catch with a fingernail, can't be polished out. Those need touch-up or paint. We check your panels before we start and tell you which is which. Full guide: what correction will not fix.

The correction itself is permanent. The defects we removed are gone. What isn't permanent is the paint staying that way, because washing, parking, and daily driving put new marks in over time. A ceramic coating or a good sealant over corrected paint slows that down a lot, which is why most people do the two together. Full guide: how long correction actually holds.

Not indefinitely. Every correction removes a measured amount of clear coat and clear coat is finite — a factory finish is roughly 40 to 60 microns and typically supports a couple of full corrections across its life, with light one-steps possible more often. We measure rather than assume, which is why a car corrected by a previous owner sometimes gets a more conservative recommendation than its swirls alone would suggest. Full guide: how long correction lasts.

Yes, and it is more common than people expect. New cars pick up swirls in transport, at the dealer wash, and on the lot, and a lot of new paint is not as flawless as it looks under showroom lighting.

Correction on a new car is usually light, and it is the right moment for it if you are planning to have the car coated, because a coating locks in whatever the paint looks like underneath. Full guide: does a new car need correction.

Yes. Tesla paint is soft and swirls easily, white and the darker colors especially, and it needs a gentler approach than the harder German clear coats. That means slower pad speed, softer pads, and lighter compound so nothing gets burned through. We always test a small section first to confirm the process before touching the rest of the car. Full guide: detailing a Tesla or EV.

Yes. A lot of our customers are on a repeat schedule, usually monthly or every other month, and the car never gets bad enough to need a deep clean again. Text (415) 360-1964 with your vehicle and how often you want it and we'll put you on a standing slot. Full guide: maintenance wash vs full detail.

We look after regulars and it's easier to hold a standing slot than to find one at short notice, but there's no published rate for it — just talk to us about the cadence you want. Booking a run of appointments rather than one at a time is the practical version, and it keeps the car on a rhythm instead of needing rescuing. Full guide: rhythm beats rescue.

Every two to three weeks for a street-parked car, and closer to every two weeks near the ocean — the Sunset, the Richmond, Pacifica or anywhere the marine layer reaches most days, because salt film holds moisture against the paint. A garaged car can go three to four weeks. Method matters more than frequency: one careless wash a month damages paint more than two careful ones. Full guide: how often to wash a car here.

Brush and cloth tunnel washes, yes — the strips carry grit from every car that went through before yours, and that is what puts swirl marks into clear coat. Touchless washes will not scratch the paint, but they use strong alkaline chemistry that strips whatever protection was on it and they remove no bonded contamination at all. If your car is ceramic coated, avoid tunnels entirely. Full guide: what each type of wash does to paint.

Because brake dust isn't dirt. It's hot metallic particles fired onto the wheel under pressure, which embed into the finish and then corrode there. Soap removes the loose layer and leaves the bonded one, which is why the wheel looks fine wet and dull once it dries. It takes an iron remover that dissolves the particles chemically. San Francisco's hills mean far more braking per mile, so wheels here accumulate faster. Full guide: wheels and brake dust.

Outgassing. Plasticisers evaporate out of your warm dashboard and condense on the cooler glass as an oily film, worst along the bottom and top edges. It's not dirt, which is why a dry wipe just smears it. It takes a dedicated glass cleaner and two towels — one to lift the film, one dry to buff. Smoking and glossy dashboard dressings both make it much worse. Full guide: glass, film and wiper streaks.

UV breaks down the plastic and drives out the plasticisers that keep it flexible, and once it cracks nothing reverses it. Two things genuinely help: a UV protectant on the plastics, which is a $25 to $45 add-on depending on vehicle size, and a sunshade. We sell the protectant and we'll still tell you the sunshade makes more difference, because it blocks the UV before it reaches the dash. Full guide: what actually slows UV damage.

Moisture, almost always. Rubber floor mats trap water underneath and hold it against the carpet for days, and the air-conditioning evaporator stays permanently damp because people stop using A/C in winter. Dry your mats outside the car after a wet week, and run the A/C on fresh air for a few minutes before shutting the car off — it dries the evaporator and demists the glass faster than heat alone. Full guide: winter car care here.

All of it. Marina, Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow, Russian Hill, North Beach, Nob Hill, SOMA, Mission, Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Inner and Outer Sunset, Inner and Outer Richmond, Presidio Heights, Twin Peaks, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Bernal Heights, Hunters Point, and everything between them. No travel fee anywhere inside the city, and you can Book Now from any SF address. Check the service area map to confirm your block. Full guide: every area and the fee by zone.

Yes to both, on different terms.

Northern Peninsula is standard territory. No travel fee, instant Book Now: Daly City, Westlake, Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Pacifica.

Southern Peninsula is Millbrae, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Montara, and Half Moon Bay. Quote only, 5% travel fee.

East Bay is Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley, Fremont, and Union City. Quote only, 10% travel fee. Any service, not just the big ones.

Put your city and zip in the quote request and we'll confirm before you commit to anything. Full guide: the full zone breakdown.

We cover the southern end of Marin: Sausalito, Marin City, and Mill Valley. North Bay jobs are quote only, there's no instant booking, and there's a 5% travel fee on top of the standard price. If you're further north than Mill Valley, send the request anyway with your city and we'll tell you straight away whether we can get there. Full guide: the full zone breakdown.

Not inside San Francisco, and not on the northern Peninsula either: Daly City, Westlake, Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Pacifica are all standard territory at the standard price. Outside that, a travel fee is added to the base price. The North Bay (Sausalito, Marin City, Mill Valley) and the southern Peninsula (Millbrae, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Montara, Half Moon Bay) are 5%. The East Bay is 10%. Those zones are quote only, so the fee is already in the number we send you. Full map on the service areas page. Full guide: where we travel and what the fee is.

Payment is collected after the job is done, once you've had a look at the car. We take card, Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, and cash. For larger jobs like ceramic coating we may ask for a deposit to hold your date.

Not for standard services — payment is collected after the job is done, once you've had a look at the car. For larger jobs like a ceramic coating we may ask for a deposit to hold your date, since those are multi-day bookings planned around the weather.

Interior work goes ahead in light rain. Exterior work, paint correction, and ceramic coating don't, so if the forecast turns we call you first and move the date. We watch the forecast on your appointment day and won't just turn up in bad conditions. Rescheduling for weather costs you nothing. Full guide: which services rain actually stops.

Text or call as early as you can, ideally at least 24 hours ahead, and we'll move you to a new slot. There's no fee to reschedule. Things come up, we get it. (415) 360-1964.