Auto Detailing Intake Forms & Client Questionnaires

The customer who drops off a 2024 BMW M4 for a full paint correction and ceramic coating is a completely different job than the minivan owner who just needs the Cheerios vacuumed out of the car seats before selling it on CarMax. Both are "detailing" appointments, but one is a $1,500 multi-day project involving paint depth gauge readings and infrared curing, and the other is a $200 interior detail you can knock out in two hours. If your booking process does not distinguish between these two jobs at intake, you are either over-scheduling your bay time or under-quoting your paint correction work — and both cost you money.

The Auto Detailing intake form captures what your shop actually needs to price and schedule the job. Vehicle information — year, make, model, color, body style (sedan, SUV, truck, van, coupe, convertible), and whether the vehicle has a wrap, PPF (paint protection film), or ceramic coating already applied. It records the service requested: basic wash, exterior detail, interior detail, full detail, paint correction (single-stage or multi-stage), ceramic coating application, headlight restoration, engine bay cleaning, and odor elimination. Each service tier changes the time, products, and bay allocation, and capturing this at booking prevents the surprises that wreck your daily schedule.

Paint Condition Assessment

Paint correction work requires a condition assessment before you commit to a price. The form captures existing paint defects: swirl marks, scratches (light, moderate, deep), oxidation, water spots (mineral etching), bird dropping etching, tree sap damage, overspray from nearby painting or construction, clear coat failure, and orange peel. It records whether the vehicle has been previously polished or detailed, and if so, how recently — because a car that has been machine polished six times has less clear coat remaining than one that has never been corrected, and you need to know that before you put a rotary buffer on it.

For ceramic coating appointments, the form captures the current state of any existing coating: brand, age, whether it is failing (beading has stopped, water sheeting has changed), and whether the customer wants a full strip and reapply or a maintenance coat on top. It also records whether the vehicle has PPF on the hood, fenders, or bumper, because coating over film requires different surface preparation than coating over factory paint.

Interior Condition and Special Concerns

Interior detailing surprises are what turn a profitable day into an unprofitable one. The form captures interior specifics: seat material (leather, vinyl, cloth, Alcantara, suede), floor covering (carpet, rubber, WeatherTech liners), headliner material, and whether the vehicle has aftermarket accessories that affect cleaning (seat covers, steering wheel wraps, dashboard cameras). It asks about specific stains — food and drink spills, pet hair and dander, smoke odor (cigarette, cigar, cannabis), vomit, ink, grease, and dye transfer from clothing. Smoke remediation alone can add hours and ozone treatment to the job; discovering it at drop-off instead of at booking is a scheduling disaster.

Intake vs. Client Questionnaire

The intake form is your internal shop document. Your service writer fills it out at vehicle drop-off during the walkaround inspection. It includes a condition checklist, pre-existing damage documentation (dents, chips, scratches noted before work begins), photos reference section, and work authorization. The companion client questionnaire is what you email or text to the customer when they book online. It asks them to describe the vehicle, note any specific concerns, confirm their desired service level, and indicate any allergies to detailing chemicals (some customers react to certain interior fragrances or solvent-based cleaners). Getting this before drop-off means your detailer has the right products staged and the correct time block allocated.

Pricing

Each form is $12.99 for the complete set (intake + questionnaire), $9.99 for intake only, or $6.99 for questionnaire only. All PDFs are fillable in Adobe Reader and password-protected against editing.

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