Boat detailing, wash and wax cost in California: published rates

Published detailing rates by region

These are prices that businesses publish on their own websites and rate sheets. We read 14 pages from 14 businesses in Southern California and the Bay Area. They are not DockDash prices, and your quote may differ.

Across the regions we have, the largest group is wash and wax or one-step polish: $9–$25/ft (9 published prices from 9 Southern California businesses).

Region pages: Southern California, San Francisco Bay Area.

How detailing is priced

Detailing covers above-the-waterline work: washes, compounding, waxing, and brightwork. Prices are usually per foot, with separate rates for a wash and for a wax or buff.

Per foot of length, per service. A wash, a wax and a compound-and-wax are usually priced separately; recurring washes are often priced per visit or per month.

What drives the cost

• Boat length and type (a flybridge or tower adds surface area).
• Condition of the gelcoat: oxidized gelcoat needs compounding before wax.
• Which surfaces are included (hull sides, decks, topsides, interior).
• Frequency: weekly or monthly wash plans usually cost less per visit.

Length overall vs waterline

Most per-foot prices are multiplied by the boat’s length overall (LOA): bow to stern, often including pulpits, swim platforms and davits. A few businesses use waterline length, which is shorter, so the same rate gives a smaller bill. Before comparing two quotes, ask each business which length it bills on and convert both to the same basis.

Many price lists also change the rate with size: a higher per-foot rate for bigger boats, or a flat minimum for small ones. Where a business published tiers, the tables below show each tier separately.

What’s usually included, and what’s extra

How to read a quote

• Ask exactly which surfaces are included.
• Ask whether the per-foot rate is for a wash, a one-step wax, or compound plus wax.
• Get the price in writing, with what is included, before work starts.

To check a price for your boat, try the service cost estimator; to line up two or three quotes on the same basis, use the quote comparison tool. What the job involves: Boat detailing, wash and wax explained.

Every published price we found

• Aquarius Yacht Services San Diego · San Diego

  • $45/hr — Hourly top wash Includes: Top wash; interior cleaning also $45/hour.

  Services – Aquarius, undated, read 2026-11-11

• Auto Detail Now San Diego · San Diego

  • $9–$20/ft — Per ft; three tiers: Basic $9, Deluxe $13, Ultra Deluxe $20 Includes: Basic: decon wash, chrome/stainless polished, vinyl seats; Deluxe adds gelcoat work (descriptions truncated on page).

  Boat Detailing - Auto Detail Now San Diego - Marina Detailing, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• CaliCoast Marine Services San Diego · San Diego

  • $10–$12/ft — Interior detailing per ft: single $12/ft one-time, recurring $10/ft per visit Includes: Interior detailing.

  Boat Hull Cleaning San Diego | CaliCoast Marine Services, undated, read 2026-11-11

• Fresh Layer Mobile Detailing San Diego · San Diego

  • $17/ft — Per ft, 'starts at' Includes: Exterior: eco wash of boat & trailer, hand wax rub rail to waterline, polish rails/brightwork, UV protectant.
  • $27/ft — Per ft, 'starts at' Includes: Complete: exterior + interior packages.

  San Diego Boat Detailing | From $17/ft | Mobile Detailing, undated, read 2026-11-11

• HarborSide Yacht Services San Diego · San Diego

  • $5/ft — Powerboat topside, per ft; hull priced separately; vessels >60 ft custom quote Includes: Classic Wash: routine topside hand wash for maintained boats.
  • $10/ft — Powerboat topside, per ft; for boats not washed in a while Includes: Deep Clean Wash: heavy salt and grime removal.
  • $25/ft — Powerboat topside, per ft; boats without oxidation Includes: Detail & Wax: gelcoat sealing with premium wax.
  • $35/ft — Powerboat topside, per ft; oxidized gelcoat Includes: Cut, Polish, Wax & Detail: oxidation removal, machine polish, protective wax.

  San Diego Yacht & Boat Detailing | HarborSide Yacht Services, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Lemus Auto Detailing San Diego · San Diego

  • $15–$18/ft — Per ft, 'starting at' Includes: Wash, wax, and detailing. Priced for boats on a trailer or out of the water.

  Mobile Boat Detailing San Diego, CA - Lemus Auto Detailing, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Smith Bros Mobile Detailing San Marcos · San Diego

  • $15/ft — Per ft of vessel; boat must be on trailer or out of water Includes: Eco wash of boat & trailer, hand wax rub rail to waterline, polish rails/brightwork, UV protectant on trim. Priced for boats on a trailer or out of the water.
  • $25/ft — Per ft of vessel; on trailer or out of water Includes: Complete Detail: Interior Detail + Wash & Wax. Priced for boats on a trailer or out of the water.
  • $30/ft — Per ft; for oxidized boats Includes: Restorer: gelcoat restoration, oxidation polishing rub rail to waterline, exterior detail.
  • $90/hr — Custom detail, one technician, 2-hour minimum ($180); additional labor $45 per 30 minutes Includes: Custom detail labor.

