Exterior Detail. Decontaminated. Sealed.
Exterior Detail is the paint-side reset. Wheels + wheel wells + tires scrubbed first. Foam pre-soak, 2-bucket hand wash, light-acid decon, clay-bar pass, exhaust tips, ceramic sealant on paint. Four vehicle-size tiers (no Compact — Compact cars get folded into Complete pricing). Same price mobile or shop.
Pricing
Four tiers (Medium through XXL). Compact vehicles fold into Complete Detail pricing.
| Tier | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | $165 | ~2-3 hours labor |
| Large | $240 | ~3-4 hours labor |
| XL | $280 | ~4-5 hours labor |
| XXL | $355 | ~5-6 hours labor |
In every Exterior Detail
- Wheel + wheel-well + tire scrub (first, before paint)
- Foam pre-soak + 2-bucket hand wash
- Light-acid decon + clay-bar pass
- Exhaust tip polish
- Tire + trim dressing (matte, not greasy)
- Exterior glass — streak-free
- Ceramic sealant on paint (included)
What this isn't
- Paint correction — +$160 add-on (heavier multi-stage quoted on inspection)
- Ceramic coating — separate quote (see /services/ceramic-coating/)
- Headlight restoration — $95 add-on or $150 standalone
- Engine bay clean — $95 add-on or $150 standalone
- Undercarriage wash — $95 add-on or $150 standalone
Common pairings
Add at booking or any time before the appointment.
How a Exterior Detail runs
Foam pre-soak
Foam cannon pre-soak strips loose dirt + lifts bonded debris off the paint without contact. Cuts swirl risk in the wash step.
2-bucket method
Wash mitt in the soap bucket, rinse mitt in the rinse bucket. Keeps grit off the paint between panels.
Light-acid decon + clay-bar
Light-acid decon strips bonded contamination — brake dust, road grime, fallout — without the harshness of a dedicated iron remover. Clay-bar pulls anything the chemical didn't catch.
Ceramic sealant + wheels + trim
Ceramic sealant on paint (included). Wheels, tires, trim dressed. Glass cleaned last. For multi-year protection see /services/ceramic-coating/ — that's a separate, longer-duration service.
Exterior Detail FAQ
Why no Compact tier?
Compact vehicles (Mini, 911, 2-door sports cars) generally come in for a Complete Detail rather than Exterior-only — the labor difference between Exterior + Interior on a Compact is small enough that Complete is almost always better value. If you specifically want Exterior-only on a Compact, text us and we'll quote it.
What's the difference between Exterior Detail and adding a polish?
Exterior Detail is wheels + foam + decon + clay + ceramic sealant. The +$160 polish add-on layers a single machine-polish pass on top — gloss reset that removes light swirls and oxidation. Paint with deeper defects gets looked at on inspection and quoted before any machine work starts.
Will this remove swirls?
The included ceramic sealant won't remove swirls — it adds gloss + sheds water. The +$160 polish add-on removes light swirls + oxidation. Deeper defects need heavier correction, which we quote on inspection. We'll tell you what level your paint needs.
What's the difference between the included ceramic sealant and a full ceramic coating?
Two different durability tiers. The ceramic sealant included with every Exterior + Complete detail gives you months of hydrophobic + UV protection on paint. A full ceramic coating — P&S Inspiration STOUT or STEK Final Coat, see /services/ceramic-coating/ — gives you 3-5+ years of protection. Same chemistry family (SiO2), different lifespan + price tier.
Mobile or shop?
Same price. Mobile across all 9 Bay Area counties — we bring water + power. Shop at 3425 Ettie St Oakland — drop off, grab coffee, pick up.
How do I prep?
For mobile: clear the driveway or parking spot. We'll bring everything else. For shop: drop off any time during business hours and we'll text when ready.
Add ceramic to lock in the gloss.
Sealant gives you ~6 months of hydrophobic protection. P&S Inspiration STOUT ceramic gives you 5 years, 107° contact angle, full UV layer. The ceramic upgrade pays back over the life of the car.