Pricing · Palm Beach & Broward County
What it costs, before you call.
Our rates are at the top of the Palm Beach market, and we publish them anyway. Boats are priced per linear foot. Condition decides how many correction steps a hull needs, and that is the honest reason two 40-footers quote differently.
Zea Detailing charges $10 per foot for a fresh-water boat wash, $30 per foot for a wash and wax, $20 per foot topsides and $15 per foot hull sides for each step of gelcoat correction, and from $250 per foot for a ceramic coating with the full correction included. Mobile across Palm Beach and Broward County, at your dock, marina, dry stack, or driveway.
Boat rates
Per linear foot, starting at
Fresh-water wash
$10per foot
The recurring washdown that keeps salt from ever setting. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
- Fresh-water wash of all exterior surfaces
- Chamois dry — no water spots on glass or metals
- Non-skid and SeaDek scrubbed
- Stainless and glass wiped spot-free
- Condition check on upholstery and metals
Wash and wax
$30per foot
A full washdown plus hand-applied protection. The reset between corrections.
- Everything in the fresh-water wash
- Hand-applied marine wax or sealant on topsides
- Metals polished and protected
- Waterline attention
Gelcoat correction — topsides
$20per foot · per step
Machine compounding and polishing above the rubrail. Most boats need two to three steps.
- Decontamination before any pad touches the hull
- One machine stage: cut, refine, or finish
- Verified under inspection light before the next step
- Protection stage on the final pass
Gelcoat correction — hull sides
$15per foot · per step
The same staged work below the rubrail, where oxidation and waterline staining live.
- Waterline and boot-stripe attention
- One machine stage: cut, refine, or finish
- Dock rash and light scuffing reduced
- Protection stage on the final pass
Ceramic coating — correction included
$250per foot
The complete job: decontamination, full multi-stage correction, then the coating cured over a finish that is actually ready for it.
- Full decontamination and clay treatment
- Multi-stage machine correction — however many steps the hull needs
- Professional marine ceramic system, applied panel by panel
- Metals, glass, and hardware coated on request
- Cure guidance and a written maintenance method
Read this before you compare quotes
What a “step” is, and why it decides your price
A step is one machine pass over the entire surface with a specific pad and compound. Heavy oxidation gets a cutting stage. The cut leaves haze, so a refining stage clears it. A finishing stage brings the gloss. A lightly hazed hull may need one step. A hull that chalks white on your fingertip usually needs three.
That is why we price correction per step rather than quoting a single number sight unseen. At $20 topsides and $15 hull sides, one step on a 42-foot boat is $1,470. Two steps is $2,940. You are paying for passes over your gelcoat, not for a guess.
It also means a detailer quoting “$25 a foot for compounding” is either doing one pass and calling it a correction, or has not looked at your hull yet. Ask any quote two questions: how many stages are included, and what protection goes on at the end.
Real numbers
What that looks like on your boat
Starting figures at our published rates. Correction assumes the stated number of steps; we confirm the count after seeing the hull.
| Boat | Wash | Wash + wax | 2-step correction | 3-step correction | Ceramic (all in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 ftBay boat / small center console | $240 | $720 | $1,680 | $2,520 | $6,000 |
| 34 ftCenter console | $340 | $1,020 | $2,380 | $3,570 | $8,500 |
| 42 ftSportfish / express | $420 | $1,260 | $2,940 | $4,410 | $10,500 |
| 50 ftMotor yacht | $500 | $1,500 | $3,500 | $5,250 | $12,500 |
| 65 ftFlybridge yacht | $650 | $1,950 | $4,550 | $6,825 | $16,250 |
Prices are starting rates for boats in normal condition with reasonable access. Heavy oxidation, restricted marina wash water, or a hull that has to be worked from a dinghy can move the number, and we say so before we start.
Cars
Priced per vehicle, not per foot
Cars are priced per vehicle, not per foot. Paint correction and ceramic coating depend on the panel count, the paint's condition, and how far the finish has to come back. Send the model and a few daylight photos and you'll have a firm number.
Why we publish these
We are not the cheapest, and we would rather you knew now
Most detailers on this coast will not put a number on a page. We would rather you see ours, decide whether it fits, and only call if it does. Nobody’s time gets wasted, and you are never surprised on the day.
Ivan has been doing this for 10 years on the same stretch of water, with a 5.0 rating across 12 Google reviews and clients who have been on the same washdown schedule for three seasons. The rates above are what that costs.
Pricing FAQ
Straight answers about the number
How much does it cost to detail a 34-foot boat?
At our published rates a 34-foot center console is $340 for a fresh-water wash, $1,020 for a wash and wax, and about $2,380 for a two-step gelcoat correction. A full ceramic package with the correction included starts at $8,500. Condition decides how many correction steps the hull actually needs.
Why is your ceramic coating more than a $70-per-foot quote elsewhere?
Because that quote is usually the coating alone, sprayed over whatever is already on the hull. Ours includes the full decontamination and multi-stage correction underneath it. A coating locks in the surface it cures on, so paying less for the coating and skipping the correction preserves the oxidation permanently.
What is a 'step' in gelcoat correction?
One machine pass over the whole surface with a specific pad and compound: a cutting stage to remove oxidation, a refining stage to clear the haze it leaves, and a finishing stage for gloss. A lightly hazed hull may need one. A chalky hull usually needs three. That is the single biggest reason two boats the same length quote differently.
Are these prices fixed?
They are starting rates, and they hold for boats in normal condition with reasonable access. Heavy oxidation, a boat that has to be worked from a dinghy, or a marina that restricts wash water can move the number. We tell you before we start, never after the invoice.
Do you charge per foot for cars too?
Cars are priced per vehicle, not per foot. Paint correction and ceramic coating depend on the panel count, the paint's condition, and how far the finish has to come back. Send the model and a few daylight photos and you'll have a firm number.
Do you price recurring washes monthly?
Most maintenance clients settle into a flat monthly number once we have seen the boat and the dock. The per-foot wash rate is the starting point; cadence, access, and whether the hull is coated decide the final figure.
Know the rate? Get the number.
Length, condition, and a few photos — a firm quote comes back within one business day.