Does this seem fair?

[LelandGray]

Pricing wise..

Wash & Dry and interior detail, including cleaning carpets. Fabric interior, so no leather.

Not sure of year, but it's a Tahoe.

$125? I figure 1.5 hours for wash/dry, then 3 hours on the interior. That covers time and materials.

[Cole Ziegler]

Re: Does this seem fair?

For roughly the same thing, we charge $100/Car $115/Midsize $130/SUV and a $15 dirty charge if its really nasty.

I'd say your prices are in the ball park. They're enough to make you some money while at the same time not excluding business because of too high prices.

[Tuck91]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Most folks will expect that more be done to the exterior for that kind of money. (dress the tires, clean the windows, etc.

I am not saying you charge too much but others may think so.

I would have a hard time deep cleaning an interior of a Tahoe in three hours though.

[LelandGray]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Most folks will expect that more be done to the exterior for that kind of money. (dress the tires, clean the windows, etc.

I am not saying you charge too much but others may think so.

I would have a hard time deep cleaning an interior of a Tahoe in three hours though.

I guess I should have included more info.. as part of the wash/dry, I was planning on cleaning windows and dressing the tires, cleaning the wheels, wheel wells, etc. Also includes cleaning the door jambs.

[Cole Ziegler]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Basic Wash and Wax with Interior Deep Cleaning:
Ideal for cars with dirty insides, but mostly blemish-free exteriors
-Gentle Hand-wash
-One coat of wax/sealant
-Tire and Rim Dressing

Plus:

-Full Interior Deep Cleaning Including:
-Vacuuming of all surfaces and compartments
-Cleaning of all interior surfaces
-Dressing and UV protectant applied to all surfaces
-Floor Mats receive hot-water extraction process to remove stains
-Spot and Stain removal
-Window Cleaning
-Leather and Cloth seats cleaned and dressed

Car $100.00 Midsize $115.00 SUV/Truck $130.00 Dirty Fee: $15.00

(dirty fee is assessed only if vehicle is full of belongings/trash that must be removed in order to complete the interior detail, very few fall in this category)

That's straight from my price sheet

[Tuck91]

Re: Does this seem fair?

That's straight from my price sheet

Do you clay the paint prior to applying a coat of wax or paint sealant?

[Cole Ziegler]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Not always. Most of the cars I detail are fairly new (1-3 years old) and are only driven in town. That said, I do two things: First, I try to sell the clay bar service with the detail, and explain the process, and second, regardless of their decision, I at least clay horizontal surfaces that catch the most contamination.

I'm not a big fan of doing work I'm not paid for, but I'm not a big fan of doing a poor job either.

[DetailArtist]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Most auto dealers service departments charge $95-$120 / hr so why not charge the same if you do a better job?

[Cole Ziegler]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Because none of us would have any customers. Most will not pay that much for a detail. The reason a dealer can charge that much is because they have another source of income too, they don't rely solely on car detailing.

[William_F]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Because none of us would have any customers. Most will not pay that much for a detail. The reason a dealer can charge that much is because they have another source of income too, they don't rely solely on car detailing.

If you study economics and finance you'll see that sometimes the rates a business charges are more important than the number of customers.

There are complex formulas and models that businesses use to calculate prices based on desired returns but consider the following simplified example and you'll understand.

Let's assume that the average job a detailer books will take 3 hours to complete. If the package sells for $100 he has to work 10 jobs and 30 hours to earn $1000. If the detailer charges $125 for the same package, he makes $1000 in 24 hours because he only has to do 8 jobs.

If you are good at what you do, you can charge the market rate and still make a lot of money. If you are excellent at what you do, you can charge above market and still make a lot of money.

One of the keys to pricing any product is adding value for the customer. For example offering a little extra service that can be done quickly and inexpensively that a customer would perceive as high value. One example would be free Scotch Gaurd treatment if the customer purchases upholstery and or carpet shampooing. Dealers have been know to charge a few hundred bucks for similar services. You will be able to charge a little more for this because you are giving extra value for the price and most customers will recognize that and be willing to pay for it.

[DetailArtist]

Re: Does this seem fair?

Figure out ALL your yearly expenses and divide that figure by how many cars you detail a year. That amount is your cost per car. It costs more than you first realize. When I had a shop, it worked out to almost $100 per car in expenses.
Whatever local dealers charge (around here $90 - $125/ hour), I think a good mobile detailer w/ low overhead charging 50% or 60% of the local dealer hourly rate very reasonable. It depends on the neighborhood, too. It costs more to do biz in NYC than in Bug Tussle USA.
In my opinion, the BIGGEST mistake an experianced detailer (or ANY businessman) can make is UNDER-ESTIMATING or UNDER-CHARGING a job.
Labor is the biggest expense. YOUR LABOR!