  Mobile Boat & Yacht Detailing San Diego (1,000+ Reviews), © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• SoCal Boat Detailing San Diego County (mobile) · San Diego

  • $4.55–$9.10/ft — Basic Wash Down; mobile; final price after photos/inspection Includes: wash down.
  • $13.65–$22.75/ft — Standard Wash & Wax; mobile; final price after photos/inspection Includes: wash and wax.
  • $31.85–$68.25/ft — Gelcoat Correction (oxidation removal); mobile; final price after photos/inspection Includes: oxidation removal and gloss restoration.

  SoCal Boat Detailing, undated, read 2026-11-11

• The Hull Master San Diego · San Diego

  • $2/ft — Per ft, 'starting at' (+); boats cleaned within 6 months; >60 ft custom quote Includes: Classic Wash: full topside soap and rinse, canvas and glass washed, spot-free freshwater finish.
  • $3/ft — Per ft, 'starting at'; vessels cleaned 6+ months ago Includes: Deep Clean Wash: heavy grime/salt removal, pressure washing as needed, stain treatment.
  • $15/ft — Per ft, 'starting at' Includes: Wash & Wax: light oxidation removal, UV-protective wax, glass cleaning.
  • $30/ft — Per ft, 'starting at' Includes: Wash, Polish & Wax: deep oxidation removal, high-gloss polish, wax seal.

  Boat Detailing - The Hull Master, © 2025 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Balboa Marine Detailing Co. Newport Beach · Los Angeles & Orange County

  • $9/ft — Per ft, $200 minimum; hull add-on $12/ft Includes: Full Detail: prep wash, polish, marine wax finish.

  Boat Detailing Near Me — Newport Beach | Balboa Marine, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Steven's Detailing Ventura · Ventura & Santa Barbara

  • $25/ft — Per ft Includes: Boat Maintenance Detail: decon wash, water spot removal, single-stage polish with protection, interior wipe-down.
  • $65–$95/ft — Per ft; Silver $65 (single-stage polish + ceramic), Gold $95 (two-stage compound/polish + ceramic) Includes: Decon wash, polishing, Beadlock Marine Ceramic Coating, interior wipe-down.

  Marine Detailing Services In Ventura, Santa Barbara, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Berkeley Marine Center Berkeley · San Francisco Bay

  • $900 flat price — Wax and buff package, up to 29 ft Includes: Labor and materials.
  • $1,300 flat price — Wax and buff package, 30–39 ft Includes: Labor and materials.
  • $1,700 flat price — Wax and buff package, 40 ft and over Includes: Labor and materials.
  • $125/hr — General Marine Technician labor (sanding, buffing, waxing, etc.)

  Yard Rates - Berkeley Marine Center, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• Poseidon Boat Services Alameda (service area) · San Francisco Bay

  • $60–$100 flat price — Pressure washing above waterline by length: up to 25 ft $60, 25–40 ft $80, 40–50 ft $100; >50 ft quote Includes: Basic exterior pressure wash.

  Pricing — Poseidon, © 2023-2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

• The Boat Yard at Grand Marina Alameda · San Francisco Bay

  • $95/hr — Hull waxing, per hour (prep/sanding/detailing labor listed separately at $130/hr)
  • $130/hr — Prep work, grinding, sanding, detailing labor
  • $95–$130/hr — Hull waxing $95/hr; prep work, grinding, sanding, detailing $130/hr

  Services and Rates - The Boat Yard at Grand Marina, © 2026 on the page (no other date), read 2026-11-11

Methodology and limitations

• Sources: only the business’s own website or rate sheet. No reviews, directories, forums or quotes we requested. We did not contact any business.
• Sample: 32 published prices from 14 businesses on 14 pages. This is the set we could find, not a survey or a random sample, and many businesses don’t publish prices at all.
• Dates: we read every page on 2026-11-11. 0 of the pages carry a date or fiscal year, 10 show only a copyright year, and 4 have no date. Each price below shows what its page said.
• How we summarize: prices are grouped by unit (per foot, per hour, flat, per visit, per gallon) and by kind of job, and never mixed. The range runs from the lowest published price to the highest. The median gives each business one vote (the middle of its own range), so a yard with many size tiers doesn’t outweigh a diver with one price. Where a business wrote “starting at”, we used that figure, so real bills are often higher.
• Region pages exist only where at least 3 published prices from 2 or more businesses are available.
• Your quote may differ. Condition, access, season, and what’s included all change the price. Use these figures to ask better questions, not as a price promise.