- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Burnaby business licence (~$100+/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($150–$400+ per vehicle, ceramic and paint correction from $600–$2,000+)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Burnaby
Every city rewards a different kind of mobile detailing business — here's what Burnaby specifically pays for. Burnaby's tower boom created thousands of parkade-parked cars around Brentwood and Metrotown, while its family neighbourhoods hold the SUVs and minivans that buy interior rescues — two clean segments, one tight service area.
Why Burnaby specifically
Where the work is: Partner with Burnaby dealerships for overflow and delivery-prep detailing. Neighbourhoods like Brentwood, Metrotown, Burnaby Heights each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
Startup costs in Burnaby
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Burnaby business licence | ~$100+/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $2,000–$6,000 (pressure washer, extractor, polisher, water/power setup) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Burnaby. Burnaby issues home-occupation licences for service businesses; if you also work regularly in Vancouver or Surrey, the Metro West inter-municipal licence ($300/yr) can replace buying separate city licences.
Realistic earnings
Around Metro Vancouver, $150–$400+ per vehicle, ceramic and paint correction from $600–$2,000+ is the going range. Keep the calendar full and $4,000–$9,000+ per month solo is achievable solo — though your niche, service area, and how professional you look all move the number. No certification required; water discharge rules vary by municipality.
Let's name it
Before the tactics, the mindset blocker worth naming out loud. “What if I damage a customer's paint, or a ceramic job doesn't hold?” A pre-work condition report with photos, a waiver, and insurance make disputes short — Prontco launches include the paperwork done properly.
Talk it through on a free callMobile Detailing Pricing Calculator
Work out what to charge before you quote your first job in Burnaby. Set the job size, condition and the hourly rate you need to earn, and get a defensible number in seconds.
Open the calculator →Your first clients in Burnaby — the mobile detailing playbook
- Run building-by-building detail days in new Brentwood towers — post in the building's resident group first.
- Sell 'family car reset' interior packages in the Heights and Deer Lake — kid-wrecked interiors are the steady seller.
- Partner with Burnaby dealerships for overflow and delivery-prep detailing.
The shortcut
Every step above is DIY-able if you have the evenings to spare. The alternative: Prontco builds it all in roughly 10 business days — Burnaby licence filed, brand and website live, booking and payments connected, books set up — then stays with you for 30 days of launch support. From $997, and you own everything.
Related guides
How to start a mobile detailing business in BC · How to start a business in Burnaby · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists