Boat Detailing Cost and Prices in Seattle

Boat detailing prices can be all over the place depending on the location, what each service includes and many other factors. It can be difficult to compare boat detailing costs across the board since boat detailing companies most likely price their services differently. So how does a boat owner know if they're paying a fair price for boat detailing? We'll walk you through how to make sure you're not paying too much or too little (you get what you pay for) when it comes to choosing boat detailing services.

As far as rates and prices go, there are really no set prices in the detailing industry. You can negotiate, but don’t think this is a service you can get at a rock bottom rate. A good detailer will be spending a lot of time, physical exertion and quality products on your boat and that is worth paying for if you can’t or don’t want to do it yourself.

Some boat detailing services are priced by the hour and some are priced by the foot. For those services priced by the foot, you’ll know exactly what the total cost is going to be up front. For services priced by the hour, you should ask the company to give you an estimate of how many hours they think the job will take and to please let you know ahead of time if they expect to exceed those hours. If they do exceed the original hours, ask them to give you an updated estimate and explain why it’s taking longer. They may have run into a few problem areas you should know about or they may have underestimated the job when they first gave you the quote.

If they severely underestimated the job, you might question them as to why they didn’t fully realize the scope of the project in the beginning. For example, if you hired a detailer to wax and buff your heavily oxidized boat and they gave you a “sounds too good to be true” quote, then they either low-balled the quote to beat out any other bids or they may not have enough experience to know that heavy oxidation often requires a two-step process, which takes longer, uses more product and requires a skilled hand at buffing.

In trying to negotiate a fair price or a price that fits your budget, consider two things. 1) Try to do some of the work yourself and 2) decide what’s most important to you. For example, you might be able to save a few dollars if you wash the boat yourself so that the detailer only has to wax and buff it. Or, if you feel you have the time and energy to wax and buff the topside (usually the easier part of the boat to reach and work on), then only hire them to wax and buff the hull.

In regard to what is most important to you, is your end goal a well-protected boat or a cosmetically perfect finish? In the case of having your boat waxed, if you’re mostly concerned with simply protecting your gel coat with a good layer of wax, then a one-step wax process is all you need. If you are determined to bring back that showroom shine again and your gel coat is heavily oxidized, it will require a two-step wax process, which is often double the rate of a one-step process.

Finally, ask the detailer if they include any additional charges in their rate. All detailers must charge sales tax because their services are considered “retail sales”. However, some might also charge for supplies, special equipment or gear specifically used for your boat, mileage, or other transportation and labor fees. Make sure you're aware of any additional surcharges before they start the work.

Deckhand Detailing is very transparent with their pricing. We always want to make sure the customer knows what the service will cost, or if priced by the hour, has a range that it won't exceed. If you're looking for specific boat detailing prices, fill out our estimate request form to get a full list of our rates and services.

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