The cost of car detailing services can vary vastly depending on the processes involved. Some of the most popular car detailing services include deep cleaning, machine polishing, ceramic coating, and PPF. In this guide, we’ll go through the average cost of different detailing services, and what affects the overall price.
Average Cost of Car Detailing
The cost of car detailing services ranges from several hundreds to several thousands of pounds, depending on the level of service required. Paint correction detailing packages typically start from £375, ceramic coating packages usually start from £525, and PPF packages often start from £1200.
Here’s a summary of the most popular detailing packages and the average starting price.
| Detailing Service | Cost | What’s Included |
| Single-stage paint correction | From £375 | Exterior decontamination and single-stage machine polish |
| Two-stage paint correction | From £600 | Exterior decontamination and two-stage machine polish |
| Multi-stage paint correction | From £1350 | Exterior decontamination and multi-stage machine polish |
| Ceramic coating | From £150 (as an add-on) | 2-year ceramic coating. This is added onto the cost of a paint correction package. |
| Front-end PPF | From £1200 | Exterior decontamination, front-end PPF coverage, ceramic coating |
| Full car PPF | From £3200 | Exterior decontamination, PPF on all painted surfaces, ceramic coating |
| Deep clean | From £260 | Interior deep clean, exterior wash and chemical decontamination |
| Maintenance detail | From £110 | Interior vacuum and surface clean, and exterior wash |
What Affects the Cost?
The cost of car detailing services is affected by the following factors:
- Level of service required – e.g. single-stage vs multi-stage paint correction, ceramic coating vs PPF etc.
- Size of the vehicle – the cost for smaller cars is lower than larger vehicles.
- Current condition of the vehicle – the more cleaning and restoration required, the higher the cost will be.
Paint Correction Prices
Paint correction is the process of removing scratches and swirl marks to boost gloss and depth of colour. It’s a transformative process that makes the vehicle look as new as possible, and prepares it for protection.
A paint correction package involves:
- Exterior wash and deep clean.
- Chemical decontamination using iron and tar removers.
- Physical decontamination using a clay bar.
- Either a single stage or multiple stages of machine polishing to achieve the desired finish.
The overall price of a paint correction detail depends on the size of the vehicle, and how many stages of machine polishing are carried out. The more stages of machine polishing performed, the better the finish will be. However, it also depends on the level of defects the paintwork has. Some cars only need one-stage, whereas others need multiple to achieve a similar finish.
- Single-stage paint correction – from £375
- Two-stage paint correction – from £600
- Multi-stage paint correction – from £1350
Please visit our car detailing service page for more information about our paint correction and enhancement packages.
Ceramic Coating Prices
Ceramic coatings offer a huge step up in terms of performance and durability compared to traditional waxes and sealants. After the paint correction process has been completed, you have the option to also get the paintwork ceramic coated. Some of the benefits of ceramic coatings include:
- A hydrophobic finish that keeps the car cleaner between washes and makes it easier to clean.
- Chemical resistance to help protect against road salt, bird droppings, tree sap and other environmental contaminants.
- UV protection to help reduce oxidation and fading.
- Gloss enhancement to boost the overall appearance.
- 2-4 years of protection making the vehicle much easier to maintain.
In order to qualify for a ceramic coating, the car must have also received a paint correction service in order to prepare the surface for the coating. We offer the following packages which come with a 2-year paint coating as standard, and with the option to upgrade to a 3-year or 5-year coating.
- Single-stage paint correction & 2-year ceramic coating – from £525
- Two-stage paint correction & 2-year ceramic coating – from £750
- Multi-stage paint correction & 2-year ceramic coating – from £1500
We use the Gyeon range of ceramic coatings which offer excellent water and dirt repellence, gloss, and durability.
You also have the option to have other areas of the vehicle ceramic coated such as the trim, glass and wheels.
- Trim ceramic coating (from £100) – this restores the plastic trim and prevents fading for 12-months.
