How to start a mobile detailing business
Mobile detailing is easy to start badly and straightforward to start well. Two early decisions matter more than the rest.
For the economics, see the mobile detailing business plan.
Week 1: register, insure, decide on self-sufficiency
Register and insure — $700 to $2,000 a year. You are taking custody of vehicles worth considerably more than your equipment.
Then decide: do you bring your own water and power?
This is the decision that sets your addressable market.
Relying on the customer’s tap and outlet is cheaper to start and restricts you to suburban driveways where somebody is home and the outside tap works.
Bringing your own — a 100 to 200 gallon tank, a pump, and a generator or inverter — costs $1,500 to $4,500 more and opens apartment complexes, office car parks, corporate fleets and dealership work. That is where the repeat volume lives.
Bring your own. It is the difference between a weekend business and a weekday one.
Week 2: equipment, in priority order
- Pressure washer and foam cannon — $400–$1,500
- Water tank and pump — $500–$2,000
- Power — generator or inverter, $600–$2,500
- Wet/dry vacuum and extractor — $500–$2,000
- Dual-action polisher, pads, compounds — $300–$1,200
- Chemicals, towels, brushes — $500–$1,200
Buy in that order and you can start earning after item four, adding correction capability once cash flow allows.
Week 3: build three packages
Not a menu. Three tiers:
| Package | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance wash and wax | 1.5–2 hrs | $95–$140 |
| Full interior and exterior | 3–4 hrs | $195–$300 |
| Correction and protect | 6–8 hrs | $400–$650 |
Plus add-ons at $30–$120: pet hair, engine bay, headlight restoration, odour treatment, interior protection.
Three tiers convert far better than one price, and the add-ons are where the margin lives — but only if they appear on the quote rather than being done as a courtesy.
Weeks 4–8: photographs and bookability
Photograph every single car. Same angle, before and after. Interiors especially — a filthy footwell returned to new is more compelling than paint.
Post consistently in local Facebook groups and on Instagram. Reels of the process perform well because the transformation is satisfying to watch.
Set up online booking. Detailing enquiries arrive at night from people scrolling after work. A phone number you are not answering at 9pm loses most of them; a booking link converts them.
Ask for a review at handover, standing next to the finished car.
Weeks 9–12: raise the ticket and fill weekdays
Your day holds three or four cars and no marketing changes that. So:
Offer add-ons on every quote. A 40% attachment rate on a $230 package is worth more than ten extra enquiries.
Sell the maintenance cycle. A customer returning every six weeks is worth eight visits a year, costs nothing to reacquire, and is faster each time.
Chase fleet and commercial. Dealerships, apartment complexes, corporate car parks — these fill weekdays when residential demand is thin, and acquisition is a sample car rather than an ad budget.
What to run it on
Online booking and package pricing are the operational needs.
Jobber at $49/mo has both plus reminders that cut no-shows — expensive when one missed appointment is a quarter of your day. QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo is the cheapest way to quote and take a card at the kerb. Housecall Pro adds routing once several detailers are running.
Questions operators actually ask
How do I start a mobile detailing business?
Register and insure, decide whether you bring your own water and power, buy equipment in that order of priority, set three package tiers, then win work through photographs and online booking.
Do I need my own water and power?
If you want apartment complexes, office parks and fleet work, yes. Relying on a customer's tap and outlet restricts you to suburban driveways and leaves you dependent on things outside your control.
How much does it cost to start?
$4,000 to $18,000. Pressure washer, water tank, generator or inverter, extractor, polisher, vacuum and chemicals, plus insurance and a vehicle fit-out. You can start smaller and add the correction equipment later.
How do I get my first detailing customers?
Photograph every car and post the before-and-afters in local Facebook groups and on Instagram. Detailing is bought visually and impulsively, and online booking converts the evening enquiries that a phone number does not.
How many cars can I do a day?
Three or four. A full detail takes three to five hours and that is the ceiling. Growth comes from raising your average ticket, not from fitting more cars in.