Exterior Detailing in Jackson, WY

Jackson Hole's natural beauty comes with a harsh environment for vehicle paint. Understanding these threats helps you make informed decisions about exterior care:

• Magnesium chloride & road salt: Applied October through April, these chemicals are highly corrosive. They attack clear coat, paint, and metal trim. Without regular removal, salt accelerates paint failure and rust formation.
• UV radiation: At 6,200+ feet elevation, UV intensity is roughly 25% higher than at sea level. This accelerates paint oxidation, clear coat failure, and trim fading: especially on red, black, and dark-colored vehicles.
• Gravel and road debris: Teton Pass, Highway 22 construction, and unpaved county roads deliver constant chip and scratch hazards.
• Tree sap and pollen: Cottonwood sap in summer bonds aggressively to paint if not removed quickly. Pine pitch from mountain parking areas is equally damaging.
• Bird droppings and bug splatter: Both are acidic and etch paint if left for more than 24-48 hours in warm weather.

Our exterior detailing process is specifically designed to address each of these Jackson Hole hazards.

Exterior Hand Wash: $250

• Careful exterior hand wash and dry in our studio
• Not a drive-through or brush wash
• Flat price for any vehicle size

Wash and Wax (6-month protection): from $300

• Hand wash and paint decontamination
• 6-month protective wax on paint and plastics
• Medium/2-row $300 · Large/3-row $350

Paint correction and coating

• 1-step paint correction from $515, 2-step from $1,050, 3-step from $2,100
• 1-year ceramic coating from $425, 3-year from $895
• Sap removal add-on: $165 / $225 / $295 by vehicle size

See our full exterior detailing service page for everything included, or more on our hand wash: car wash and detail in Jackson. Book online or call (307) 730-0512.

If you run your hand across your car's paint and it feels rough or gritty, that's surface contamination: embedded particles of iron, brake dust, industrial fallout, and road grime that washing alone cannot remove.

In Jackson Hole, paint contamination accumulates faster than in most environments due to:

• Iron particles from brake dust: steep descents on Teton Pass and Snow King generate significant brake dust that bonds to paint
• Industrial fallout from road treatments: chemical compounds in road salt adhere to paint at a molecular level
• Mineral deposits from hard water: Jackson's water supply can leave mineral spots if the vehicle dries in sunlight

Our decontamination process uses iron-dissolving chemical treatments followed by a clay bar treatment that physically removes embedded particles. The result is glass-smooth paint that's properly prepared for polishing and protection. You'll feel the difference immediately.

We recommend paint decontamination at least twice per year: once in spring (to remove winter's accumulated contamination) and once in fall (to prepare for winter protection).

Smart vehicle care in Jackson Hole follows the seasons. Here's our recommended year-round exterior protection schedule:

Spring (April-May): Full decontamination wash + clay bar + sealant application. This is the most important detail of the year: it removes winter's accumulated salt and chemical damage and applies fresh protection for summer.

Summer (June-August): Monthly maintenance washes to remove sap, bugs, and dust. Touch up sealant as needed. This is also prime time for ceramic coating installation when curing conditions are ideal.

Fall (September-October): Pre-winter detail with heavy-duty sealant or ceramic boost. Apply undercarriage sealant before salt season begins. This is your last chance to protect paint before 6 months of road salt exposure.

Winter (November-March): Regular touchless or hand rinse washes every 2-3 weeks to remove salt accumulation. Avoid automatic brush washes that grind salt into paint. Focus on undercarriage rinse to prevent corrosion.

We offer seasonal maintenance packages that bundle these services at a discount. Ask about our annual care plans.

If you're comparing exterior detailing in Jackson, WY, here's what the job actually involves and what changes the time and price.

What's included: Every exterior detail starts with a hand wash and dry, then moves into decontamination (an iron-dissolving treatment and clay bar) to lift embedded brake dust and road grime before any polishing or protection goes on. From there you can stop at a Wash and Wax, or step up to paint correction and a ceramic coating depending on your paint's condition and how long you want the protection to last.

How long it takes: An Exterior Hand Wash is usually done within the day. A Wash and Wax takes longer because of the decontamination step and wax cure time. Paint correction and coating work take the longest, since correction is done in stages and a ceramic coating needs a clean, controlled cure.

What affects price and time: Vehicle size (medium/2-row vs. large/3-row), how much road salt, sap, or contamination has built up since your last detail, and whether you're adding paint correction or a ceramic coating on top of the wash and wax. We inspect the paint before quoting so you're not paying for correction you don't need.