Car Detailing Cost in San Francisco | SF City Wash
Pricing guide

What Car Detailing Actually Costs in San Francisco

Short answer: an interior detail runs $229 to $300, a full interior and exterior detail runs $279 to $350, and an exterior wash runs $100 to $150. The spread inside each range is vehicle size, nothing else. Add-ons are priced separately and shown before you confirm. Below is every number we charge, what each package actually includes, and how travel fees work once you leave San Francisco.

SF City Wash is fully mobile. These are the same prices you see in our booking flow.

Interior detail $229 to $300 Inside only, by vehicle size
Full package $279 to $350 Interior and exterior, one appointment
Exterior wash $100 to $150 Outside only, wash and protection
The three core prices

Every price we charge, by vehicle size

There are three packages and three size tiers. That is the whole grid. Nothing on this table changes based on how nice your car is or what neighborhood you park in.

Core detailing package prices by vehicle size
Package Sedan / Coupe Midsize SUV Large SUV / Truck
Interior Detail Everything inside the car. Air blowout, deep vacuum, scrub pad cleaning on every surface, steam, carpet treatment, glass, deodorizer. $229 $250 $300
Full Package Interior and exterior in one appointment. The most complete reset and the best value if the car needs both. $279 $300 $350
Exterior Wash and Protection Foam pre-soak, contact wash, wheels and tires, glass, door jambs, spray sealant. Best when the inside is already clean. $100 $125 $150

Table scrolls sideways on a phone. Prices are before add-ons and before any travel fee outside the no-fee zone.

Size 01

Sedan / Coupe

Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Tesla Model 3. Standard 2-door and 4-door cars, sports cars, most hatchbacks.

Size 02

Midsize SUV / Crossover

Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Tesla Model Y. Compact and midsize SUVs, crossovers, 5-passenger layouts.

Size 03

Large SUV / Truck / Van

Chevy Suburban, Ford F-150, Toyota Sequoia. More seats, more carpet, more glass, so more time.

Not sure which tier you are in? Pick the closest match when you book. We confirm the size at the vehicle before we start, and we tell you if it changes anything.

What the number buys

What is actually in each package

A price only means something next to a scope. Here is the work behind each one, plus how long it takes. Timing depends on whether one of us runs the job or two of us do.

Interior Detail

From $229
  • Compressed air blowout through vents, seams, and cracks
  • Deep vacuum with an extraction head, seats, floors, mats, cargo
  • Scrub pad cleaning on plastics, trim, console, and door panels
  • Steam on vents, trim gaps, steering wheel, and stubborn spots
  • Carpet treatment with dwell time before the second vacuum pass
  • Interior glass and a final deodorizer
8 steps 2.5 to 3.5 hrs solo 1.5 to 2 hrs duo

Full Package

From $279
  • The complete interior process above
  • The complete exterior process, same appointment
  • Interior and exterior run in parallel in the duo format
  • Door jambs wiped down while the panels are still open
  • One walkthrough at the end covering both
Most booked 3 to 4 hrs typical Longer on large vehicles

Exterior Wash and Protection

From $100
  • Foam cannon pre-soak, 3 to 5 minutes of dwell before anything touches paint
  • Iron remover on cool dry wheels first, so brake dust does not spread
  • Two-bucket contact wash
  • Wheels, tires, and door jambs
  • Exterior glass
  • Spray sealant on a damp panel after the final rinse
9 steps 2 to 3 hrs solo 1 to 1.5 hrs duo

Times above are working estimates from our own process pages, not a guarantee. A large vehicle in rough shape runs longer, and we tell you the expected window before we start. Full step-by-step breakdowns live on the process page.

Add-ons

Add-on pricing, published in full

Add-ons sit on top of a package price, and every one of them is optional. These are the same numbers that appear in the booking flow when you select them, so the total you see is the total you pay.

Interior add-ons

Interior add-on prices by vehicle size
Add-on Sedan Midsize Large
Pet Hair Removal Extra time on fabric, carpet, mats, and cargo areas where hair is woven into the fibers. $75 $100 $100
Seat Extraction Hot water extraction on fabric seats. You choose how many. Capped at $125 for sedan and midsize, $175 for large. $25/seat $25/seat $25/seat
Carpet Extraction Matching floor mats are included with each carpet area. Extra mats are $10 each. Same caps as seat extraction. $25/area $25/area $25/area
Odor Treatment Reduces odor from pets, food, smoke, or daily use. Works best paired with a deep interior clean. $50 flat $50 flat $50 flat
Leather Cleaning and Protection Cleaning and conditioning for leather seats and trimmed surfaces. $45 $45 $65
Interior Protection Protected finish on interior plastics, trim, and panels after the wipe-down. $35 $50 $60
Exterior Wash and Wax Discounted maintenance wash and wax when added to an interior detail. $50 flat at any vehicle size when added to an interior detail. $50 flat $50 flat $50 flat

