Our Signature Service
Full Car Detail in St. Petersburg, FL
A full detail is the difference between a car that looks clean and a car that looks new. It's 4 to 6 hours of hands-on work covering every surface, inside and out. Clay bar decontamination, scratch removal, headlight restoration, full wax protection, and a complete interior deep clean. This is a full car detailing service, not a wash.
Starting at $325 · compact vehicles · 4-6 hours
Most quotes answered within 15 minutes
Real vehicles. Full details completed at our St. Petersburg shop.
What's Included in a Full Car Detail
Everything below is standard in every full detail. Nothing is skipped, nothing costs extra. This is the complete service, not a menu you pick from.
Exterior Restoration
Exterior Hand Wash
Complete hand wash using professional products and techniques. No automatic brushes or machines touch your paint. Each panel cleaned individually to avoid cross-contamination. This is a full service car wash, not a rinse.
Clay Bar Decontamination
After washing, the paint still has embedded contaminants you can't see: brake dust, industrial fallout, tree sap particles, rail dust. A clay bar treatment physically removes these from the surface. Run your hand across the paint after clay bar and the difference is immediately obvious. This step is what separates a detail from a wash.
Scratch Removal
Light scratch removal reduces the appearance of surface-level swirl marks and light scratches in the clear coat. These are the circular marks you see when sunlight hits the paint at an angle. Most are caused by improper washing (automatic car washes, dirty towels, brushes). We improve the clarity of the paint, not just cover it up with wax.
Headlight Restoration
Oxidized, yellowed headlights are sanded, polished, and sealed. This isn't cosmetic only. Cloudy headlights reduce nighttime visibility by 40% or more. After restoration, they look factory-new and your night driving visibility improves significantly. Florida sun is the #1 cause of headlight oxidation.
Wax Application
Professional-grade wax applied by hand to all painted surfaces. Creates a protective barrier against UV damage, water, salt air, and contaminants. In Florida, wax protection lasts approximately 2 to 3 months before needing reapplication. The deep gloss and water beading after a fresh wax is the finish most people associate with a brand-new car.
Wheels, Tires, and Trim
Wheels detailed inside and out. Brake dust and road grime removed. Tires cleaned and dressed. Wheel wells cleaned. Exterior plastic trim cleaned and dressed with UV protectant. Door jambs cleaned and waxed. Exhaust tips cleaned and polished.
Interior Deep Clean
Full Interior Detail
Every interior surface addressed by hand: dashboard, center console, cup holders, door panels, buttons, switches, vents, steering wheel, and all trim. Material-appropriate cleaners for plastic, vinyl, wood, and metallic surfaces. UV protectant applied to prevent fading and cracking from Florida sun.
Deep Vacuuming
Thorough vacuuming of seats, carpet, floor mats, seat tracks, under seats, door pockets, and trunk. Compressed air for crevices and tight areas. This alone takes 30 to 45 minutes on most vehicles.
Carpet and Upholstery Shampooing
Carpet and cloth surfaces pre-treated, shampooed, and extracted with professional hot water extraction equipment. This pulls embedded dirt, sand, food, and body oils out of the fabric. Floor mats cleaned separately: cloth mats shampooed, rubber mats pressure washed. Spot treatment for visible stains.
Leather or Cloth Seat Cleaning
Leather seats cleaned with pH-balanced cleaner and conditioned to restore moisture and flexibility. Cloth seats shampooed and extracted. In Florida, heat and UV dry leather out fast. Without conditioning, leather cracks, fades, and hardens permanently.
Windows and Headliner
All interior and exterior glass cleaned streak-free, including the inside of the windshield (which collects a film from dashboard off-gassing). Top edges of windows cleaned. Headliner spot cleaned for visible marks.
Total time: 4 to 6 hours depending on vehicle size and condition. Drop-off is typically around 8AM, done by early afternoon.
Real full details. Real vehicles. Our shop in St. Petersburg.
Full Detail vs. Our Other Services
Not sure which service you need? Here's how they compare. The full detail is our most comprehensive service, but we offer targeted options depending on what your vehicle needs.
| Wash & Wax | Interior Only | Full Detail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand wash | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Clay bar | — | — | ✓ |
| Scratch removal | — | — | ✓ |
| Headlight restoration | — | — | ✓ |
| Wax protection | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Interior vacuum | Basic | Deep | Deep |
| Carpet shampoo | Mats only | Full | Full |
| Leather/seat detail | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stain treatment | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dashboard/console | Dust | Full detail | Full detail |
| Time | 2-3 hours | 2-4 hours | 4-6 hours |
| Starting price | $200 | $120 | $325 |
Wash, Vac & Wax
Exterior hand wash, interior vacuum, wax protection. Best for maintenance between full details. From $200.
Interior Detailing
Deep interior clean: shampooing, leather conditioning, stain and odor removal. Best when the exterior is fine but the inside needs work. From $120.
Ceramic Coating
Long-term paint protection after your full detail. GTECHNIQ professional coatings, 18 months to 5+ years. From $300.
