Start a new career.

So you want to start a career in detailing and valeting?

A career in detailing and valeting can be extremely rewarding. As an independent detailer, you can look to set your own hours, have the freedom to express your talent in a marketplace that appreciates the results, and expand a hobby or interest in vehicles into a profitable business that you can either grow into an empire, or allow to tick over and support you financially.

The phrase we hear most when people, just like you, approach us for a friendly chat is;

“I want to learn how to clean and polish cars”

That’s only around 60% of the job though. To run a successful business, you need to know much more than just the day-to-day labour requirements of “how to detail”. Insurances, regulations, safety – both for you and your customers, problem-solving, and management skills – for accountancy, customers, and business…

There’s a lot to take on when starting from scratch, and some can find it overwhelming when starting a detailing business.

Our Courses

UK Detailing Academy’s career courses are designed to help you cope with the whole business, not just the fun part. Everyone teaching here has started and run various businesses in the industry for a collective 40+ years, so we know what you’ll experience, what challenges you’ll face, and what you will need to know to grow. More info

Our courses are designed to deliver the whole package, and with fully illustrated guidebooks and ongoing support when you need it you’ll have everything you’ll need to grow a sustainable and successful detailing business from the ground up, and a resource to turn to when you need help.

What are my next steps?

These started before you even came to this page. You’ve decided you want a change. A career. A step up from a passion into an income. Truthfully though, apart from assessing the financial viability for yourself, you shouldn’t do anything significant until you come on our Level 1 course. This is the point you stop thinking and start making it a reality.

Whilst you’re with us, you’ll develop your business model, work out your target market, hone your brand and work out details such as pricing structures and delivery methods. You’ll have some coursework to do to help you refine it further and by the time you take your Level 1 exam, you’ll be ready to go, confident in your new skills and settled in a flexible business model you can adapt to your market. More Info…

What assistance do you offer?

We’re always on the end of the phone, or on email, or messenger to help with queries on anything you’ve learnt or need advice on. We can point you in the right direction for suppliers, insurers, business assistance or association memberships. We recognise that not everything will be second nature for a good few years – hence why we break our courses up into modules and refuse to offer one-week “master” courses.

There’s no time limit on our help, and if we don’t know the answer to something we know somebody who will – the benefit of so many years in the industry means our network is pretty vast. Our resources section is open to all to give you tips, information and tools to try new things and expand your business further.

That’s us. UK Detailing Academy. We’ve been here since 2016 here to help bring new businesses into this constant growth industry, and we want to help you achieve your goals the same way we help every candidate through our doors.

Need to know more? Give us a call and we’ll be happy to talk through any aspect of our courses, with zero obligation, and honest unbiased advice.

Our Latest Courses

Gift Card

Treat the car enthusiast in your life to the ultimate treat! This gift card offers access to a comprehensive range of specialist detailing courses exclusively available with UK Detailing Academy, allowing them to book at…

Gift this course

This product has been automatically created by the plugin YITH Gift Cards.You must not edit it, or the plugin could not work properly. The main functionality of this product is to be used for the…

The Friday Sessions

The Friday Sessions are a monthly event offering you a free learning opportunity. We've created these as a session for 10-20 people, sometimes hosted by ourselves, sometimes joined by special guests we have lined up,…

Detailing 101 Group

The perfect day for enthusiast detailers to learn. A bespoke course tailored for car care enthusiasts deeply committed to maintaining their treasured vehicles in optimal cosmetic condition and seeking to expand their expertise in…

Introduction to Machine Polishing Group

Develop your machine polishing skills. Tailored for individuals keen on starting to use a machine polisher, our one-day Introduction to Machine Polishing for Professionals course serves as an ideal entry point to familiarise…

Advanced Interior Cleaning

Become an Interior Master. Interior valeting is often dismissed as "simple," yet it is an indispensable skill for any detailer to master. The disparity between an acceptable job and an exceptional one can be…

Flexxperts Academy - Individual course

Expert detailer training from FLEX, One-to-One. Welcome to the Flexxperts Academy "All-In" Training seminar, a personalized and intensive course designed to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge, skills, and techniques essential for maximizing the performance…

TCB Exclusive - Preparation &...

