Start here
Starter
Start with a wash and a basic interior clean.
- Rinseless wash and dry
- Wheels, tires and glass
- Vacuum and wipe interior surfaces
For people starting a detailing business
Start a detailing business without guessing the numbers.
Detail Compass helps you plan the kit you actually need, price the work from your real costs, and see how many jobs it takes to pay the setup back.
- Free to use
- No account needed
- Save your setup on this device
Your first five steps
Five steps from idea to first paid detail
Work through them in order. Each step opens the tool or guide that answers it.
- Step 1
Choose one service
List the work you can do well. Check local rules before taking a paid job.
Business guide - Step 2
Plan your equipment
Use your budget to see what to buy now and what can wait.
Setup Builder - Step 3
Price your first job
Cover your time, materials, travel, and a share of your monthly bills.
Pricing Calculator - Step 4
Check your setup payback
See what is left to repay your setup after costs and your own pay.
Break-even Calculator - Step 5
Prepare for the customer
Agree on the work and price. Use a checklist to inspect, clean, and return the car.
First paid job guide
Shop startup packages
One equipment list. A business plan to use it.
Start with the work you can deliver. Each package connects your shopping list to a free business-plan sheet.
A cart button adds every matched product in that package. To leave out what you own, open the package first. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details
Build a service
Business
Add a pressure washer, spray protection and more towels.
- Everything in Starter
- Spray paint protection
- Pressure-assisted washing
Go further
Professional
Plan fabric extraction with the tools and drying steps it needs.
- Everything in Business
- Extraction on suitable fabric
- More clean towels and machine-care supplies
Full service
Platinum
Add paint inspection, decontamination and a trained one-step polish.
- Everything in Professional
- Inspected chemical and mechanical decontamination when needed
- Conservative one-step polish on suitable paint
- Paint protection chosen for the finish
Free tools
Calculators that answer one question each
Start with the question you need to answer. Your setup budget and job costs can move between the business tools.
Work out the money
- Pricing CalculatorPrice a job from your time and costs. Then make a menu or customer quote.
- Price List MakerMake a price list with car, SUV, and truck prices. Download it as an image or print it as a PDF.
- Break-even CalculatorSee how many jobs can repay your setup after job costs, monthly bills, and your pay.
- Cost-per-detail CalculatorFind the cost of each cleaner per job from its bottle price, mix ratio, and amount used.
Set up and run the work
- Setup BuilderFind what to buy now, buy later, and skip. Use your budget and the equipment you already own.
- Water Tank PlannerPlan water between refills and compare tank capacity, loaded weight, and your vehicle's payload limit.
- Checklist BuilderFollow the steps for your own car or a customer job. Save or print your checklist.
- Dilution CalculatorTurn a label ratio or percentage into ounces or mL. Includes a printable ratio chart.
See what customers pay
- Car Detailing CostSee what a car wash, interior, exterior, or full detail typically costs by vehicle size and condition.
- Ceramic Coating CostSee typical ceramic coating prices by how long the coating lasts, vehicle size, and paint condition.
- Paint Correction CostSee typical stage 1, 2, and 3 paint correction prices by vehicle size.
- PPF CostSee typical paint protection film prices for partial front, full front, track pack, and full car.
- Window Tint CostSee typical car window tint prices by film type (carbon or ceramic), windows, and vehicle size, plus windshield and tint removal.
- Headlight Restoration CostSee what professional restoration of both headlights typically costs and how long it lasts.
Edited guides
Guides for your first paid jobs
Maintenance wash: how to wash a car safely
Wash in six steps. Keep wheel tools off paint, use clean towels, and check the result.
Clean a car interior, step by step
Remove dry dirt first. Clean each surface with care, then check glass, seats, and controls.
Build your first detailing kit
Choose tools for a wash and interior clean. Plan storage and cleanup before adding machines.
Prepare for your first paid detail
Agree on the work and price. Inspect the car, follow a checklist, and record the result.
Car detailing packages: build a menu customers can compare
Build up to three car detailing packages with clear inclusions, exclusions, condition limits, time, starting-price rules, and written approval for changed scope.
Car detailing quote template: define the work first
Download a free car detailing quote template with customer, vehicle, condition, scope, exclusions, price, validity, and change-approval fields.
Car detailing business license: fees, layers, and a local checklist
Car detailing business license research for mobile and fixed-site detailers: dated fees from San Diego, California, New York City, Texas, and Florida, a rule for which permissions apply, wash-water questions, and a checklist.
Mobile detailing insurance: coverage, costs, and exclusions
Mobile detailing insurance for small U.S. operators: general liability, commercial auto, hired and non-owned auto, garagekeepers, tools, and workers compensation. Includes an incident table, sourced premium figures, tax notes, and a broker worksheet.
More help
Find a guide for your goal
Learn the basics, plan paid work, or check the needs of a mobile setup.
Start here
Learn the safe order of operations, assemble a lean kit, and complete your first full detail.
Personal detailing
Build skills for your own cars without turning the garage into an expensive chemical warehouse.
Start a detailing business
Choose a service, check local rules, plan your costs, and prepare for your first customer.
Build a mobile setup
Stage water, power, storage, and equipment around the work you can actually sell.
Not sure what to buy first?
Answer a few questions about your goals, budget, water, power, and the gear you already own. See what to buy now, buy later, and skip.