Exterior car detailing in Richmond, VA: what the wash covers and which add-on fixes what

An exterior detail from SprayRVA is $195 per vehicle, takes about 90 minutes, and happens in your driveway or office lot anywhere in the Richmond area. It covers an exterior hand wash and the exterior glass. Travel is included, and a truck or SUV pays the same as a car. If the paint is dull, gritty, or the headlights have gone cloudy, there is an add-on for each one, and this post says which is which.

We work seven days a week from 8am to 7pm across Richmond, Midlothian, Chesterfield, Henrico, Glen Allen, Short Pump, Mechanicsville, Chester, Moseley, and Powhatan. Book online or call or text us at (804) 302-2530.

What the $195 exterior detail covers

The exterior detail is a hand wash, not a drive-through. We wash the paint, the trim, the wheels, and the tires by hand with dry-wash products, then clean the exterior glass. The job runs about 90 minutes for a sedan and a little longer for a large SUV or a pickup, at the same price.

What you get back is a clean, streak-free car with the road film, pollen, and bug splatter gone. What you do not get is a coating, a polish, or a scratch repair. Those are separate add-ons, and the next section tells you when each one earns its price.

Match the problem to the add-on

Every add-on below is booked on top of a detail. The price is the add-on alone.

• Paint looks dull or hazy, or has light swirl marks: buffing, $195. Buffing brings the gloss back on tired paint and softens light surface scratches. It is not full paint correction, which we do not offer, so a deep scratch that catches a fingernail still needs a body shop.

• Paint feels rough or gritty after a wash: clay bar exterior, $145. Clay pulls bonded grit, tree sap, and industrial fallout out of the paint so it feels smooth again and so wax can bond to a clean surface.

• You want the shine to last: exterior wax, $125. A full hand wax after the wash adds depth to the color and a layer of protection against sun and rain for the weeks ahead.

• Headlights are yellow or foggy: headlight restoration, $145. We take oxidized headlights from cloudy to clear, which helps at night and makes an older car look years newer.

If you are not sure which one you need, book the exterior detail and add a note at checkout. The technician looks at the paint when he arrives and tells you straight whether an add-on will help.

When the River City Deluxe is the better buy

If the car needs the outside and the inside done, do not stack an exterior detail on an interior detail. The Comprehensive Wash and Detail covers both for $245 in about three hours. The River City Deluxe at $395 is the full exterior treatment: the hand wash, an exterior hand wax, a tire clean, and an engine bay detail, on top of a complete interior with shampooed fabric seats and leather conditioning. That is the package for a car you are about to sell or one that has not been touched in a year.

For what is inside each interior package, read our interior detailing guide. Trucks and SUVs are covered in the truck and SUV detailing post.

How a dry wash works in your driveway

We use dry-wash products on the paint instead of a pressure washer and a bucket. The products lift dirt off the surface so it wipes away without grinding grit into the clear coat, and they are free of harsh chemicals. The only water we use goes on the tires, so there is no soapy runoff down your driveway or across a shared parking lot. That is what makes the job work at an office, an apartment complex, or a neighborhood with HOA rules about washing cars outside.

We do need two things from you: a place to park the car and access to an outdoor electrical outlet and a water spigot. We bring everything else. If you want the reasons a hand wash beats an automatic one, our post on the five benefits of handwashing your car goes through them.

What Richmond does to paint through the year

Spring is pollen season, and the yellow film that settles on every car in April holds moisture against the paint. Summer brings tree sap and bird droppings, both of which etch the clear coat if they sit for a week in the heat. Fall drops leaves and tannin stains onto hoods and roofs. Winter is road brine, which clings to the lower panels and wheel wells for months; our winter detailing post covers that one in full.

An exterior detail every season keeps all four from building up. A clay bar once a year, usually after pollen season, resets the surface. A wax after that protects it. That rhythm costs less than fixing neglected paint later.

How the visit works

Pick the exterior detail and a time on the pricing and booking page, add any add-ons, and leave a note about parking and the spigot. We come to you with the equipment and the products, work for about 90 minutes, and you get the car back clean without leaving the house. Two cars at the same address on the same day get 20% off the second one. If the weather turns, we reschedule, no charge.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an exterior car detail cost in Richmond, VA?

$195 per vehicle with SprayRVA, travel included, about 90 minutes in your driveway. Trucks and SUVs pay the same as cars. Add-ons such as wax, clay bar, buffing, and headlight restoration are priced separately.

Will washing the car in my driveway leave runoff?

No. We use dry-wash products on the paint and a small amount of water on the tires only, so there is no soapy water running into the street or across a shared lot. We need access to an outlet and a spigot.

Can an exterior detail remove scratches?

A wash cannot. Our buffing add-on, $195, restores gloss and softens light surface scratches. We do not offer paint correction, and a scratch deep enough to catch a fingernail needs a body shop.

Do you offer ceramic coating?

No. The protection we offer is an exterior hand wax, $125 as an add-on or included in the River City Deluxe package.

Can I get the inside done at the same visit?

Yes. The Comprehensive Wash and Detail at $245 covers the exterior wash and a full interior in about three hours, and the River City Deluxe at $395 is the complete job inside and out.

Book an exterior detail

An exterior detail is $195 and takes about 90 minutes at your home or office anywhere in the Richmond area. Book online or call or text SprayRVA at (804) 302-2530, seven days a week from 8am to 7pm.