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How Much Should a Full Car Detail Cost? FX Detailing's Complete Price Guide for Surrey & London
FX Detailing Pricing Summary
Service Area: Surrey, London, and South East England
Base Detailing Price: From £500
Full Detail + Correction + Coating: £3,500 – £5,000
Specialisation: Supercars (McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini) & Luxury Classics
Bodykit Installation: From £150 per component / from £550 for full kit
Studio Location: Charlwood, Surrey (Near Gatwick)
Most detailing services do not publish their prices. We do - because the people who are right for FX Detailing deserve to know what they are investing in before they pick up the phone, and because transparency about pricing is part of the same standard we hold ourselves to on every car that comes through our studio.
This is a straightforward breakdown of what a full car detail costs at FX Detailing, what determines that cost, and what you are actually paying for at each level.
The Short Answer
A full car detail in Surrey or London from a genuine specialist ranges from £500 for a standalone ceramic coating or basic full detail, to £5,000 for the most comprehensive package - a complete full detail, multi-stage machine polishing and professional ceramic coating on a supercar or luxury vehicle.
For most cars, a full detail with machine polishing and ceramic coating sits around £3,500. For supercars - McLarens, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsche 911 GT variants - the price is typically closer to the top of the range, reflecting the additional time, care and specialist knowledge these cars require.
Here is the full breakdown:
|
Service |
Price Guide |
|
Ceramic Coating |
From £500 |
|
Full Detail (without machine polishing) |
From £500 |
|
Full Detail with Machine Polishing |
From £3,000–£3,500 |
|
Full Detail + Machine Polishing + Ceramic Coating |
£3,500–£5,000 |
|
Bodykit Component Installation |
From £150 per component |
|
Full Bodykit Installation |
From £550 |
What Is Actually Included in a Full Detail?
A full detail is not a valet. The word is used loosely across the industry, so it is worth being specific about what a genuine full detail involves at FX Detailing.
A full detail covers the complete exterior and interior of the car. On the exterior: a two-stage decontamination process (pre-wash snow foam, pH-neutral contact wash, iron fallout removal and clay bar decontamination), followed by paint assessment under specialist lighting, and finishing with a professional ceramic coating. Every panel, every glass surface, every wheel, every arch and every door jamb.
On the interior: every surface addressed individually. Leather cleaned and conditioned. Alcantara surfaces - steering wheels, headlinings, seat centres - cleaned with dedicated products and groomed. Every hard surface, every vent, every switch. The glass cleaned streak-free inside and out.
A full detail without machine polishing addresses contamination and protection. A full detail with machine polishing also corrects the paint - removing the swirl marks, fine scratches and surface defects that accumulate on any car over time and that are the difference between paint that looks good and paint that looks genuinely extraordinary.
Why Machine Polishing Changes the Price Significantly
Machine polishing "paint correction" is the most time-intensive and transformational service in professional detailing. On a typical car, a full multi-stage correction takes anywhere from a few days to a full week's worth of work: panel-by-panel assessment under specialist lighting, product selection for each individual surface, and the correction process itself carried out carefully enough to achieve genuine defect removal without compromising paint depth.
The difference between corrected and uncorrected paint on a dark colour - Carbon Black, Volcano Orange, Santorini Black, deep navy - is not subtle. It is the difference between paint that looks flat and grey under direct light and paint that has the deep, wet-look mirror gloss it was designed to deliver. On a car you care about, it is the service that makes the most visible difference to what you see every time you approach it.
The price reflects the time involved - and the expertise required to carry it out without damaging the paint surface in the process.
Why Supercars Cost More to Detail
The higher end of our pricing range - approaching £5,000 for a full detail, machine polishing and ceramic coating - applies to supercars and hypercars, and the reason is straightforward: these cars require more of everything.
More time - McLaren's carbon fibre bodywork requires a completely different approach to steel or aluminium panels. Ferrari's paint systems vary significantly across generations and must be understood specifically before any correction work begins. Lamborghini's clear coats are softer than most and require lighter, more careful correction.
More care - On a car worth £200,000 or £500,000 or more, paint thickness readings are taken across every panel before any abrasive product is applied. The margin for error is professionally and personally zero. The process is slower because it has to be.
More accountability - When the CEO of McLaren Formula 1 trusts us with his personal vehicles - as Zak Brown has done for a number of years - the standard being applied is not a standard that changes based on what the job is worth on paper. It is the same standard, on every car, without exception.
What Makes FX Detailing's Pricing Fair
We are a deliberately low-volume studio. We accept a limited number of cars so that every vehicle receives our full, undivided attention - not a slot in a production line. The pricing reflects that model: you are not paying for a facility that processes thirty cars a week. You are paying for a specialist who treats your car as the only car in the studio.
We have never had an unhappy client. Ten years. Not a single exception. That record is not a coincidence and it is not a marketing line - it is the direct result of a standard that we hold on every car regardless of what it costs or how long it takes.
If the pricing above fits what you are looking for, we would be glad to discuss your car specifically and give you a transparent quote.
Get a Quote - Surrey & London
To discuss your car and receive a detailed, transparent quote for any of our services, call or WhatsApp us on 07548 703902, or fill out the enquiry form on our detailing or bodykit page.
We are based in Charlwood, Surrey, and serve clients across Surrey, London and the surrounding counties - at our studio or at your location.
UK Car Detailing Pricing FAQ
How much does professional car detailing cost in the UK?
Professional detailing in the UK varies by the level of correction required. A thorough full detail or ceramic protection typically starts at £500, while multi-stage paint correction for supercars can reach £5,000 because the service may take a whole week to be completed.
Why is Specialist Car Detailing so Expensive?
The cost reflects the time and expertise involved. A full detail at our Surrey studio often takes 30–50 hours of labor. We use specialist tools like ultrasonic paint depth gauges and high-CRI lighting to ensure that defects are removed safely without compromising the vehicle's clear coat.
Are Ceramic Coatings a Waste of Money?
No, especially for luxury vehicles. A professional-grade ceramic coating creates a permanent chemical bond with the paint, protecting it from UV damage and environmental fallout while significantly reducing the risk of swirl marks during maintenance washing.
Which is Better: a Valet or a Full Detail?
A valet is a surface-level clean. A full detail is a restoration process. Simply put - valeting is a basic car wash and detailing is the process of returning a vehicle back to its showroom condition.