How much to charge- two step + c Quartz

zmcgovern45 said:
We'd be at $1100 for a 2-step correction and our basic ceramic coating on a full size car... $1300 for a 2-step with our professional grade coating.

There is an incredible amount of time and work that goes into these jobs that many people undervalue. Stating that this is "robbery" just indicates we're either doing completely different types of services (from a time perspective), or someone is not charging nearly enough for their hard work.

Consider taking your vehicle to a dealership for a repair. If they have invested 15+ hours of labor into fixing your car, do you think it will cost you just a couple hundred bucks? Detailing is no different - the customer pays for the labor and the knowledge that their detailer should posses to do the job better than anyone else can. The old saying "you get what you pay for" is very true in the service industry for the most part.

-Zach
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Would you consider the amount of work lower if the car is brand new?

I just got a white Traverse 2016, there is nothing wrong with it from what I am seeing, and I am getting quoted $1200 in Northern VA.

Is that too much? I only worry because there is only one detailer listed under "authorized" near me and I dont think he can honestly list a price without a competitor.
 
jroachgp said:
Would you consider the amount of work lower if the car is brand new?

I just got a white Traverse 2016, there is nothing wrong with it from what I am seeing, and I am getting quoted $1200 in Northern VA.

Is that too much? I only worry because there is only one detailer listed under "authorized" near me and I dont think he can honestly list a price without a competitor.
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Just because the car is new, does not mean it will be without flaws. In some cases new car prep can be cheaper, but unless you received the car untouched by the dealer odds are it will at least need a good polish before coating. The Traverse is by no means a small vehicle. I am not sure which coating your looking at, but I would be in the area of that price also for Finest.

It seems funny that your worried about spending that kind of money for extremely high quality work with a true professional quality coating, when I am sure the dealer probably offered you a $10 sealant applied on a poorly prepped car for more then that amount.
 
KMG said:
Just because the car is new, does not mean it will be without flaws. In some cases new car prep can be cheaper, but unless you received the car untouched by the dealer odds are it will at least need a good polish before coating. The Traverse is by no means a small vehicle. I am not sure which coating your looking at, but I would be in the area of that price also for Finest.

It seems funny that your worried about spending that kind of money for extremely high quality work with a true professional quality coating, when I am sure the dealer probably offered you a $10 sealant applied on a poorly prepped car for more then that amount.
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Truth about the dealer sealant.

But with that most people opt for that because it can be rolled into payment and requires no addition money needed for said service.
 
Every_detail said:
Truth about the dealer sealant.

But with that most people opt for that because it can be rolled into payment and requires no addition money needed for said service.
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:iagree: my brother got hijacked on that deal,he spent 1k on a bs coating that I researched.He is not even a car guy he is a banker in nyc and told me the car doesn't bead at all.next week going to ny for thanksgiving and will be coating two Audi the right way.charging 450 each with no correction just clay and strip whatever is on there,and they are both silver easy peasey.
 
The right way would be - wash, clay, deep polish, light polish, ipa wipe and coating. Just saying.
 
tdekany said:
The right way would be - wash, clay, deep polish, light polish, ipa wipe and coating. Just saying.
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I live in south Florida ,he lives in ny so I don't really don't have a visual approach more than a speculation being that they are silver and also a time constraint so hopefully I can void the polishing step.
 
GSKR said:
:iagree: my brother got hijacked on that deal,he spent 1k on a bs coating that I researched.He is not even a car guy he is a banker in nyc and told me the car doesn't bead at all.next week going to ny for thanksgiving and will be coating two Audi the right way.charging 450 each with no correction just clay and strip whatever is on there,and they are both silver easy peasey.
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I would highly recommend that you at least do a quick polish of the paint before coating also. Even just claying the vehicle like you mentioned, odds are very good that you will mar the paint which will take away from the gloss. You should never put a coating on without some sort of polish at least, followed by either an IPA or Eraser wipe down.
 
KMG said:
I would highly recommend that you at least do a quick polish of the paint before coating also. Even just claying the vehicle like you mentioned, odds are very good that you will mar the paint which will take away from the gloss. You should never put a coating on without some sort of polish at least, followed by either an IPA or Eraser wipe down.
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:iagree: but I have only one day to pull this off.
 
I guess if your not doing this as a business you really have nothing to lose in doing this. As a business owner though I would never recommend doing it that way.
 
GSKR said:
:iagree: but I have only one day to pull this off.
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Either don't do it than, or include a quick polishing step. Non correctional polishing shouldn't take you much extra time even on 2 cars. I mean it sounds like you have all day to detail not half a day. If I heard it from a Craigslist hack, I wouldn't even blink, but being that you are on Autogeek, you should know better that after claying you ALWAYS polish. What ever it takes. Do an ONR wash instead of a traditional one. Saves tons of time. Coating, wax,sealant, it doesn't matter, their job it to lock in what is underneath, not to make the finish shine. Prep is the key to most of the gloss. So make the finish shine first, before you protect it.
 
Yes but not just my site says so - any authorized installers will say so plus the optimum site. Opti Coat is a clear coat - applied properly, it is not coming off.
 
tdekany said:
Either don't do it than, or include a quick polishing step. Non correctional polishing shouldn't take you much extra time even on 2 cars. I mean it sounds like you have all day to detail not half a day. If I heard it from a Craigslist hack, I wouldn't even blink, but being that you are on Autogeek, you should know better that after claying you ALWAYS polish. What ever it takes. Do an ONR wash instead of a traditional one. Saves tons of time. Coating, wax,sealant, it doesn't matter, their job it to lock in what is underneath, not to make the finish shine. Prep is the key to most of the gloss. So make the finish shine first, before you protect it.
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I understand what you are saying first of all I'm not getting compensated to polish it,secondly I didn't start detailing last week ,onr is a waste of time on a daily driver ny filth car,when I wash I do wheel barrels flush out jambs etc.one is a car and one is a truck both silver,I'm flying to ny so I'm not gonna bring a buffer or flammable substances,he has the coating this is just a real quick scenario that he suggested.at the end of the day it's better than nothing the coating will give it plenty of gloss and protection he deosnt expect X-ray vision correction or polishing doing him and his wife a favor.
 
tdekany said:
I thought you are getting $500 per car.
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450 plus interior leather cleaning and leather coating.I got 4 hrs or less depending how early it gets dark there,and 1 day to do it.the truck will be a little bit longer.
 
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