How much do you charge?

[gclark26]

This one goes out to all the detailers making a buck while doing what we love doing.
I am just now beginning my own detailing business on the side. I call it "Show Shine Detailing". As I have a 01 Vette, it seems I am always shinning it up for car shows.
I dont really know how to price this service.
If you dont mind, I would appreciate your feed back. Keep in mind I am in Kansas and the going rate in California or New York may not work here, but I still would like to know how I stack up.

Here is my current price list.

LEVEL I $85

• Car Washing

• Armor All Interior
  
• Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
  
• Deodorize Interior
  
• Glass Cleaning
  
• Tire Shine
  
• Spray Wax
  
• Rubber Trim Treatment
  
  
  

LEVEL II $130

• Car Wax

• Includes Level I
  
• Clay Bar Treatment
  
• Wax all painted surfaces
  
• Detailing Spray

LEVEL III $200

• Paint Swirl Removal

• Includes Level I
  
• Polish
  
• Wax / Sealant
  
• Detailing Spray
  
• Rubber Trim Treatment
  
  

LEVEL IV $30LEVEL IV $300

• Paint Scratch / Oxidation Removal

• Includes Level I
  
• Light Rubbing Compound
  
• Polish
  
• Wax / Sealant
  
• Detailing Spray
  
• Rubber Trim Treatment

Thank you

[Stephan]

Re: How much do you charge?

These guys are down the street from me:

http://detaildoctornj.com/express-detailing-service-monmouth.html

http://detaildoctornj.com/news/Industry-Mag-10-2013.pdf

*Full Express: Starting at $49.95

*Deluxe Express Detailing at $95+

*Ultimate Deluxe Express Detailing at $160+

*Hand Applied Zymol: Additional $60.00

*extra for station wagons, large coupe’s, 4 door sedans, minivans, SUVs, and trucks
While you wait service
1st come 1st Serve * No appointments taken

[Meticulous-Detail]

Re: How much do you charge?

I keep it simple $30 an hour, as long as it takes me to get what the customer wants done. My reasoning is, take 2 identical cars year make and model, one is well maintained with car washes/interior vacuum on a regular basis the other has not been cleaned in over a year. I can't charge the same price for both vehicles, as the unmaintained car will take me much longer to complete.

I took on of my vehicles to various hand car wash and detailing places around where I live and as the car was being washed I asked about detailing services such as clay, paint correction, nano-coatings, spray sealants, how long does the protection last.........etc,etc,etc. Most places had no clue what I was talking about.

[gclark26]

Re: How much do you charge?

Guys this is all good to know. Looks like I am not in line with others. I had no idea. I did call a local detail shop just to be nosy. They are charging $85-$95 for a wash and wax.
But it makes more sense to have a hourly rate. Like Meticulous said, no two cars will be the same in terms of cleaning needs.

Here is a link on detailing pricing.

http://guidetodetailing.com/detailing-tools-guides/detailing-for-profit/

See the 'Devils In the Details' section for time spent per task

http://guidetodetailing.com/detailing-101/introduction-to-car-detailing/

So, I wonder if if would be best to do a-la-carte pricing?

Like many of you I am extremely picky. I will spend an hr trying to remove a scratch or spend extra time to get the shine I am happy with.
I dont just dry the car, I also clean inside the doors and hood and trunk seals.

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: How much do you charge?

Its pretty hard to have a set price for anything above your level I service as you describe it. What I do is post typical price ranges on my website and tell customers I will do an inspection of the vehicle and give them a more definite price before I start any work. Figure out an hourly rate, I'd say $50-$60 an hour is a decent rate more if you are doing intense correction work, then base your prices on that.

[Detailing by M]

Re: How much do you charge?

check your local detailers web sites.
You can only charge what your area will support.

AND GET RID OF THE ARMOL ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gclark26]

Re: How much do you charge?

OK, Armor All was just a place holder. its replaced by "Vinyl / Plastic Protectant". And you are correct, no two cars will take the same amount of time. Which is why I decided to break this down into 10min time frames.

Based on a $30 hrly rate, I have come up with this a-la-carte pricing. This can easily be adjusted up or down. The paint compounding can vary widely depending on how much correction is needed and how picky the owner is on their paint. Some people will say "take out the big scratches" where people like us will say "I dont want to see any scratches".
Actually, my first pricing was pretty close. A full service of every item will easily cost $300. But I think this is less sticker shock and gives the customer ability to add or subtract services, giving them control and comfort.