Exclusive for TCB Members Join our exclusive one-day enthusiast course tailored for TCB members, who wish to learn the process behind ceramic coating their own vehicles. Running live through a correct decontamination process, light…

Colourlock Leather Repair - Group

Offer your customers an in-demand service with leather repair Leather repair stands as one of the most in-demand additional services requested by detailing customers. With over 53% of new cars equipped with leather or…

IDA Assessment

International Detailing Association membership comes in three phases. The first phase is a basic Operator membership - which is a signup via the IDA website and an annual fee of $110. This can then immediately…

First Aid at Work.

Learn a skill for life. In association with Cotswold First Aid we have put together a 1-day, OFQUAL regulated, Emergency First Aid At Work course, with a focus on Detailers, detailing, and the issues…

Health & Safety for Detailing...

Stay compliant and legal in business. A one-day, classroom-based course, Health & Safety for Detailing Businesses is a professional education day for owner-operators and small businesses alike, to learn about health and safety requirements…

Berts Bash

This is a new event

2020-09-14

PVD Accredited

Lasts 1 day The Professional Valeters and Detailers trade association has, since 2013, promoted the values of its members as a professional body for the car care industry. Its moniker: “Skilled, Proven and Insured”, was…

2020-03-06

Introduction to Machine Polishing -...

Lasts 2 days. Machine Polishing Course (Introductory) Our introduction to machine polishing for professionals course is ideal for those professionals who have never needed to pick up a machine before, or have perhaps restricted themselves…

2020-03-06

Business and Marketing Strategy

Lasts 1 day The UKDA Marketing & Business Course is designed for owner-operator car care professionals wishing to optimise the commercial aspects of their business. It is perfect for existing or fledgling businesses who need…

2020-03-06

Paint Sanding & Flatting

Lasts 1 day Our one-day sanding and flatting course for automotive paintwork is for experienced, high end detailers looking to add to their portfolio with the ultimate refinement. Sanding is a skill which can be…

2020-05-13

Photography for Detailing - DSLR...

Getting that perfect shot of a freshly detailed car – ready to hang on a wall, add to a portfolio, or place in a vehicle history folder – is an art form in itself. Join…

2020-04-05

Social Media

Lasts 1 day. Group Event We’ve drafted in our social media expert to show you how to exploit the advertising and business generating functions of some of the largest and most popular social media platforms,…

2020-02-14

Detailing 101

Enthusiast detailer training. The perfect course for car care enthusiasts who have a passion for keeping their cherished vehicles in peak cosmetic condition, and who want to further their knowledge of detailing. The course will…

2020-03-07

Flex Flexperts

As part of Flex’s commitment to enhanced development for users of our professional tool range, Flex UK have come together with the UK Detailing Academy to deliver the Flexperts Approved Detailing Partner program. During this…

2020-03-21

Colourlock

Lasts 2 days. UK Detailing Academy is proud to be the UK partner for Colourlock’s Accredited Leather Technician course. Colourlock is one of the world’s largest leather care and repair manufacturer, supplying OEM end leather…

2020-08-08

Level 4

Level Four is not a training course, it’s an assisted portfolio assessment, which will take you around 12 months to complete. During the 12 month period you will be assigned a mentor to guide you…

2020-02-10

Level 3

Lasts 3 Days Level three aims to bring you to the highest standard of detailing skill, through the spectrum of rotary polisher techniques, wet sanding by machine, a full understanding of SMAT and DAT polishes…

2020-02-10

Start a new career.

So you want to start a career in detailing and valeting?

Our Courses

What are my next steps?

What assistance do you offer?

Our Latest Courses

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