Exterior add-ons

Exterior add-on prices by vehicle size
Add-on Sedan Midsize Large
Iron Decontamination Dissolves embedded brake dust and iron particles. Worth it if the paint feels rough under your fingers. $75 $100 $125
Clay Bar Treatment Pulls bonded contamination off the paint. Recommended before wax, sealant, or any protection work. $50 $75 $100
Bug, Tar, and Sap Removal Focused removal of stuck-on contamination. Severe cases may need a custom quote. $50 flat $50 flat $50 flat
2-Year Black Trim Restoration Brings faded exterior plastic trim back to a darker finish with a 2-year formula. $75 $75 $100
Engine Bay Detailing Cleans visible engine bay surfaces with controlled methods. Same price on every size. $75 flat $75 flat $75 flat
Headlight Restoration Sanded back through the grits, polished clear, then sealed. Priced per headlight, so a normal pair is $100. Same price on every size. $50 each $50 each $50 each
Exterior Wash and Wax Hand wash and wax added to any exterior or full detail. $50 flat at any vehicle size when added to an interior detail. $50 flat $50 flat $50 flat

The one bundle that saves you money

Iron decontamination and clay bar do different jobs, and they are usually done back to back because the chemical step should come before the mechanical one. Book both and the second one is discounted automatically. Save $25 on a sedan or midsize SUV, save $50 on a large SUV or truck. No code, the discount shows in real time when you add the second item.

Headlight restoration is something we do, and you can see it on a real job further down this page, but it is added to a quote rather than sold as a fixed line item. Ask for it when you request a quote and we will price it for your vehicle.

Condition

Why two identical cars can get different quotes

Vehicle size sets the base price. Condition is the other variable, and it is the one people are usually surprised by.

A 2019 sedan that gets vacuumed every few weeks and the same 2019 sedan after two years of a dog, a toddler, and beach trips are not the same job. One takes the standard interior process. The other takes the standard process plus extraction, plus pet hair time, plus product that gets used up faster. Charging both the same number means one of them gets shortchanged.

How we handle it

For vehicles with extreme pet hair, severe staining, odor, or heavy buildup, we may apply a condition surcharge. We tell you the number before any work starts, never after. If you mention the condition in your quote request, we factor it in from the beginning so there is nothing to renegotiate in your driveway.

Photos make the quote accurate

Photos are not required, but they help, especially for pet hair, stains, odor, or paint contamination. Request a quote first, then email photos to [email protected] and we will factor them in before we send a number back.

Travel

What it costs for us to come to you

We are based in San Francisco and we drive to every job. Inside the core service area there is no travel fee at all. Outside it, the fee is a straight percentage of the service price, not a flat trip charge, so a $100 exterior wash never picks up a $75 surcharge.

San Francisco and northern Peninsula

No fee

All of San Francisco, Daly City, Westlake, Colma, Pacifica, South San Francisco, San Bruno.

Online booking available

North Bay and south Peninsula

Plus 5 percent

Sausalito, Marin City, Mill Valley, Millbrae, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Montara, Half Moon Bay.

Quote request only

East Bay and south East Bay

Plus 10 percent

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley, Fremont, Union City.

Quote request only

What 5 percent looks like in dollars

Worked example of the 5 percent travel fee on a sedan
Sedan service Base Travel fee Total
Interior Detail $229 $11 $240
Full Package $279 $14 $293
Exterior Wash $100 $5 $105

Booking works differently by zone. San Francisco and the northern Peninsula can book online directly. Everywhere else goes through a quote request so we can confirm the date, the route, and the fee before anything is locked in. If your ZIP is not in the online booking flow, that is not a no, it just means we confirm by hand. Full coverage detail lives on the service areas page.

Not on the price list

The two services we will not put a flat price on

Everything above is fixed because the work is predictable. Paint work is not. These two require an in-person look before we will give you a number, and here is the honest reason why.

Paint Correction

Machine polishing to remove swirls, scratches, and etching. The time it takes varies enormously by vehicle. A mildly swirled coupe can take a few hours. A heavily marred full-size SUV with water spot etching on every panel can take an entire day.

Paint condition, panel count, clear coat thickness, and defect type all change the work. A flat price either undercharges the hard cars or overcharges the easy ones, so we inspect under proper lighting first and quote what the paint actually needs.

