How Long Does It Take to Detail a Car?

A full auto detail can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 days depending on the type of detail service you select and the current condition of your vehicle.

Typically, we average about 3 hours per car, with our 3 auto detailing experts working on the vehicle. That’s 9 total man hours depending on the size and state of the vehicle.

In this article, we are going to offer a detailed breakdown of the different types of auto detailing services we offer our clients in Fort Worth, along with the average time to detail a car for each service.



Auto Detailing Times for Interior, Exterior & Full Detailing Services

Whether you want the interior, exterior or entire car detailed, understanding how long you can expect your auto detail to take and what goes into each detailing service can set some good expectations and help you plan out the best time to get your vehicle detailed at an auto detailer near you.

How Long Does It Take to Do a Full Interior Detail of a Car?

An interior auto detail takes around 2 hours to complete. An interior detail includes:

• Interior of car vacuumed
• Steam clean of all interior surfaces
• Shampoo all upholstery
• Extract all upholstery (if necessary)
• Clean and condition all leather surfaces (if applicable)
• Interior trim protected
• All windows cleaned

We also offer some added services to our interior auto details. Know that these will increase the time it takes to complete your vehicle, BUT it is going to take your car to the next level and add some additional protection.

Interior Car Detail Add-Ons include:

• Leather Coating
• Fabric Coating
• Odor Treatment (1 hour)

How Long Does It Take to Do a Full Exterior Detail of a Car?

An exterior auto detail takes around 2 hours to complete. An exterior detail includes:

• Tires and rims cleaned
• Vehicle treated with foam wash
• Hand wash
• Paint and rims chemically decontaminated
• Hand and air dried
• Paint mechanically decontaminated
• IPA mix applied to paint
• 1 coat of ceramic spray wax applied to paint, windows and rims, providing 6-12 months of protection
• Tires and trim dressed

We also offer some added services to our exterior auto details. Know that these will increase the time it takes to complete your vehicle (for corrections and coatings, it’s usually an additional 2 – 3 days), BUT it is going to take your car to the next level and add additional protection.

Exterior Car Detail Add-Ons include:

• Light Correction & 3-Year Ceramic Coating (5-6 hours)
• Medium Correction & 6-Year Ceramic Coating (2 days)
• Heavy Correction & 10-Year Ceramic Coating (2-3 days)
• Headlight Restoration (1 hour)
• Trim Restoration (30 minutes)
• Engine Restoration (1 hour)
• Windshield Coating (30 minutes)
• Rim Coating (30 minutes)

How Long Does It Take to Do a Full Auto Detail on a Car?

A full auto detail takes around 3 – 4 hours to complete. A full detail on a car includes:

• Tires and rims dressed & cleaned
• Vehicle treated with foam wash
• Hand wash
• Paint and rims chemically decontaminated
• Hand and air dried
• Paint mechanically decontaminated
• IPA mix applied to paint
• 1 coat of ceramic spray wax applied to paint, windows and rims, providing 6-12 months of protection
• Interior of car vacuumed
• Steam clean of all interior surfaces
• Shampoo all upholstery
• Extract all upholstery (if necessary)
• Clean and condition all leather surfaces (if applicable)
• Interior trim protected
• All windows cleaned

We also offer some added services to our full auto details – the same add-ons available with the exterior or interior detail plans. Know that these will increase the time it takes to complete your vehicle.

Full Car Detail Add-Ons include:

• Light Correction & 3-Year Ceramic Coating (5-6 hours)
• Medium Correction & 6-Year Ceramic Coating (2 days)
• Heavy Correction & 10-Year Ceramic Coating (2-3 days)
• Headlight Restoration (1 hour)
• Trim Restoration (30 minutes)
• Engine Restoration (1 hour)
• Windshield Coating (30 minutes)
• Rim Coating (30 minutes)
• Odor Treatment (1 hour)
• Leather Coating
• Fabric Coating

Which Auto Detailing Service Should I Choose?

Car detailing is an investment, but when you have already made such a large investment on a vehicle, it’s worth the time and money to maintain and care for it. That’s why car detailing has so much value.

The detailing service and detailer you choose is really up to you. While we would definitely recommend the full auto detail because it is going to be the one that cares for the entirety of your car, we understand that you may have other priorities.

• If you are more concerned with the interior of your vehicle, choose the interior car detail to start.
• If you keep up with the interior of your car and need help with the exterior of the vehicle, and adding that additional protection with the 3, 6 or 10-year ceramic coatings, choose the exterior car detail.
• If you have recently purchased your vehicle or have had it for some time and want to return it to a like-new condition, choose the full car detail.

Whichever detailing option you choose, we look forward to working with you and your schedule. The great thing about our services is that we offer mobile auto detailing, which means that we can come to you, accommodating your schedule.