Home › Cost › Exterior Detail cost

2026 pricing · 1.5 – 3 hrs

How much does exterior detail cost?

Typically $90 – $220. Foam bath, clay decontamination, tire dressing, paint sealant. The honest weekly-wash upgrade. Below: the range by vehicle and tier, an instant estimate, and three local pros.

ServiceVehicle sizeState (optional)

Anything extra?

Typical market range

$100–$160

Exterior detail · Sedan / midsize$100–$160

Get 3 real local detailers for this job →

A typical market range, not a quote. Your final price comes from the detailer.

By vehicle size

Exterior Detail price by vehicle

Vehicle

Typical range

Compact (Civic, Corolla)

$80–$140

Sedan / midsize (Camry, Model 3)

$100–$160

SUV (Highlander, Pilot)

$120–$200

Truck / 3-row (F-150, Suburban)

$130–$220

Luxury / exotic

$150–$360

By tier

What each price level gets you

Tier

Price

Time

What's included

Express wash

$50 – $90

45min–1hr

Foam, two-bucket, dry. No clay, no sealant.

Standard exterior

$90 – $160

1.5–2.5 hrs

Foam + clay + sealant + tire dressing.

Premium exterior

$160 – $250

2.5–4 hrs

Adds 6-month sealant or paint-cleansing polish.

Maintenance package

$300 – $600 / yr

Quarterly

4 visits per year, often discounted vs single bookings.

What you're paying for

What exterior detail actually is

Exterior detailing is everything outside the car: pre-rinse, foam pre-treatment, two-bucket hand-wash, clay-bar decontamination, hand-dry with microfiber, tire and trim dressing, and a six-to-twelve-month paint sealant.

The clay-bar step is the part most weekend washes skip and most owners don't know they need. It pulls embedded contamination (brake dust, road grit, tree sap, industrial fallout) out of the clear coat itself, leaving the panel glass-smooth and ready for sealant.

It is the maintenance tier between full corrections and coatings. Done quarterly, a good exterior detail keeps the paint healthy, the trim from going gray, and the wheels from etching from brake-dust burn-in.

Other services

Compare detailing prices

Pricing FAQ

Exterior Detail cost — FAQ

Is exterior-only enough or do I need the interior too?

Depends on how the car is used. Garaged commuter cars often only need exterior maintenance. Family cars and rideshare cars need both, more often.

How is this different from a drive-through wash?

A drive-through wash uses high-pressure water and brushes that introduce micro-scratches into the clear coat. A hand wash with two buckets and microfiber adds zero defects when done correctly.

Does the sealant matter or is it just upsell?

It matters. A sealant adds 6–12 months of UV and contamination resistance for $20–$30 in materials. Skipping it means the next wash strips whatever protection the previous wax provided.

Can I just do this myself?

Yes — the exterior is the most DIY-friendly part of detailing. A foam cannon, two buckets, microfiber, and a sealant runs $200 in supplies. Time investment is 3–4 hours every quarter.