Short answer
A car detailer. For a car being sold, the value is in the things buyers notice in the first ten seconds: clean glass, clean wheels, a fresh-smelling interior with no pet hair, and paint with the swirl marks removed. Paid ceramic coatings and long-term paint protection are for cars you are keeping.
When it is someone else
Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Car Detailer.
a paintless dent repair specialist
there are door dings. It is cheap relative to panel work and it changes the first impression more than polish does.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Empty the car completely, including the boot, the glovebox and under the seats.
- Photograph the paint in daylight from a low angle. Swirl marks and scratches show up there and nowhere else.
- Decide what you are selling into. A cut and polish is worth it on a car whose paint is sound and dull; it is not worth it on one with clear-coat failure.
- Gather the service history and the spare key. They add more to the price than any detail does.
What to ask when you book
- Is this a wash and interior detail, or does it include machine polishing?
- Can you remove pet hair, and is that priced separately? It usually is, and it takes a long time.
- How long will the car be with you?
- Do you do headlight restoration? Yellowed headlights age a car visually more than almost anything else.
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Vehicle size and condition.
- Whether machine polishing or paint correction is included.
- Pet hair, smoke odour and heavy interior soiling, all of which are labour-intensive.
- Engine bay and headlight restoration as extras.
What you can do yourself
Is this licensed work?
Not a licensed trade. Insurance and demonstrated work are what distinguish operators.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for a car to detail before selling
- A car detailer. For a car being sold, the value is in the things buyers notice in the first ten seconds: clean glass, clean wheels, a fresh-smelling interior with no pet hair, and paint with the swirl marks removed. Paid ceramic coatings and long-term paint protection are for cars you are keeping.
- Does detailing a car before selling actually pay for itself?
- A presentation detail is inexpensive relative to the sale price and it changes the first impression, which is when buyers form their opinion of how a car has been looked after. What does not pay for itself is expensive paint protection on a car you are about to hand over.
Find a Car Detailer near you
1,251 car detailers in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
Who to hire for
- Who to hire for a car with swirl marks in the paintA detailer who does paint correction. Understand what it is: machine polishing removes a thin layer of clear c…
- Who to hire for a car interior to cleanA car detailer. Be specific about which problem you have, because pet hair removal, odour treatment and fabric…
- Who to hire for a car that won't startRoadside assistance first if you have it, then a licensed mechanic. Listen to what it does: nothing at all or …
- Who to hire when the check engine light comes onA licensed mechanic. How urgent depends on the behaviour: a steady light with the car driving normally usually…
General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.