- Startup cost
- Add up the prices where you buy to get your own starting figure.
- What to charge
- Packages priced by the size of the vehicle, with the extras on their own lines
1. What it costs to start
You can start out of a car trunk with a rinseless wash and a polisher. The trailer comes when you're booked out. Add up the prices where you buy to get your own starting figure.
Lean start
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Electric pressure washer | |
| Foam cannon | |
| Dual-action polisher | |
| Microfiber towels | Edgeless, 20 towels |
| Rinseless wash | under 2 gallons a car |
| Wet/dry vacuum, 12 gal. | any contractor-grade |
| Water tank, 35–65 gal. | poly utility tank |
| Chemicals | all-purpose cleaner, interior, wheels and tires |
| Local paperwork, and insurance if you carry it |
Pro setup
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Heated carpet and upholstery extractor | |
| Long-throw polisher | |
| Steamer | |
| Ozone machine | |
| Inverter generator, 3,500 W | |
| Water containment and reclaim | wash mat, pump and 50 gal. tank |
| Enclosed trailer, 6 × 12 | new |
2. What to charge
Sell packages priced by the size of the vehicle, and put the extras on their own lines. These are the starting prices OnsiteBoard gives a new mobile detailing account. Change any of them for your area.
| Service | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Maintenance wash | $85 |
| Interior detail | $175 |
| Full detail, car | $225 |
| Full detail, SUV / truck | $275 |
| 3-row SUV, van or lifted truck | +$50 |
| Pet hair removal | $50 |
| Ceramic coating | $899 |
The full list, a quote calculator and a price menu with your name on it are on the pricing page.
3. Your first customers
Where to put your name and your link.
- Google Business Profile first. Set your service area, post before-and-after photos of every car, with the owner's OK, and ask every customer for a review the day you finish.
- Before-and-after video. Dog hair coming out of a back seat shows the work; with the owner's OK, post it on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook with your area in the caption.
- Nextdoor and the neighbors. One car in a driveway is an ad for the street; offer the neighbors the same day.
- Office parks and apartment complexes, with written permission from the property manager: many cars, one stop. HOA and property rules apply, so ask first.
- Dealerships, small fleets and real estate agents.
4. Quoting and getting paid in the driveway
Write down the condition before you touch the car, so a scratch that was already there isn't blamed on you. Price the size and the extras line by line, take a deposit on coatings, and take the card, tip included, before you pack up.
Card payments run through Stripe; its standard fees apply.
A full detail on a 3-row SUV with two dogs, and a ceramic coating estimate with a deposit up front, in OnsiteBoard.
Start with the price menu. Start the trial when you book the first car.
Grab the free price menu now: your name, your prices, a PDF to text customers or post. When the first car is booked, OnsiteBoard puts the rest on your phone: your packages ready to use, a booking link for your Google profile and Instagram, estimates and invoices with your name on them, the condition written down before you start, a deposit on coatings, and card payments with tips on the spot.
Card payments run through Stripe; its standard fees apply.
14 days free, no card to start.
If you choose a plan after the trial: OnsiteBoard Pro $49.99 /mo or $479.00 a year, billed through the App Store or Google Play; it renews until you cancel.
Or get the app: