Mobile detailing · pricing guide
Mobile detailing pricing: how to quote a job that actually pays
A mobile detail carries a cost a shop-based detailer never sees: getting there. Travel time and fuel quietly eat into "same price as the shop down the street" quotes. Here's the cost structure, the formula, and where quotes go wrong.
Last updated September 17, 2026
What a mobile detailing job actually costs
Mobile detailing pricing is the process of turning a job's real costs — labor, supplies, travel, and business overhead — into a quote that accounts for the cost a shop-based detailer never carries: getting there. Labor typically runs $35–$65 per hour; supplies like chemicals, pads, and microfiber add $10–$35 per job; travel and fuel run $8–$30 per job depending on distance; and overhead — insurance, equipment, water/power setup, software — should be budgeted as 10–15% of revenue. Travel is the cost most mobile detailers forget to price in: a 25-minute drive each way is nearly an hour of the day gone before the first towel comes out, and matching a shop's price without matching its cost structure is a guaranteed margin leak.
Vehicle size and condition set the labor time. These costs set the real price:
| Cost component | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Labor (per hour, detailer time) | $35–$65 |
| Supplies (chemicals, pads, microfiber, per job) | $10–$35 |
| Travel & fuel (per job, by distance) | $8–$30 |
| Overhead allocation (insurance, equipment, water/power setup, software) | 10–15% of revenue |
Travel is the cost a shop-based competitor doesn't carry — and the one mobile detailers most often forget to price in. A 25-minute drive each way is nearly an hour of the day gone before the first towel comes out.
The pricing formula
Cost-plus pricing works backward from the margin you need:
Price = Total cost ÷ (1 − target margin)
Total cost: $80 labor + $20 supplies + $15 travel = $115
Target margin: 35%
Price = $115 ÷ (1 − 0.35) = $177
Matching a shop's $130 "full detail" price here leaves under 12% margin once your travel cost is counted — the shop isn't paying that cost, so its price isn't your price.
Common pricing mistakes
A fixed-location detailer has no travel cost and often lower water/power overhead. Copying their price while carrying travel cost on top is a guaranteed margin leak.
A "full detail, any vehicle" price treats a lightly-used sedan and a truck with two kids and a dog the same. Build in a condition tier or add-on pricing for heavy soil, pet hair, and odor treatment.
Recurring customers are worth more in predictable revenue and route density — but only if the recurring rate still covers travel and supplies each visit, not just labor.
See this math on your own numbers in 10 seconds.
Free profit calculatorBeyond one job: pricing every job the same way
The formula above works job by job. Running it across packages, recurring accounts, and fleet work is what the paid tools below are built for.
Price for a living, not just this job
Three tools, or all of them in one bundle
Pick the one that matches where you're stuck right now.
- Detailing Quote Calculator — packages, labor time, supplies, travel, and margin, $24.99
- Job & Vehicle Profit Tracker — revenue, labor, supplies, travel, and profit by vehicle, $19.99
- Recurring Maintenance & Fleet Tracker — repeat customers, memberships, and fleet billing, $24.99
FAQ
- Do I need a mobile detailing business template, or just a pricing calculator?
- Start with the calculator if pricing is the immediate pain point. Move to the full business bundle once you're also tracking fleet accounts, recurring memberships, and per-vehicle profitability.
- What should a mobile detailing pricing calculator account for that a shop's doesn't need to?
- Travel time and fuel by distance, on-site water/power setup if the customer doesn't have it, and vehicle condition tiers — none of which a fixed-location shop needs to price in the same way.
- How should I price recurring maintenance details differently from a one-time full detail?
- Recurring visits are shorter and cheaper per visit, but still carry travel cost every time — a rate that only works because you're rounding down the travel line won't hold up over a full season of visits.
- Should fleet or multi-vehicle customers get a different rate?
- Usually yes — one stop covering several vehicles spreads your travel cost across more revenue, which is real savings you can pass on without cutting your own margin. The Recurring Maintenance & Fleet Tracker is built for pricing exactly that math.