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**Superior Shine** · Dec 23, 2007, 02:36 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

This is what I charge-

1.$45 - $60

2. $140 - $180

3. $225 - $375

4. $500 - $1000

**seventhson** · Dec 23, 2007, 08:30 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

the best pricing method is to set yourself a pay rate per hour and then price your services accordingly. your hourly rate should take into account your travel expences(if you are mobile)and codt of products used. if you are starting out it you should set prices moderatly low and as you gain experience and customers you can slowly increace your prices.

**Superior Shine** · Dec 23, 2007, 08:34 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

Originally posted by seventhson View Post

if you are starting out it you should set prices moderatly low and as you gain experience and customers you can slowly increace your prices.

I disagree. If your good enough to go into business then charge accordingly.

**AeroCleanse** · Dec 23, 2007, 09:03 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

I agree, don't try and low ball your prices, charge according to how good you are and where you live. If you can do better work than the existing competition, then charge more than they do.

**brickyardz** · Dec 23, 2007, 09:15 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

I am also looking to start a detailing business and would be interested in getting some estimates on how long it takes to complete each of the details mentioned in the first post. I have been working on my own cars and family cars trying to get time estimates and it seems to be taking pretty long. Here are some of the times I have.

A hand wash and dry 1hr to 1.5hrs

Inside vacum and wipe down 30min to 1hr

Claying a car. 1hr to 1.5hrs

wash, dry, clay, polish 80 or 83, wax 11 to 12hrs (no interior cleaning)

It would seem for the full clay, polish, wax type detail more than one day is required to get it all done. I was working way into the darkness to get everything done on the full detail I did and it was only a VW Beetle.

Thanks for any feedback.

**Lydia** · Dec 23, 2007, 09:21 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

Brickyardz, it took me that long at the start also. Once you get more used to it, you will get faster, though. On a Firebird a couple months ago, I did wash, dry, clay (with some particularly bad spots I had to clay several times), 2 passes of #80 on the whole car and 3-4 passes of #83 on several areas for defect removal, and wax in 8 hours.

**roadrunner1659** · Dec 23, 2007, 10:11 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

i live in south jersey (medford specifically, but the shop will be out of Cherry Hill...25 minutes down the road)...the area is prominently upper middle class individuals/families with a few areas of upper class extremely wealthy...such as medford, haddonfield, cherry hill, moorestown, voorhees...and i cant forget that the city of Philadelphia is about 10 minutes down the road...

well i plan on calling up several places in the area to find out how much they charge...

i know that at lexus were i work, they charge 200ish for a full detail (and unless im doing it, generally thats a one step paint correction)...

...but i did plan to call local places and find out their prices...maybe i should go and see their work too...

...would you think most places are willing to show their work?

i was also planning to offer engine detailing as well for like an addition to most packages and maybe that would be general for the ultimate...

...the products i am going to use are all premium boutique detailing products that can be found in megs professional products list as well as other products on another detailing website...

...time wise i would say that a the basic will take me about an hour (i closely relate that to a delivery or spot at the dealership)...for the deluxe im thinking maybe 2 hrs...and for the premium i would think 4-5 hrs, and the ultimate north of 5 hrs...

although all of this times would be subject to change apon determining a cars condition and size...

**AeroCleanse** · Dec 24, 2007, 06:58 AM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

Originally posted by roadrunner1659 View Post

i live in south jersey (medford specifically, but the shop will be out of Cherry Hill...25 minutes down the road)...the area is prominently upper middle class individuals/families with a few areas of upper class extremely wealthy...such as medford, haddonfield, cherry hill, moorestown, voorhees...and i cant forget that the city of Philadelphia is about 10 minutes down the road...

Something else you want to think about is who you want your clients to be. Do you want to work on anything that comes, or do you want to specialize in higher end cars? If you did higher end cars, you may get less volume but you could charge more for it and offer a more personalized service.

I think the best advice I could give you is to write a business plan. This will force you to look at who your clients are, how much they are willing to spend, how much your costs are, how much insurance is, etc.

I would try www.score.org, they have locations all over and can help your write a business plan. They are also free.

As for would other places show you their work or not, well they take pride in what they do then they should. I mean if you did a great detail job and another potential customer asked to see an example, wouldn't you be delighted to show off your work?

**CAShine** · Dec 24, 2007, 06:00 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

I agree with Superior Shine. You charge based upon your skill level as well as the type of clientele you are going after. You also have to figure out how much your time is worth. Always know what other detailers are charging so you dont charge under or over. If you are good at what you can do, you can demand more than the rest.

**G Force** · Dec 24, 2007, 10:40 PM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

Hello,
I would charge normal prices . the most important thing in any business is smiles on both sides at the end of a deal.

**seventhson** · Dec 25, 2007, 04:08 AM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

I agree with CAshine

**Renny Doyle** · Dec 28, 2007, 10:03 AM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

It's funny, this is an area that causes many issues with Pro's looking to start-up or expand and many make the mistake of underpricing their work thinking that will bring in the business.

Design your services to meet the demands of your local market. We have locations where we have a hard time selling $300 details yet when we designed an Express Detail with a retail value of $99.00...that market is one of our most profitable shops!

Why...we are giving the customer what they want! Yet in another market, we would loose our tails if we sold Express Details...why? The vehicles are simply to far gone and it takes a $300+ detail to make it work both for us and our clients! The latter is an upscale market with many celebrities...they thrash their stuff!

Before you set up your pricing...know your expenses...know what your desired income level is and know what your market desires. Also, do some comp shopping to get to know the other detail operators in the area...know their strengths and weaknesses, what they do best and where they are lacking!

Once I look at all of these items, I then design my pricing to match the road map that the above research provided!

Good luck,

**RaskyR1** · Dec 28, 2007, 11:23 AM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

I have a base price but always say price will vary by size, color, and condition and especially how much time they want spent on the paint.

I don't like doing wash 'n vacs so I stick to either full details, full interior or full exterior. Then again I only do this on the side now.

I woould agree with Superior Shine and Seventhson....I also think location has a lot to do with it too. People in Cali are willing to pay more than the peeps in MN.

**Renny Doyle** · Dec 28, 2007, 11:40 AM

Re: Pricing plan for my detailing business...

Not sure I agree...some of the most profitable detailing businesses in the country are OUTSIDE of California! We find that Californian's are less out to spend higher amounts on detailing then people in other parts of the country when you compare equal income levels.

Five years ago, I would have agreed but after placing or assisting in the launch of several detailing business both in and outside of California...the state is no longer the HUB for profits within detailing.

Look at areas such as Long Island, parts of Texas, Seattle and even our Sun Valley Idaho location...we are turning profits in area such as the above at levels at and or above California!

I grew up in So Cal...learned to detail in So Cal...detail all over the state still and the cost related to doing business, the lifestyle and several other factors are limiting the success of some. Its also expensive to live in California so people earning $150,000.00 in Arizona will most likely have more disposable cash compared to that same person making $150,000.00 in San Fransisco!

Is California a bad market for detailing...of course not...detailing has simply caught on in other markets and savvy business people are taking non-California based detailing businesses to new levels in other places.

Originally posted by RaskyR1 View Post

I have a base price but always say price will vary by size, color, and condition and especially how much time they want spent on the paint.

I don't like doing wash 'n vacs so I stick to either full details, full interior or full exterior. Then again I only do this on the side now.

I woould agree with Superior Shine and Seventhson....I also think location has a lot to do with it too. People in Cali are willing to pay more than the peeps in MN.

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