Dont really know how much to charge

Bill1234

Bill1234

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I have done detail work for friends who requested that their cars be done. I have asked them to pay me what they want and did this in 4 hours http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/69421-finally-doing-jeep-detail.html
(last page has pictures). I got 100 dollars off that work. I am just wondering how much I should charge as I usually do the whole car. For example, Should I just say pay me what you think if they are friends, and figure out pricing for others?
 
Just chiming in to help out.

For $100 you got $25 and hour.

In Renny Doyle's book he says something a long the lines of, one should be charging $40 an hour minimum.

(I am not exactly quoting him btw, word for word)

Let me see if I could find the writing when I get home. And I'll clear it up for you.
 
Basically its not a full time business by any means. I just want money of the side. For example, after I buy product and other needed supplies and do the work, I would want to come out with about 25 -50 dollars worth of profit
The last detail I posted was for a friend so if there is a small loss Ill accept it as it is a favor
 
I think you came out ahead of projected profit assuming you had all that stuff in stock.
 
wompasaurus said:
those prices are based on his market. It will vary from your personal market. i think the average around the forum is around 35 a hour. but really it all depends on your market and what they are willing to spend on detailing services.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree, it says before you start crunching numbers. These prices are based on a nationwide opinion

So everything always varies
 
honestly 25 a hour when your just starting isn't bad but you have to factor cost in there for chems wear on your equipment and towels aswell as your time. If you made 25 a hour with cost taken out thats not bad
 
a few parts factor in
-Friends with benefits work idea
-I said free, he said okay but they payed a price and said take the money
-supplies and price were not really bad. couple of things were needed , but I worked my butt off in the 4 hours.
 
Yeah family and friends are good to have and help out. I always help them out. Plus I get to take plenty of pictures of my work.

I like the saying, detailing is a therapy not a reason you need therapy.

I got that from Meguiar's btw
 
My quote: Whether your car is 20,000 or 200,000 you should be maintaining it.
 
I give good discounts to friends and family. Other than that, I charge $40 per hour. I enjoy detailing much more when I'm skipping to the bank after the detail haha.

The whole, "I do this because I'm passionate about detailing," thing wore of really quick.

When I started out I was making $20-30 an hour. $20 sucks. . .you might as well be working at McDonalds. Thirty starts to feel pretty good...until you realize you're still going broke. $40 is nice, but it takes a lot more effort to get new clients at that price range. Detailing is hard haha, but it's fun. I'd say 20-30 as a part time gig and for friends, but if you ever decide to go full time, try to make $40 a goal.
 
Also from what I have learned. You should not be the guy that charges $25 an hour because that will become your price for others. (Don't know the official name, but it's somewhat like getting type casted)

I am with StatusDetailing about the passion wheres off really quick. He is the one that first gave the idea of $40 an hour. Then Renny Doyle's book confirmed it.

Thank You StatusDetailing :props:
 
Don't forget that products are expensive. You are thinking great I made 25$ per hour, but if you used 50$ Worth of products, you are only making 12.50$ an hour.

Some products are cheaper than others but in the case of coatings and sealants, or even compounds and polishes, the bill can grow quickly.

For friends what I do is very simple. I tell them I will do the job for free but they must pay what ever products we use. I did a one step for a friend recently and it came out to 42$ Worth of products. So imagine if we had done a multiple step correction and coating!

I believe that 40$ per hour with products included in the price is a good starting point as well. You can adjust depending on demand down the road. I highly doubt famous detailers only charge 40$ per hour ;)
 
I'm starting at $30, I used to do an interior and exterior for $100 but that was the old orbital buffer style. And I was like 18. Was a way to kill a day off without spending money. Now, if I am spending 6 hours on someone's ride, I am getting paid to do it. I have a full time job, this is extra in the pocket.
 
Calendyr said:
Don't forget that products are expensive. You are thinking great I made 25$ per hour, but if you used 50$ Worth of products, you are only making 12.50$ an hour.

Some products are cheaper than others but in the case of coatings and sealants, or even compounds and polishes, the bill can grow quickly.

For friends what I do is very simple. I tell them I will do the job for free but they must pay what ever products we use. I did a one step for a friend recently and it came out to 42$ Worth of products. So imagine if we had done a multiple step correction and coating!

I believe that 40$ per hour with products included in the price is a good starting point as well. You can adjust depending on demand down the road. I highly doubt famous detailers only charge 40$ per hour ;)
Click to expand...

$42 of products?? Sir you really need to either streamline your product selection of start purchasing in bulk.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
 
You probably never took the time to calculate how much product costs to say that. I do purchase in bulk.

Let me do a very quick run down with approximate prices...

Wash:
2 ounces of shampoo for the snow foam (Honeydew): 1$
2 ounces of shampoo for the wash bucket (Meg Goldclass): 0,50$
2 ounces of shampoo for Wheel bucket (Goldclass): 0,50$
4 Ounces of Wheel cleaner (Meg All Wheel): 2,50$
8 Ounces of APC/Degreaser for tires: 0,50$
8 Ounces of APC for Door jambs and trunk jamb: 0,50$
1 Clay bar (don't use those anymore): 15$
About 12 ounces of clay bar lube (Optimum ONR): 0,50$
1 Microfiber towel (wear and tear cost): 0,50$

Interior:
8 ounces of APC: 0,50$
3 ounces of dressing: 0,25$
4 ounces of leather conditionner (Meg's): 2,50$
8 ounces of APC for carpets: 0,50$
4 ounces window cleaner both interior and exterior (Bonami): 1,50$

Correction:
About 8 ounces of M205: About 8,50$
1 Pad (wear and tear cost): 8$

Protection:
4 ounces Powerlock sealant: 5$
2 ounces Opti-Gel Wheel dressing: 1,25$

I am certainly forgetting something and I am not calculating price of electricity from my place.

So this total if roughly 50$. I think I did not charge him the pad when I made the calculation.

Granted I pay insane shipping charges to Canada so if you are in the US your products are gonna be cheaper but even if you pay say half of what I do, that's still between 25$ and 33$ depending if calculate the cost of one pad or not.

I did not even take into account the price of cleaning all the microfiber towels and polishing pads into this. So that's probably something like an other 2$ on top of it.

Product cost add up quickly and I am sure people don't realise it because we buy in bulk and use without thinking of costs. I come from the business world so I like to run cost analysis on everything... I was pretty shocked when I did the math.
 
hernandez.art13 said:
Also from what I have learned. You should not be the guy that charges $25 an hour because that will become your price for others. (Don't know the official name, but it's somewhat like getting type casted)

I am with StatusDetailing about the passion wheres off really quick. He is the one that first gave the idea of $40 an hour. Then Renny Doyle's book confirmed it.

Thank You StatusDetailing :props:
Click to expand...

I can't take any credit for that haha. I got it from Renny and quite a few ag members will say the same thing.

Lots of other serviced based business laugh at auto detailers for how little we make. For example. From what I understand carpet cleaners like to make $50 per hour, minimum.

I was reading in a carpet cleaning forum once about how a lot of guys don't like to do automotive carpet and upholstery because detailers have set the price bar so low that there is no money to be made.

I felt really stupid then. They were laughing at 30 and 40 an hour like it was a joke.
 
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