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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anything you would not want moved: personal items, documents, chargers, child seats you would rather refit yourself, and anything valuable. Car seats can stay if you want the area under them cleaned, just tell us.

Rubbish you can leave. Clearing that out is part of what you are paying for.

Tell us when you book and we will work it out then rather than on the day. We need enough room to open the doors fully and to work around the car, and for an exterior we need somewhere the water can run off sensibly.

Tight garages, sloped driveways and street parking on a hill are all normal in this city and we work in them constantly. The one thing that does not work is a spot so tight the doors cannot open.

Most standard interior details take 2 to 2.5 hours. This covers a full vacuum, surface wipe-down, glass cleaning, leather conditioning, and deodorizing. 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.

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.

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.

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.

No. Most customers hand us a key and get on with their day. We just need a way into the vehicle. We text when we arrive, text if anything comes up, and text when it's done. Lockbox, doorman, gate code, all fine, just tell us when you book.

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

Interior Detail, $229 / $250 / $300: Full vacuum, wipe-down of every plastic and trim surface, glass, leather conditioning, seat shampoo, and deodorizing.

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.

Yes, and it's one of the things we get asked for most. Rubber pet hair tools plus high-suction extraction pull embedded fur out of carpet, seat fabric, and the seams a household vacuum never reaches. It's an add-on to an interior or full detail, $75 to $100 depending on how much hair there is. More on the pet hair removal page.

Yes. Stains get hot water extraction and proper fabric or leather cleaners, priced at $25 per seat, capped at $125 on sedans and midsize SUVs and $175 on large vehicles. Odor treatment is a $50 add-on and it breaks the source down rather than covering it with fragrance. Some cases don't fully come out, standing water and years of smoke especially, and we'll tell you that before you pay for it rather than after.

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.

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.

We bring the whole detailing setup to wherever your car is parked and do the work there. Same equipment and same process as a shop, except you do not drop the car off, wait around, or lose it for a day. We are fully self-contained, so we carry our own water and our own power and do not need anything from your home or building.

Every interior detail covers seats, carpets, floor mats and the cargo area on the vacuum, then a wipe-down of the dashboard, centre console and door panels, interior glass, and the small places that get skipped: cupholders, air vents and door pockets.

Leather conditioning, carpet extraction and seat extraction are separate add-ons rather than part of the base clean, because they take real extra time.

Ask us before you book. A headliner is one of the easier things in a car to damage permanently, because the fabric is glued to foam and too much moisture separates the two. We will look at it and tell you honestly whether it is worth touching, but we are not going to commit to it sight unseen.

Often, but not always, and anyone who promises otherwise has not seen your seat. Fresh spills usually come out. Old set-in stains, dye transfer from denim, and anything that has been through a hot car for a season are much less predictable.

For fabric seats and carpets the add-on that actually moves stains is extraction, at $25 per seat or per carpet area, capped at $125 on a sedan or midsize and $175 on a large SUV or truck. Send a photo with your quote request and we will tell you what we think before you book.

Extraction is an add-on, not part of the base interior detail. It is $25 per carpet area, capped at $125 on a sedan or midsize and $175 on a large SUV or truck. The base interior detail vacuums the carpets thoroughly, which is enough for most cars; extraction is for carpets with real staining or ground-in grime.

Leather cleaning and protection is an add-on: $45 on a sedan or midsize and $65 on a large SUV or truck. The base interior detail wipes leather down as part of the general clean, but the add-on is a proper clean and a conditioner, which is what actually matters for leather that is drying out or looking grey.

Odor treatment is a $50 add-on at any vehicle size. It works well on the ordinary causes: food, gym kit, damp, general staleness. Smoke and pet odor that has soaked into foam and carpet is a harder problem, and sometimes the honest answer is that the smell is coming from something that has to be removed rather than treated. Tell us what it smells like when you book and we will set expectations properly.

Normal use is covered. Crumbs, dust, a season of daily driving, kids, a dog that rides in the back sometimes: that is a regular detail at the regular price.

