How Long Does Car Detailing Take?
Updated October 9, 2026 4 min readBy Dominick, owner of Slums Mobile Detailing
Because we come to you, you don't lose your day — but it still helps to know how long the job takes. These are our real average times.
How long does a car detail take?
Most details take 1 to 6.5 hours. A small car exterior standard takes about 1 hour, an interior full about 2.5 hours, and a complete Stage 2 detail about 4 hours. Midsize vehicles add 30 minutes and large vehicles add 1.5 hours.
| Package | Small | Midsize | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Standard | 1 hr | 1.5 hr | 2.5 hr |
| Interior Standard | 1 hr | 1.5 hr | 2.5 hr |
| Exterior Full | 2 hr | 2.5 hr | 3.5 hr |
| Interior Full | 2.5 hr | 3 hr | 4 hr |
| Stage 1 | 2 hr | 2.5 hr | 3.5 hr |
| Stage 2 | 4 hr | 4.5 hr | 5.5 hr |
What makes it take longer
Heavy pet hair, sand, mud or stains add time. Each estimate includes a buffer (30 minutes or 1 hour); past that, extra time is $60/hour and we tell you before continuing.