Extreme Makeover Pricing

[gww35]

the pictures are awesome. On average what are you charging and how many man hours do you invest in an extreme make over?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

I'll take a stab at an answer for you...

Extreme Makeovers are just a regular detail job for the detailer doing the work so that means they're charging whatever it is they charge for practicing their craft and that can be all over the board.

How long it takes depends upon how bad the paint is and how many steps they perform. There's usually the quick way to do s job and a long way to do the job and assuming a talented detailer is doing either way the results will be about similar with an edge given to more steps.

There's a huge difference in the types of problems associated with doing an extreme makeover on a single stage finish and an extreme makeover on a clear coat finish.

With single stage paints the problem is primarily oxidation and with clear coat finishes it's primarily swirls and scratches.

Generally speaking single stage paints are easier to work on because the paint itself is softer. Single stage paints are somewhat more messy as the pigment comes off onto everything you use to touch the paint.

So if you're working on blue paint your pads will turn blue.

Note if you're working on a clear coat paint you're still removing portions of the clear layer but because the paint is clear you won't see it on your pads or polishing cloths.

Does that help?


And since this was your first post to our forum...

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

[Andy M.]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

the pictures are awesome. On average what are you charging and how many man hours do you invest in an extreme make over?

Seeing as this is your first post on MOL, Welcome aboard!

As far as pricing goes on an extreme makeover, you really need to charge within what your experience level is and what the customer is trying to accomplish.

Make sense?

Andy

[gww35]

Extreme Details

What are you guys charging (on average) to detail a trashed car? How many man hours does it generally take.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

I can sum up this answer in 2 shot words......NOT ENOUGH!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

Hello and welcome to mol.

The pricing on those extremes is Dependant on what the customer expects to accomplish. More time x your rate (which usually is in your areas ballpark) = the total.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

the pictures are awesome. On average what are you charging and how many man hours do you invest in an extreme make over?

What are you guys charging (on average) to detail a trashed car? How many man hours does it generally take.

I merged your two threads.

Please don't double post, one thread on a single topic is adequate to get answers to your questions.

Thank you!

[InfiniteDetail]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

Having done a couple, I wouldn't charge less than $600. You're looking at a 3 stage buff (or more), and usually multiple extractor passes on the interior fabric and carpet. Cars that need extreme makeovers are typically trashed and *everything* needs attention.

Like Nick says, it's never enough!

In some cases you could easily get into the 4 figure range.

I've put 40 - 50 hours into the Mustangs I did, and could have put alot more than that into them.

Hope that helps.

[gww35]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

Sorry Mark, I originally posted in the wrong area and figured it was better suited to be posted here. I used to own a carpet cleaning business and specialized in trashed carpets. We charged a bunch but when we were done they looked as new as they possibly could look. Now I want to do the same approach in detailing of cars. Detailing of cars is way better than cleaning carpets!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

This is going to sound kind of simple but when it comes to pricing, you want to get as much as you can. On a personal note, I have found the only way to get higher prices for your work when there's competing detailers offering lower prices is to invest some time educating your customer. That means you need to know what you're talking about in the first place.

Knowing how to walk the talk goes without saying...

I've been detailing cars for years now and I find owners of specialty cars, which would be candidates for extreme makeovers and show car quality detailing, don't understand the difference between what you will do for $500.00 and up and what the local detail shop or mobile detailer will do for $99.00

So you first have to find out what your potential customer is looking for in the first place and don't create a show car finish on a daily driver that the owner is going to take to a car wash once a week, they won't be happy and it won't help your reputation.

Next, you have to diagnose their car and explain to them what it will take to reach their goal whether you do the work, or they do the work or anyone does the work. This is the education part. Once you educate them on the problems and the proper solutions then they'll know you know what you're talking about and in most cases realize they don't have the skills and/or abilities or even the inclination to tackle the job and anyone else they talk to about working on their car will now have to demonstrate they also know what they're talking about as they can compare what you tell them to what the next guy tells them.

Another way, if you can get them to let you demonstrate on their car's paint, is to do a test spot on the paint, maybe even two test spots or sections. For one section show them the results of a simple, clay and cleaner/wax, for the other section show them the difference after doing a multiple step process.

They will be able to see that the multiple step process requires more steps and thus more time.

Then tell them what you charge for basic work and what you charge for high-end work and let them decide.

I've found it can be kind of tough to get the owners of "Special Interest Cars" to let anyone 'touch' them if they don't know you personally or have a trusted friend recommend you.

One way to build up your reputations is to post what we call a "Write-Up" to a forum like ours, then you can share this with potential customers...

Anyway... just some random thoughts on the topic of this thread...

[gww35]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

When we were cleaning carpets most of our customers were referals from real estate agents. anotherwords these people were selling their homes and knew a small investment would return thousands when they sold their home.

Same with extreme make overs. A $500-$600 detail will result in $1,000 or more in the selling price, and will be the difference between selling he car in 5 days vs: 5 weeks.

Also people selling cars are not as picky as other customers.

[christian6984]

Re: Extreme Makeover Pricing

i am only an amateur, but correction over hear ranges from £350-700 (GB Pounds) or it is under take at a special hourly rate, extreme make overs are likely to be far far greater in terms of cost with the hours prob reaching 50+

take a look at this post from a company in scotland, there is no time limit to ensure complete perfection, so the cost = the cost

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=79859&highlight=Gallardo