Ceramic Coating

Long-term paint protection using Gtechniq coatings. Pricing depends on the package length, the vehicle size, and how much correction the paint needs before anything gets sealed on top of it.

For an anchor number: sealant and coating packages start at $399 for a sedan on the 12-month sealant, which includes decontamination and clay bar with no machine work. Longer packages and larger vehicles go up from there.

Both are booked through a quote request rather than the online calendar, and for larger premium jobs we may ask for a deposit to hold the date.

Mobile pricing

What is not on your invoice

These prices are mobile prices. A few things people expect to see on a detailing bill simply are not part of how we work.

No drop-off, no pickup

There is no shop. Every job happens at your address, whether that is a driveway, a street spot, a residential garage, or an office lot. You are not building half a day around a drop-off window.

No water or power hookup

We bring our own water and our own power to every job. You do not need a hose, an outlet, or approval from your building for us to plug into anything.

No trip charge inside the core area

Anywhere in San Francisco, Daly City, Westlake, Colma, Pacifica, South San Francisco, or San Bruno, the price on this page is the price. The travel fee only applies further out, and it is a percentage, not a flat charge.

No payment before the work

Payment is collected after the job is complete. Card, Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, and cash all work. Premium services with a reserved date may take a deposit.

Proof

Real jobs booked at these prices

Every job below is a documented SF City Wash appointment with before and after photos, at a real address, in the neighborhood listed.

Cleaned center console and cup holders in a Fiat 500 after an interior detail in Hayes Valley, San Francisco Interior

Fiat 500

Interior Detail, Hayes Valley, San Francisco

Sedan tier, from $229

Cleaned engine bay on a 2019 Kia Niro after an engine bay add-on in Westlake, Daly City Full plus add-on

2019 Kia Niro

Full Package with engine bay, Westlake, Daly City

Full Package from $279, engine bay $75

Clear restored headlight on a Lexus CT200h after headlight restoration in Mission Bay, San Francisco Headlights

Lexus CT200h

Full Package with headlight restoration, Mission Bay, San Francisco

Headlight restoration $50 per headlight, $100 the pair

Cleaned driver cockpit and floor in a Toyota Tacoma after an interior detail in Twin Peaks, San Francisco Large tier

Toyota Tacoma

Interior Detail, Twin Peaks, San Francisco

Large vehicle tier, $300

Questions

Pricing questions we get asked

How much does mobile car detailing cost in San Francisco?

An interior detail is $229 for a sedan, $250 for a midsize SUV, and $300 for a large SUV or truck. A full interior and exterior detail is $279, $300, and $350. An exterior wash is $100, $125, and $150. Add-ons are priced on top of that and shown before you confirm. Paint correction and ceramic coating are quoted after an in-person look.

Does the price change based on how dirty my car is?

Yes. A car in average condition and a car with severe pet hair, heavy staining, dried mud, or years of buildup take very different amounts of time and product. For extreme cases we may apply a condition surcharge, and we tell you the number before any work starts. Photos sent with a quote request help us price it accurately the first time.

Is there a travel fee to come to my address?

There is no travel fee anywhere in San Francisco, Daly City, Westlake, Colma, Pacifica, South San Francisco, or San Bruno. Sausalito, Marin City, Mill Valley, Millbrae, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Montara, and Half Moon Bay add 5 percent. Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Castro Valley, Fremont, and Union City add 10 percent.

Why are ceramic coating and paint correction quoted instead of priced?

Paint condition, panel count, clear coat thickness, and defect type all change how long the work takes and what it costs in material. A mildly swirled coupe can take a few hours. A heavily marred full-size SUV with etching on every panel can take an entire day. A flat price either undercharges the hard cars or overcharges the easy ones, so we inspect first and quote the actual work.

Do I pay extra for you to come to me instead of a shop?

No. The prices on this page are mobile prices. We have no shop, so there is nothing to drive to and no drop-off window to plan around. We bring our own water and power, so you do not need a hose, an outlet, or building approval for a hookup. The only cost tied to your location is the travel fee percentage outside the no-fee zone.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept card, Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, and cash. Payment is collected after the job is complete. For larger premium services like ceramic coating, we may ask for a deposit to hold your date.

More answers on the full FAQ page, or text us at (415) 360-1964. We are open every day, 8am to 7pm.

Keep reading

Where to go next

Every service on this page has its own breakdown, and the guides hub has the rest of what we have written.

Now you know the number.

Book online if you are in San Francisco or the northern Peninsula. Anywhere else, send a quote request and we will confirm the date and the fee before anything is locked in.

Or text (415) 360-1964 or email [email protected]. Open daily, 8am to 7pm.