Full Detail Pricing
Transparent pricing. The quote you get is the price you pay.
| Vehicle Size | Examples | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Compact | BMW Z4, Miata, two-seat | $325 |
| Intermediate | Camry, Accord, BMW 3 Series | $325 |
| Small SUV | RAV4, CRV, BMW X3 | $375–400 |
| Full-Size / Medium SUV | BMW 7 Series, X5, 4Runner | $425–475 |
| Full-Size Truck | F-150, Tundra, 3-row SUVs | $475–525 |
| XLarge | Escalade, Suburban, F-250, minivans | $525–650 |
What increases the cost: Neglected vehicles with heavy soiling, excessive pet hair, embedded beach sand, mold or mildew, smoke odor, and extensive paint contamination. Neglect can add up to 100% of the base price.
All prices subject to 7% FL sales tax. Credit cards and checks accepted and preferred.
See all service options on our pricing page. For just the exterior, our Wash/Vac/Wax ($200+) is a lighter option. For interior-only, see interior detailing ($120+).
Why a Full Car Detail Is Worth It
Resale Value
The interior and paint condition are the two biggest factors in how a buyer perceives your vehicle. A $325 full detail before listing or trading in routinely adds $500 to $2,000+ to the actual sale price. Dealers know this and detail every trade-in before putting it on the lot. You can do it first and keep that margin.
Paint Protection
Contaminants embedded in your paint (brake dust, industrial fallout, tree sap) slowly eat through the clear coat. You can't feel them through a wash, but you can feel the difference after a clay bar. Removing them and applying wax protection prevents long-term paint damage that costs thousands to fix (respray, paint correction).
Health and Comfort
Dust, pollen, mold spores, and bacteria accumulate in seats, carpet, vents, and every crevice. In Florida, a car parked closed in the sun becomes a breeding ground. A full interior detail removes what regular cleaning can't reach. If you have allergies, kids, or spend significant time in your car, this matters.
Preventive Maintenance
Florida's climate is brutal on vehicles. UV fades dashboards and cracks leather. Salt air corrodes trim. Pollen and bird droppings etch paint. Sand embeds in carpet. A full detail every 4 to 6 months isn't cosmetic maintenance. It's preventing damage that's expensive or impossible to reverse.
Interior results from full details at our shop
How Often Should You Get a Full Detail in Florida?
Full Detail
Every 4 to 6 months. This resets the vehicle: removes embedded contaminants, corrects light scratches, restores the interior, and applies fresh wax protection. Think of it as the deep reset.
Between Full Details
A Wash/Vac/Wax every 2 to 3 months keeps the exterior protected and the interior maintained. This is the maintenance layer. Much less expensive, and it extends the life of each full detail.
For the best long-term protection: Full detail twice a year, Wash/Vac/Wax between them, and consider ceramic coating after your next full detail for 18 months to 5+ years of paint protection that outlasts wax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a full car detail cost in St. Petersburg?
Starting at $325 for compact vehicles. Pricing scales with vehicle size: intermediate sedans $325, small SUVs $375, full-size $425, trucks $475, XL $525+. Neglected vehicles may cost more. You always get a quote after inspection, before any work starts.
How long does a full detail take?
4 to 6 hours depending on vehicle size and condition. A maintained sedan takes around 4 hours. A neglected SUV or truck with heavy soiling can take 6+ hours. Drop-off is typically around 8AM, done by early afternoon.
What is the difference between a full detail and a car wash?
A car wash removes surface dirt in 15 minutes. A full detail is 4-6 hours of work: clay bar decontamination, scratch removal, headlight restoration, wax protection, plus a complete interior deep clean with shampooing, leather conditioning, and stain treatment. Completely different results.
How often should I get a full detail?
Every 4 to 6 months in Florida. Between full details, a Wash/Vac/Wax every 2-3 months keeps things maintained. Florida's sun, salt air, and humidity mean your vehicle takes more environmental damage than most climates.
Does the full detail include scratch removal?
Yes. Light scratch removal is included. This improves surface-level swirl marks and light clear coat scratches. Deep scratches through the clear coat require separate paint correction work, which we can quote separately.
Does the full detail include the interior?
Yes. Every full detail includes a complete interior deep clean: thorough vacuuming, dashboard and console detail, carpet shampooing, floor mat cleaning, leather cleaning and conditioning (or cloth seat shampooing), all windows, and headliner spot cleaning.
Should I get ceramic coating after a full detail?
A full detail is the ideal prep for ceramic coating. After clay bar, scratch removal, and polishing, the paint is in its best condition for coating application. We offer GTECHNIQ professional ceramic coatings starting at $300, lasting 18 months to 5+ years.
Do you serve St. Pete Beach, Gulfport, and surrounding areas?
Yes. Our shop at 1601 4th St N is centrally located in St. Petersburg, easily accessible from St. Pete Beach, Gulfport, Treasure Island, Pinellas Park, Clearwater, Largo, and Tampa.
Schedule Your Full Detail
Text your vehicle year, make, model, and condition. Quote within 15 minutes during business hours. Drop-off Monday through Friday.
Mon-Fri 8AM-4:30PM · 1601 4th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704