Mobile detailing vs. taking the car to a shop

Ten years ago mobile detailing meant a guy with a bucket. Today a mobile van carries water, power, a hot-water extractor and the same polishers and chemistry a shop uses, and the only real difference is where the car is parked. That changes some things and not others.

Where mobile wins

• Your time. No drop-off, no pickup, no waiting room. The car is detailed in your office lot while you work, or in the driveway while you do something else.
• The second car. Two cars at one house is one visit. At a shop it is two trips, or a ride.
• The interior. Interior work is identical anywhere; the extractor does not care about the roof over it.
• Boats and work trucks. Things that are hard to move are detailed where they sit.
• Cost. A van costs less to run than a bay with rent, so mobile does not carry a premium. What moves the price.

Where a shop wins

• Weather. Below freezing, in rain, or in January, exterior work and paint work need a roof and heat. We use our shop for exactly this, with pickup and return for a small charge.
• Paint correction and coating. Possible at home on a calm, shaded day, and we do it; a lit, dust-free bay is better for a two-step correction and a long cure. Our Platinum package usually goes to the shop for that reason.
• Lighting. Defects show under shop lights that daylight hides. For a correction, that matters.

Where it makes no difference

Quality, when the technician is trained and the equipment is real. The reviews for our mobile work say "showroom new" as often as any shop's. What matters is the process and the person, not the address.

How to choose

You do not have to decide. Book online, and if the job or the forecast calls for the shop, we will say so and arrange the pickup. How it works.