Boat detailing pricing confuses a lot of first-time owners because almost every shop quotes it differently: some by the foot, some by the hour, some by package. The honest answer is that the price follows the condition of the boat and the work you actually need.
Here is how the pricing works, what moves the number up or down, and where a maintenance program saves you real money over the season.
How detailers price the work
Most marine detailers charge either per foot of boat length, per hour, or as a flat package for a defined scope like a wash, a wax, or a full restoration detail. Our basic marine services start at $125 per hour, and we quote bigger jobs up front after seeing the boat.
Hourly pricing tends to be fairest on boats in unknown condition: a 25-foot boat that has been washed weekly all season is a very different job from the same hull after two years under a tarp.
What moves the price
- Length and type: a 40-foot flybridge has several times the surface of an 18-foot bowrider.
- Condition: chalky, oxidized gelcoat needs compounding before anything will shine.
- Scope: a wash is not a wax, and a wax is not a wet sand. Each level adds labor.
- Access: whether the boat is on a trailer, in a slip, or on a lift changes setup time.
- Extras: teak restoration, decal removal, bottom paint, and interior work are quoted separately.
One-time detail vs. a wash program
A single deep detail brings the boat back; a wash program keeps it there. Weekly or bi-weekly washes stop salt, spider droppings, and waterline scum from bonding to the gelcoat, which is exactly the buildup that makes one-off details expensive.
We give regular weekly clients a 5% discount because maintained boats are faster to service. Over a season, a maintained boat almost always costs less in total than two rescue details.
Getting a real quote
Any detailer worth hiring will look at the boat, or at minimum photos of it, before giving a number. Tell them the length, where it lives, when it was last detailed, and what bothers you most about how it looks. From Catawba to Mentor, we come to your dock or marina and quote it on the spot.