All times are estimates
Pricing based on $30 hrly labor		$5.00	per 10min
	1 Hr minimum
EXTERIOR					INTERIOR
	Service	Time / Min	Price			Service	Time / Min	Price
	Wash / Dry	30	$15.00			Vacuum	15	$7.50
	Door Jams	10	$5.00			Floor mats	15	$7.50
	Trunk / Hood Seals	10	$5.00			Carpet Shampoo	45	$22.50
	Bug / Tar remover	10	$5.00			Upholstery Cleaning	45	$22.50
	Tires	15	$7.50			Leather Cleaning	20	$10.00
	Clean sidewalls					Leather Conditioner	20	$10.00
	Remove brake dust					Clean Dash / Console	20	$10.00
	Clean Rims					Dust Vents	10	$5.00
	Clean Wheel well					Clean Windows	10	$5.00
	Apply Tire Dressing	10	$5.00			Clean Ashtray	5	$2.50
	Chrome Polish	20	$10.00			Deodorize	10	$5.00
						Vinyl / Plastic Protectant	20	$10.00
	Apply Glass Cleaner	15	$7.50			Carpet / Upholstery Protectant	20	$10.00
	Windows					Total Hrs	4.25	$127.50
	Mirrors
	Spay Wax	45	$22.50
	Condition Rubber Trim	10	$5.00
	Sub-total		$87.50
	Clean Paint	60	$30.00
	Clay bar
	Paint cleaner
	Compounding	120	$60.00
	Polish	90	$45.00
	Wax (liquid)	45	$22.50
	Total Hrs	8.17	$245.00

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: How much do you charge?

AND GET RID OF THE ARMOL ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL OF IT?!? Cuz it works great with my tiny Simoniz polisher!

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: How much do you charge?

I keep it simple $30 an hour, as long as it takes me to get what the customer wants done. My reasoning is, take 2 identical cars year make and model, one is well maintained with car washes/interior vacuum on a regular basis the other has not been cleaned in over a year. I can't charge the same price for both vehicles, as the unmaintained car will take me much longer to complete.

I took on of my vehicles to various hand car wash and detailing places around where I live and as the car was being washed I asked about detailing services such as clay, paint correction, nano-coatings, spray sealants, how long does the protection last.........etc,etc,etc. Most places had no clue what I was talking about.

+1. Got into this pricing after I told a co-worker I would polish her car for $125 (based on what I thought would be a 6 hour job).

16 hours later...

It also gets me out of washing most cars I detail. I advise clients (friends and family mostly) that they can have their car washed the night before whether by hand or at a car wash place, or they can pay me my hourly rate to wash it for them. Saves me time and I can get to polishing the moment I arrive.

[Detailing by M]

Re: How much do you charge?

DO NOT DO ALA CART.
Your not a fast food restaurant.

Have confidence in your work.
When I show up to a job, my customers know who I am and the kind of work I do.
If I get any "guff" from them I ask them "Did you see my website?" "Did you read my reviews?"
They say yes then I say it's all true and I'm not a "Gas Station Car Wash".
I'll walk away from any job if the customer doesn't understand what I do.
You'll get burned by cheapos, not people who don't have money but the cheap people. They are the complainers and will leave you a bad review before you leave.


Put a disclaimer at the top of your page that says
"these are base prices and every detail is different so please call for an exact quote"

You want to get the info your customer is looking for with a few seconds of them getting onto your site.
Your website, just like a resume, is only there to get them to call you. Then it's up to you to get the sale.

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: How much do you charge?

I think $30/hr is pretty low. Think about this, you spend 6 hours on a car and make $180. That doesn't sound too bad until you figure that you spent $20 on supplies. You have to take into account the wear and tear on your equipment. Did you travel to the customers location? That costs gas plus travel time. So say your total cost for detailing a car for 6 hours is $30, now you only made $150 which is only $25/hr. Then you have to re-invest part of that back into the business to buy new supplies or maybe upgrade/repair equipment etc. You might be able to stay afloat for awhile at that rate, but I don't think you'd be making very much money. Which I know we all love what we do, but at the end of the day I do this to make money.