What moves the price is the level above that, and it is usually one of three things: pet hair through the whole carpet, spills that have soaked in, or a car that has genuinely not been cleaned in years. Heavier buildup can move the number a little, and a real condition surcharge only applies in severe cases. We would rather tell you that from a photo than surprise you on the day.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A ceramic coating is a liquid polymer that cures into a hard, clear layer over your clear coat. Once it's set, water beads and sheets off instead of sitting on the paint, and dirt, sap, and bird droppings have a harder time sticking and a harder time etching. Wax and sealant sit on the surface and wash off over a few months. A coating stays put for years. We install Gtechniq. If you're weighing it against a cheaper option, read ceramic coating vs wax vs sealant.

We install Gtechniq coatings, usually C1 or C4 depending on the car, the condition of the paint, and how long you plan to keep it. Every install includes a full wash, decontamination, and an IPA panel wipe before a drop of coating goes on, because the prep decides how well it bonds. Coating is quote-only, so the price comes after we've seen the paint. Full breakdown on the ceramic coating page.

Gtechniq C1 and C4 are rated for 2 to 5 years depending on the product and how the car gets looked after. San Francisco works against you here. Salt air and fog wear a coating down faster than a dry inland climate, so an annual top-up spray makes a real difference. Automatic car washes and harsh soap are the two fastest ways to cut that number down.

Not always, but usually worth it. A coating locks in whatever the paint looks like the day it goes on, so swirls, scratches, and water spots get sealed under it. If the paint still looks good in direct sun, a light enhancement polish is enough. If it's heavily swirled or oxidized, correct it first or you're paying to preserve the damage. See paint correction.

Yes, glass and wheels can both be coated, and each uses a different formula than paint coating. Glass makes rain bead and roll off the windshield instead of smearing, which is worth a lot on a wet night. Wheels makes brake dust rinse off instead of baking on. Ask for it in your quote request and we'll price it alongside the paint coating.

Coated cars are easier to keep clean, but a few habits decide whether you get two years or five:

• Skip automatic car washes. The brushes put swirls straight back into the paint and the chemicals strip the coating.
• Use a pH-neutral soap and two buckets when you hand wash.
• Don't let bird droppings or sap sit. Both are acidic and will etch through a coating given enough sun.
• Top up once a year with a ceramic booster spray.

We go through all of this with you when the coating is done.

No, and be careful with anyone who says it does. A coating is a hard, thin layer that helps with chemical etching, water spotting and the small marring that comes from washing. It will not stop a shopping trolley, a key, or a stone off the freeway.

What it genuinely does is make the car far easier to wash, which is what actually prevents most swirl marks, because the majority of scratches on a normal car are put there by cleaning it.

No. It means washing gets much easier and the car stays clean-looking for longer between washes. Dirt has less to hold onto and most of it comes off with a rinse. But a coating is not self-cleaning, and a coated car that is never washed will still end up covered in road film and bird droppings, which etch through coatings given long enough.

It helps a lot, and this matters in San Francisco specifically because of the fog and the sprinkler overspray on street-parked cars. Water beads and runs off instead of sitting in a flat sheet and drying in place, so there is less mineral left behind. It is not immunity: park under a sprinkler every night and you will still get spotting, it will just come off far more easily than it would on uncoated paint.

Yes, and it is the best time to do it. There is less to correct, so more of what you pay goes into protection rather than fixing the previous owner's wash technique. Every one of our coating packages already includes the full interior and exterior detail plus the paint decontamination, so a new car is not paying for work it does not need.

See the full ceramic coating options and pricing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes, wherever the car is parked. Street spots, residential garages, apartment lots, office structures, driveways. We deal with San Francisco parking every day, including low-clearance garages and permit blocks. Give us the address or the cross streets when you book and we'll sort the logistics.

Both, yes. We carry our own water and our own power to every job, so you don't need a hose, an outlet, or a spigot. That's the whole reason we can work a street spot in the Sunset or a fourth-floor garage in SOMA. Nothing is needed from you except access to the car. More on how we work on the process page, and on how that compares to dropping a car at a shop in our mobile vs shop detailing guide.

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.

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.

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.