- Wheel ceramic coating (from £240) – this keeps the wheels cleaner and helps reduce the risk of corrosion.
- Glass ceramic coating (from £90) – this helps to improve visibility when driving in the rain.
- Interior leather ceramic coating (from £80) – this helps reduce friction and UV damage.
Please visit our ceramic coating service page for more information on the options available.
Paint Protection Film Prices
Paint protection film (PPF) is the best option available to shield the car’s paintwork. Not only does it offer similar advantages to ceramic coatings (e.g. chemical resistance, UV protection, easier maintenance etc.) but it also protects against stone chips and scratches.
It’s a clear polyurethane film that can be treated with heat to “self-heal” if damaged with lighter forms of abrasion, or it can be removed and replaced in the event of heavier scratches to leave the paintwork underneath unblemished.
PPF is more expensive than a ceramic coating, so we give you the option of different coverage levels to suit a wider range of budgets. You can choose to either have just the high-impact areas protected, or the entire vehicle for complete protection. We also include the application of a ceramic coating on all our PPF packages to improve the self-cleaning characteristics.
- Front-end PPF (from £1200) – PPF coverage of the front bumper, bonnet, wings, headlights, and wing mirrors.
- Extended front-end PPF (from £1500) – PPF coverage of the front bumper, bonnet, wings, headlights, wing mirrors, side skirts and A-pillars.
- Full car PPF (from £3200) – PPF coverage of all painted surfaces.
We use SunTek PPF which is highly regarded for its exceptional gloss, durability and self-healing characteristics. It also comes with a 10-year warranty against manufacturer defects. Please visit our PPF service page for more information.
Deep Clean Detailing Prices
One of the cheapest car detailing services available, is the deep clean. This process uses safe cleaning techniques which don’t inflict swirl marks and scratches. Specialist chemicals are also used to remove embedded contamination such as tar, mineral deposits and iron fallout to leave the paintwork feeling smoother. The interior is also deep cleaned to make it feel as new as possible.
We offer a range of deep cleaning packages which can be carried out at your home or workplace in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. Our deep clean packages start from £200, and the price is dependent on the vehicle’s current condition and size. Please get in touch for a quote.
Maintenance Detailing Prices
If your vehicle has been previously detailed by us, then you can also have it regularly cleaned to keep it maintained to a professional standard. Our maintenance detailing packages start from £110 and can be carried out on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly schedule to suit your requirements.
Our maintenance detail service includes:
- Thorough pre-wash of the wheels and paintwork to reduce the risk of swirl marks.
- Cleaning of the wheel arches, tyres, wheel faces and barrels.
- Two-bucket wash using premium microfibre wash mitts and car shampoo.
- Cleaning and drying of the door and boot shuts.
- Spray sealant application to the paintwork.
- Tyre dressing application.
- Removal and clean of the floor mats.
- Vacuum and dusting of the cabin.
- An anti-bacterial interior cleaner is used to wipe down the surfaces.
- Cleaning of the interior and exterior glass.
We can carry out the maintenance detail at your home or workplace for complete convivence, so there’s no need to bring it back to our detailing studio. We cover Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Cost of Additional Detailing Services
In addition to our core detailing services, we also offer several optional services which can be added on to most detailing packages. These include:
- Headlight restoration (from £120) – to restore cloudy headlights back to a crisp and clear finish.
- Engine bay detail (from £50) – to clean the engine bay and remove grease, dirt and dust.
- Wheels-off detail (from £240) – this involves a thorough clean of the wheel arch and alloy, and the application of a ceramic coating to the wheel face and barrel.
- Odour removal (from £75) – for vehicles with lingering odours such as smoke.
We can create a tailored detailing package to suit your vehicle’s requirements. Simply get in touch for more information.
Car Detailing Services Near Hertfordshire
At Elevate Automotive, we offer a range of car detailing services including deep cleaning, paint correction, ceramic coatings and PPF. Our premium services are carried out at our detailing studio in Leighton Buzzard. We also offer a mobile detailing and valeting service covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.