[Detailing by M]

Re: How much do you charge?

+1. Got into this pricing after I told a co-worker I would polish her car for $125 (based on what I thought would be a 6 hour job).

16 hours later...

That's because you ...k

It also gets me out of washing most cars I detail. I advise clients (friends and family mostly) that they can have their car washed the night before whether by hand or at a car wash place, or they can pay me my hourly rate to wash it for them. Saves me time and I can get to polishing the moment I arrive.

I still have to wash these, I have one customer that loves me so much that HE does this everytime I do him. (pun intended)

But I always find dirt, the gas station or an amature can't wash a car like a Professional Detailer.
I CAN WASH THE HELL OUT OF A CAR!!!!!!
Plus I decontaminate as I wash

Getting the car clean is the first and most important step.
You must have a spotless canvas to do your work on.

[Meticulous-Detail]

I think $30/hr is pretty low. Think about this, you spend 6 hours on a car and make $180. That doesn't sound too bad until you figure that you spent $20 on supplies. You have to take into account the wear and tear on your equipment. Did you travel to the customers location? That costs gas plus travel time. So say your total cost for detailing a car for 6 hours is $30, now you only made $150 which is only $25/hr. Then you have to re-invest part of that back into the business to buy new supplies or maybe upgrade/repair equipment etc. You might be able to stay afloat for awhile at that rate, but I don't think you'd be making very much money. Which I know we all love what we do, but at the end of the day I do this to make money.

I charge for gas and tolls, plus I save on water and electricity if I do a mobile detail by using the owners water/electric.

I love Meg's Detailers line for the ability to dilute products and still get the job done with great results. Plus all my product purchases, water, electricity, tools etc are tax deductible.

You have to price accordingly to your area of operation. I raise my prices little by little, but you can't start out charging 50 an hour with no reputation and documented work on a website.

[KidDetailer]

Re: How much do you charge?

Exterior Detailing Package :Starting at $30
-Pressure wash finish, rims, tires, and wheel well areas.
-Foam cannon wash with microfiber wash mitt
-Air blow and hand dry vehicle to remove water from surfaces and crevices.
-Quik Wax applied to enhance existent wax protection.
-Clean all windows inside and out.
-Wipe down all interior surfaces
-Vacuum Car interior including, carpets, floor mats, crevices, under seats and trunk areas.
-Clean door pockets and dash area including gauges.
-Apply a UV protect interior dress coating to all the vinyl, and dash leaving a beautiful mild shine look protecting from the sun rays from damaging or fading over time.
-Shine tire with dressing.
-We apply a protectant to your vehicle’s trim surface which helps restore them back to the original finish, and it also has a UV protect to help maintain the trim surfaces from being damaged from the sun.

*4x4 trucks and SUVs contact for special pricing. If interior condition requires stain removal, you will be upgraded to Interior Detailing Package as well.

Interior Detailing Package : starting at $20
-Shampooing all of your vehicle’s carpets and upholstery with high grade upholstery soap, which foams the dirt to the surfaces, which then we extract the soil and grime leaving your carpets and mats perfectly clean depending on the condition of the mats.
-All leather surfaces are scrubbed clean to remove the dirt and the grime from in between the grain of the leather. After which we apply a UV based leather conditioner to restore your upholstery to keep it soft and supple.
-Trunks are vacuumed and detailed

Panel Correction $10/panel
-Headlight restoration (1 headlight is a panel)
-Swirl and scratch removal
-Protectant/Sealant applied. Pure synthetic paint protectant will do more to increase optical clarity, shine and gloss, while providing a high level of protection against environmental attack. This provides protection against oxidation, corrosion, UV rays and surface degradation.

*If panel correction is not possible, service will not be charged

Clay, Polish & Wax +$30 with Exterior Detailing Package
-Apply a polishing oil adds depth of color, especially on dark-colored cars, & leaves the paint finish incredibly clear & glossy with mirror-like reflections
-Apply synthetic wax for your paints finish which will protect your paint against the harsh heat, and environment deposits which tend to ruin, or eat into your clear coat.

Cars are recommended to be dropped off for detailing service. Transportation is available upon request.

[KidDetailer]

Re: How much do you charge?

lol, I think my service is the Bargain of the town