Boat Detailing Cost Calculator
Boat detailing is priced per foot or per metre, and the biggest variable is how oxidised the gelcoat has become. This calculator estimates the cost by vessel size, condition and what you want treated.
Detailers commonly quote per foot in Australia. This converts to a per metre equivalent.
Oxidation is the single biggest driver of labour hours.
Ask whether the quote covers topsides only or includes the superstructure, hardtop and non skid decks. Non skid is slow work because it cannot be machine polished the way smooth gelcoat can, and it is the most commonly excluded surface in a cheap per foot quote.
💰 Ways to save
- Detail on a maintenance cycle rather than a rescue cycle. A boat washed after every use and polished once a year stays in the good condition band, where a detail costs a fraction of what it costs to bring back a chalky hull. The economics are stark: a maintenance polish on a well kept 8 metre vessel might be $700 to $1,000, while restoring the same boat after three neglected summers in the Australian sun commonly runs $2,500 to $4,000 and consumes gelcoat you cannot get back.
- Bundle the underwater work into an existing haul out. If the boat is already coming out for antifouling, anode replacement or a survey, adding hull cleaning and prep to that window avoids paying separate lift, wash and hardstand charges. Those yard costs are frequently larger than the detailing labour itself, so aligning the two bookings is usually the single biggest saving available on any job involving the underwater hull.
- Get the quote in writing with the surfaces named, not just a per foot rate. Per foot pricing is a starting point that assumes average condition and smooth topsides, and the disputes always come from what was assumed: whether the flybridge, hardtop, non skid decks, transom, swim platform and cockpit are included, whether interior work is in scope, and whether stainless and canvas are extra. A quote that names the surfaces is comparable, one that quotes a rate per foot is not.
- Protect the finish afterwards so the spend lasts. A quality wax gives roughly three to six months in Australian conditions, a polymer sealant six to twelve, and a properly applied ceramic coating two to five years. Add a fitted cover or covered berth if you can, because ultraviolet exposure is what destroys gelcoat and upholstery, and the cost of covering a boat is repaid many times over in deferred restoration work.
How we estimate this
## What boat detailing costs in Australia in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
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Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding boat detailing costs in Australia
What boat detailing costs in Australia in 2026
Boat detailing is priced per foot or per metre of length, and that rate is then adjusted for condition and scope. As a 2026 Australian benchmark, a basic exterior wash and dry runs roughly $8 to $15 per foot, so a 25 foot trailer boat is around $200 to $375 and a 40 foot cruiser around $320 to $600. A full detail with a machine cut and polish of the topsides typically runs $25 to $45 per foot, putting a 25 footer at $625 to $1,125 and a 40 footer at $1,000 to $1,800. Ceramic coating applied over properly corrected gelcoat adds roughly $40 to $80 per foot. Interior deep cleaning is usually quoted per job at $350 to $900 depending on cabin size and how much soft furnishing is involved. Regional and remote work carries a travel premium, and marina based mobile work sits slightly above shop based work because of access and setup time.
Oxidation is the real price driver
The number that moves a boat detailing quote most is not length, it is the condition of the gelcoat. Gelcoat is a pigmented resin surface layer, and under Australian ultraviolet exposure it oxidises: the surface breaks down, loses gloss, and eventually goes chalky enough to leave residue on your hand. Restoring it means abrading the dead layer away with a compound and then refining the finish through progressively finer polishes. A well maintained hull needs one light polishing stage. A moderately oxidised hull needs a compound followed by a polish. A severely oxidised hull may need heavy compounding, two refinement stages, and still not come all the way back. Each stage is a full pass over the entire surface by hand held machine, so labour multiplies rather than adds. This is also why the honest advice on a badly neglected boat is sometimes that a repaint is the better spend, since gelcoat is finite and can only be cut back so many times before you are through it.
What is included, and what usually is not
Per foot quotes conventionally cover the topsides, meaning the smooth painted or gelcoated hull sides above the waterline, plus the transom. Everything else varies by detailer. Non skid deck surfaces are frequently excluded or charged extra because the textured finish cannot be machine polished and has to be scrubbed and treated by hand, which is slow. Flybridges, hardtops and superstructure add substantial surface area on a larger vessel. Stainless steel rails, cleats and fittings need separate polishing and passivation to deal with tea staining, which is the brown surface discolouration that appears on marine stainless in saltwater. Isinglass and clear vinyl enclosures need specific products, since ordinary cleaners craze them permanently. Canvas, upholstery and teak are each separate line items. The underwater hull is a different job entirely and depends on the boat being lifted or a diver being engaged.
