The Short Answer
Almost nothing: pull personal items and valuables out of the car — including the trunk and glovebox — and park where the detailer can open every door fully. You do not need to provide water or power; we bring our own water and our own power to every job, driveway or office lot.
Tell us about stains, odors, or damage upfront, and be reachable by phone during the appointment. That's the whole list.
The 5-Minute Checklist
Remove personal items from the cabin: sunglasses, chargers, paperwork, loose change, kids' toys. The tech needs every surface and compartment accessible, and time spent working around your belongings is time not spent cleaning.
Empty the trunk if it's part of the service, and clear the glovebox and center console. Valuables should come inside the house — not because detailers are a risk (ours are background-checked), but because it removes any question before it can exist.
Child seats: if they can come out easily, take them out — the seat and the area beneath it both get cleaned better. If they're a wrestling match to remove, leave them; just mention it so the tech plans around them.
Parking and Access
Park where all four doors plus the trunk can open fully. A detailer needs to work around the entire car — vacuuming, extraction, and paint work all require walking the perimeter with equipment. A tight garage spot with six inches of clearance on each side doesn't work; the driveway or a parking lot space does.
If you're in a gated community or an apartment garage, share the gate code or access instructions when you book, not when the tech is idling at the entrance. For office lots, make sure the car will be there for the full appointment window and that the lot allows service work.
Shade is a bonus, not a requirement. Pros work around sun position all day in Texas; if you have a shaded spot available, mention it, but don't stress about it.
Water and Power: Ours, Not Yours
You do not need a hose, an outdoor spigot, or an extension cord. A real mobile detailing operation carries its own water supply and its own power to every single job. Driveway, office lot, apartment garage: if the car is there, the detail happens there.
This is actually a useful vetting question if you're comparing companies. "Do I need to provide water or electricity?" should get an immediate no. A detailer who needs your hose and your outlets isn't running a mobile operation — you're hosting their car wash.
The one utility that helps, if you have it: Wi-Fi isn't needed, bathrooms aren't expected, and you don't need to be home at all — as long as the car is accessible and you're reachable by phone.
What NOT to Do
Don't pre-wash the car. It seems helpful; it isn't. A partial wash leaves water spots and soap film the tech has to undo, and it doesn't save meaningful time. Show up dirty — that's literally the job.
Don't apply tire shine, air fresheners, or any "quick fix" products beforehand. Layering consumer products over problems just gives the detailer more to strip off before doing the real work.
And don't hover. A quick walkaround at the start to point out stains, scratches, and concerns is perfect — that two-minute conversation prevents most misunderstandings. Then let the tech work. Mid-job "help" and running commentary slow everything down; the final walkaround is where you inspect together.
Day-Of: The Walkaround
Every appointment should start and end with a two-minute walkaround. At the start: point out what bothers you most — the stain, the smell, the scratch — and mention anything the tech should know (a fragile trim piece, a door that sticks). This is also when the firm quote is confirmed, before any work begins.
At the end: walk the car together. Check the areas you cared about, look at the glass in direct light, and speak up about anything missed while the equipment is still out. Fixing a spot takes two minutes on the spot and a return trip later.
Then you're done. The car stays in your driveway the whole time, you never arranged a ride, and the dirtiest part of your day was a five-minute tidy of the glovebox.