1. Are they licensed and insured?
Ask directly. A detailer is going to run a machine polisher across your paint and chemicals across your leather. If something goes wrong and they're not insured, it's your problem. Any legitimate operation — including ours — will answer this in one word.
2. Can they show you real work — and is it theirs?
Ask for photos of vehicles they detailed, not stock images. Better: ask for photos of a vehicle like yours. A detailer who's proud of their work will have more photos than you want to look at. Check that the photos match — same driveway, same lighting style, same tag hanging from the mirror — rather than a mix of glossy shots pulled from the internet.
3. How do they wash?
The single most revealing question. The right answer involves a foam pre-wash, a two-bucket method or equivalent, and clean mitts — never a brush, never a single bucket of grey water. If they can't explain their wash process in a couple of sentences, they don't have one.
4. What do they actually use?
You don't need to know chemistry, but you should get product names. For ceramic coatings especially: a professional installer uses a professional-line coating (we use GYEON) and will tell you which one and what it's rated for. "A ceramic coating" with no brand behind it is usually a consumer spray.
5. How do they quote high-ticket work?
For a basic detail, a set price is fine. For a ceramic coating or paint correction, be suspicious of anyone who gives you a firm price without seeing the paint. The condition of the paint is most of the cost; a detailer who quotes blind is either guessing high or planning to skip the prep.
6. Do they tell you what they can't fix?
Listen for honesty. A scratch that catches your fingernail can't be polished out. Coatings don't make paint scratch-proof. Oxidized gelcoat on a boat sometimes can't be saved. A detailer who says "we'll take care of all of it" to every question is either inexperienced or selling. One who says "that one's a body shop, but this we can fix" has done enough jobs to know the difference.
7. What happens if you're not happy?
The answer should be simple and shouldn't require a policy document. Ours: you don't pay until you've walked around the vehicle and seen the result, and we don't leave until it meets our standard. Ask, and see whether the answer is a policy or a shrug.
The local shortcut
In Sumner County specifically, look at Google reviews for detail — not the star count, but whether reviewers describe the actual vehicle and the actual result. Repeat clients and fellow detailers leaving reviews are a strong sign. And ask whether they come to you: a mobile detailer who brings their own water, power, and lighting saves you a trip to a shop and a day without your car.
Questions we get asked
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It depends entirely on the detailer, not the format. A well-equipped mobile detailer with their own water, power, and lighting does the same work in your driveway — and you don't lose your car for a day. A garage is ideal for correction and coatings; a shaded driveway works for most details.
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It depends on vehicle size and what the package includes. Our HD Signature starts at $195 for cars and $245 for SUVs and trucks; the HD Ultimate starts at $295 and $345. Ceramic coating and paint correction are quoted per vehicle.
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Only if you're comfortable with what got cut to hit that price: usually prep, products, time, or insurance. A detail that leaves swirls costs more to fix than the money it saved.