Coatings and how long each lasts
Protection after correction is where the money either lasts or does not. Traditional carnauba based waxes are cheap, easy to apply and give around three to six months in Australian sun and salt. Polymer sealants last six to twelve months and cost modestly more. Ceramic coatings, which are silica based and cure to a hard sacrificial layer, are the premium option at $40 to $80 per foot and typically last two to five years depending on product, application quality and how the boat is stored and used. The critical caveat is that a coating locks in whatever is underneath. Applying ceramic over oxidised gelcoat seals the dullness in for years and wastes the coating entirely, so correction and coating must be bought as a package. Ask what preparation is included, how many correction stages, and what the warranty on the coating actually covers, because most coating warranties are conditional on periodic maintenance washes.
Underwater hull, antifouling and yard charges
Anything below the waterline brings the yard into the equation. Cleaning growth off a hull either requires a commercial diver working in the water, which many marinas restrict or prohibit because of biosecurity and environmental rules on releasing biofouling, or requires the vessel to be lifted. Lift and relaunch on a mid size vessel commonly costs $400 to $1,200, a pressure wash to clear growth adds $150 to $400, and hardstand accrues per day. Those charges belong to the yard, not the detailer, and they are usually the largest single component of any underwater job. If the boat is coming out anyway for antifouling or a survey, folding hull cleaning and prep into that same window is the most effective saving available. Antifouling itself is a separate trade service, typically quoted per square metre of wetted surface plus paint, and should not be assumed to be part of a detailing quote.
Choosing a detailer and protecting the result
Look for a detailer who works on boats specifically rather than a car detailer expanding sideways, because gelcoat behaves differently to automotive clearcoat and the products and machine speeds are not interchangeable. Ask for photographs of comparable work, check they carry public liability insurance and are approved to work at your marina, and confirm shore power and fresh water access at your berth. Afterwards, the way to make the spend last is unremarkable but effective: rinse the boat with fresh water after every saltwater outing, wash with a marine specific pH neutral soap rather than dish detergent, keep a fitted cover on it, and berth undercover if the option exists. Ultraviolet exposure is what destroys both gelcoat and upholstery, and shade is the cheapest protection money buys.
Next steps
Use the estimate above as a bracket, then ask two detailers to quote in writing against a named list of surfaces, with a test patch on the worst area first. If underwater work is involved, get the yard's quote separately.
Frequently asked questions
How much does boat detailing cost in Australia?
In 2026, a basic exterior wash and dry runs about $8 to $15 per foot, and a full detail with machine cut and polish $25 to $45 per foot. That puts a 25 foot trailer boat at roughly $625 to $1,125 for a full detail and a 40 foot cruiser at $1,000 to $1,800. Ceramic coating adds $40 to $80 per foot, and interior deep cleaning is usually $350 to $900 per job.
Why do quotes vary so much for the same size boat?
Because gelcoat condition drives labour more than length does. A maintained hull needs one light polishing pass, a moderately oxidised hull needs a compound plus a polish, and a severely oxidised hull needs heavy compounding plus two refinement stages. Each stage is a complete pass over the whole surface, so the hours multiply rather than add. Scope also varies, since non skid decks, flybridges, stainless and canvas are often excluded from a headline per foot rate.
How long does a ceramic coating last on a boat?
Typically two to five years depending on the product, the quality of application, and how the boat is stored and used, compared with three to six months for a carnauba wax and six to twelve months for a polymer sealant. The coating only performs if the gelcoat is properly corrected first, because applying it over oxidation seals the dullness in. Most coating warranties are also conditional on periodic maintenance washes.
Is underwater hull cleaning included in a detail?
No, it is a separate job that requires either a diver or the vessel to be lifted, and marinas increasingly restrict in water cleaning for biosecurity and environmental reasons. Lift and relaunch commonly costs $400 to $1,200 on a mid size vessel, plus $150 to $400 for a pressure wash and a daily hardstand fee, all billed by the yard rather than the detailer. Fold it into an existing antifouling or survey haul out to avoid paying those charges twice.
Can badly oxidised gelcoat always be restored?
Not always. Gelcoat is a thin finite layer, and if it has already been heavily compounded once or twice there may not be enough left to cut again without going through to the laminate. A competent detailer will do a test patch on the worst area first and tell you honestly whether the result justifies the spend or whether a repaint is the better option.
How often should a boat be detailed?
Rinse with fresh water after every saltwater outing, wash with a marine specific pH neutral soap monthly, and polish once a year to stay in the maintained band. That cycle keeps an annual detail at $700 to $1,000 on a typical 8 metre vessel, whereas letting it go for three summers in Australian sun commonly turns the same job into a $2,500 to $4,000 restoration that permanently consumes gelcoat.
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