How we chose
We started from the twenty-odd car detailing firms Google Maps shows across Telford. Trade standing was sourced from the trade association directory and the motor industry register, each firm's own website and review platforms [1] [2]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place. Nine firms met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score, then trade standing, then trading history and whether cover is stated, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated early September 2026.
How to hire
Start by naming the job in the detailer's own language. A valet means cleaning inside and out; a detail adds decontamination and protection; paint correction means machine polishing out swirls and scratches in one or more stages; ceramic coating seals the corrected paint; tinting darkens glass with film. Say which of these you want, plus your car's size and condition, and send the same description to every firm so the quotes come back comparable.
Car detailing has no mandatory licence, so the checks are ones you run yourself. Search the trade association directory for the business name: listed members have had their insurance checked, and assessed members have passed theory and practical assessment [1]. For tinting firms, ask whether technicians hold motor industry accreditation and look the name up on the professional register [2]. Ask for membership details in writing rather than taking a logo at face value.
If the job involves front glass, know the legal limits before you agree a shade. Cars first used since 1985 must let at least 75% of light through the windscreen and 70% through the front side windows, with no limits on rear glass, and the police and vehicle examiners measure tints at the roadside [3]. Film that is too dark brings a prohibition notice or a penalty, and it counts as a modification, so tell your insurer before the work is done [3].
Get an itemised written quote that separates labour, materials and VAT and names the package, the correction stages and hours, the coating brand and its stated durability, any add-ons such as engine bay or roof work, the start date, how long the car is kept, how you get the car back, and what changes the price if the paint proves worse than expected. For mobile work the quote should say what the detailer needs from you: driveway space, water, power and a weather plan [4] [5].
Ask for insurance cover in writing and check a limited company's record on the public register, where you can see its status, age and registered office [6]. Agree who moves the car and holds the keys, and for studio work confirm the address, opening hours and how you get home while a coating cures. Keep the exchange in messages or email you can refer back to.
At handover, collect an itemised invoice, the coating maker's aftercare sheet and any durability statement in the firm's own terms. A deposit for materials is normal while full payment before completion is not, and you should never feel rushed to pay before inspecting the car in daylight. If the finish falls short of the written scope, raise it straight away and keep every message until it is put right [7].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough UK ranges run like this: a basic exterior wash £15–£30, a mini valet from around £55, and a full interior-and-exterior valet £90–£140 depending on vehicle size [4]. Telford firms with published menus sit inside those bands: JT Detailed Valeting lists cleans from £30 to deep cleans up to £180, and Poison Ivy Autocare lists a £45 safe wash. Treat national figures as context and Telford quotes as the answer.
Step up to detailing and the bands widen: a full detail £150–£250, paint correction £150–£400 as a standalone service, and ceramic coating £300–£800 or more professionally applied, with premium packages combining correction and coating reaching £800–£1,500 and beyond [4]. Poison Ivy's published menu tops out at a £700 ceramic coating with two-stage correction, which shows where a priced Telford studio lands.
Size moves the price most: a large SUV typically costs a fifth to two-fifths more than a small hatchback for the same valet [4]. Paint condition and correction stages come next, then add-ons such as engine bays, fabric roofs and headlight restoration, and whether the work happens mobile or in a studio. City price guides list vehicle size, correction stages and coating extras among the standard price drivers [5].
Ask whether VAT is included or added on top, since published ranges usually exclude it [4]. Firms in this round mostly quote rather than publish rates, so treat any single fixed price for correction or coating with no stages, hours or products named as a question, not an answer. Get the scope, the price and any durability statement in writing before work starts, and keep every quote, invoice and aftercare sheet together [7].
Red flags
Quotes paint correction or a ceramic coating without seeing the car or asking for photos of the paintwork.
Offers front window tints darker than the legal limits with no mention of the roadside rules [3].
Will not name its insurer or put cover in writing when asked.
Gives one fixed price for correction or coating with no stages, hours, products or VAT position [4].
Asks for full payment in cash before starting, with no written quote or terms [7].
Gives no business name, address or reachable contact route on its paperwork or messages.
Promises a coating will last for years without naming the product or providing the maker's aftercare in writing.
The bottom line
For most Telford drivers, start with Autogleam: a proper correction and coating studio with stated trade membership and insurance behind it. If published prices matter more to you, Poison Ivy shows every rate and duration up front, so send both firms the same job description and compare the two replies side by side.
Match the firm to the job otherwise: UK Auto Pro or Autoshine for tinting and film, JT Detailed Valeting for a mobile valet at your door, ICC for a drive-in wash with no booking. Then get two itemised quotes on the same written scope, check insurance and company detail before you agree anything, and keep every quote and receipt together.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.