What aircraft detailing actually costs — and why nobody publishes a price

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What aircraft detailing actually costs — and why nobody publishes a price

A published price list would be either useless or dishonest. Here is what actually moves the number, and how to compare quotes properly.

Why there is no price list

A price list implies the job is the same every time. It is not. The same nominal service on two aircraft of the same model can differ by a factor of three depending on condition, access and how much time you have. Anyone publishing a flat number is either quoting for the easiest possible version of the job or planning to revise it when they see the aircraft.

What actually moves the number

Six things, roughly in order of impact: surface area and airframe size; the current condition of the paint and interior; whether the work is interior, exterior or both; access, meaning hangar versus open ramp and how much staging space exists; the deadline, because a compressed window means more crew rather than less work; and whether protection or correction is involved rather than straightforward cleaning.

Condition matters more than size

This is the part most people underestimate. A neglected light jet interior can take longer than a well-maintained large-cabin one. Carpet that has never been extracted, leather that has been over-conditioned by a previous vendor, and exhaust staining that has been left to etch all add hours that have nothing to do with the aircraft's dimensions.

How to compare two quotes

Compare scope, not totals. Ask what is excluded. Ask whether belly, gear and wheel wells are in or out. Ask whether the quote assumes hangar access. Ask what happens if the crew arrives and the condition is worse than described. A cheaper quote that excludes half the aircraft is not cheaper.

The rush premium is real and it should be explained

After-hours and same-day work costs more because it means calling a crew in outside normal scheduling. That is legitimate. What is not legitimate is a surcharge that appears on the invoice without having been quoted. Ask up front.

What we do

We quote against a written scope with exclusions stated plainly, and nothing appears on the invoice that was not on the quote. If your window is too tight to do the work properly, we tell you before you commit rather than after.

Something here apply to your aircraft?

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and the deadline.

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