What would you guys Charge for this Job

conan777

conan777

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This car was brought to me at night where I could see swirls but had no idea it was as bad as it was. The paint on this car was absolutely horrendous. To make matters worse the owner tried to correct the paint himself using an over the counter swirl removing wax he bought at wallmart. The wax stuck to the paint really bad and he could not remove it all so there were residue spots everywhere. I am new to detailing for money so I am kinda lost when it comes to properly pricing out a job. I just don't know how you guys do it for a living. These jobs burn me out. I spent 16 hours on this car. I probably could have cut out 2 hours or so but thats it. My process: Washed with Dawn/Foam Gun, Clayed, Polished with my UDM with Menzerna PowerGloss Compound on a Yelow LC CCS pad, followed by 106ff white pad, topped with Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant. The interior wasn't bad at all so that was pretty easy. Also the area that I live in is just outside Washington DC. The area is very affluent and in Fact labeled the Wealthiest County in the Country so these people are not poor out here. I was thinking of charging between $40-$50 an hour but if I did that this detail would cost btw $600-$800. Is that reasonable do you think ha..ha..? Probably Not! What do you all charge for jobs like this. Thank you and any tips you have will be welcomed. I think I may have to invest in a Rotary to cut my time down.
On with the pics. I did before and after right after each other except at the end I had a couple afters left over. Thanks for looking guys and any advice is encouraged. Thank You!


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how long did it take you? $300 You should be able to get it down to 6 hours or so.
 
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First off, great work! The car looks really good. Unfortunately, the PC (and UDM I suppose, although I've never used one) take a long time to correct a badly swirlled car. It is for that reason that I switched to the rotary...I was tired of being so tired after a detail.

If you plan on detailing frequently for money, and are after flawless finishes (which it seems you are as you spent 16 hours on that car - well done!) I'd suggest learning to use the rotary. It will dramatically cut down on the time it takes to create a swirl-free finish.

A pass or two of PG or SIP on an LC foamed wool via rotary likely would've cleaned the car up quickly...saving you much time and leaving you less drained.

I only do details on the side for fun and a little extra cash, so I likely undercharge. For a car that size I'd probably spend 6 - 8 hours on it and charge around $300. Licensed pros may charge more for the same work.
 
i would say $500.00- $600.00 cause you just saved this person a paint job at about $2000.00 and im just in awe at the 16 hours it took i would say invest in a rotary (makita) when you get paid for the job you just did and beleive me it would be much faster with a rotary maybe cut that time in half. i usally take 4-5 hours to do what you did and anytime after those hours i would probbaly go between $30 and $40 a hour
 
^ A new paint job on a car like that is going to be way more than 2 grand-more like 4-5 easy-but I do agree with your philosophy. I say put the pencil to their ass. $600.00-$700.00 is well worth the turn around you did on that car.You have bills to pay too right? Not only are you doing the physical work but you have to account for your skill, the products used(menz isnt cheap) and machines used.You made that car look better than new.
 
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*** Also-the job the owner did trying to fix it himself=FAIL!!!
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I am now shopping for a good rotary and pads. I'm sure it will be worth the time I will save. I offered to do this job for $50. INSANE! I know but it was my old neighbor and I was doing it for the advertising effect. I told him that if he likes the work I do he can pass my name along to his friends (as I am just starting to branch out and detail as a side job). A couple freebies or close to it can really do some good at times. We'll see?? Anyway when he heard how long I spent on his car and then when he arrived to pick it up I think he was floored. He was very happy with the car and handed me $300. He then asked me to work on his black mustang next. I'm just trying to figure out how to correctly price different jobs out. Again thanks for your feedback guys keep it comming. Any comments are welcome especially if it helps me cut down the time to correct the paint.
 
if u ask me..I'll charge the fella $600 flat...u saved him lotsa money for a repaint...
 
conan777 said:
I offered to do this job for $50. INSANE! I know but it was my old neighbor and I was doing it for the advertising effect. That is understandable, but your work can speak for itself. You did and outstanding job! I told him that if he likes the work I do he can pass my name along to his friends (as I am just starting to branch out and detail as a side job). I would suggest getting some business cards printed. Give a few with every detail. I know a few they may toss or lose you card but most will stick it in their wallet. With any luck when they get a compliment on their car they will pass along your information. A couple freebies or close to it can really do some good at times. We'll see?? Yes... but you don't want the message they pass on to be... this guy does great work and he is really cheap! Just be careful who you are giving the great deal too! If you contiune to do that make sure you are very clear why you are giving them such a great deal. I'm just trying to figure out how to correctly price different jobs out. I would suggest you shop the competition in your area. You have the before pics of this car.. so take a little time and visit your competition. See what they would charge for the same job. Get a good idea of their standard pricing. You don't have to tell them who you are. Just a few suggestions.:D
Click to expand...

I put a few comment is red above.:D Good luck!
 
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Tonya said:
I put a few comment is red above.:D Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice I agree. Appreciate the comments guys. I've been telling myself to print up some business cards for awhile now, I need to get working on that.
 
wow you did an amazing job! did you use touch up paint on his hood and did you remove the emblems?
 
I hate to tell you, but $300 is probably what it should cost. You used a UDM to detail the whole car, I mean it DOES THE JOB, but you should've used a rotary or at least a flex. For this to be profitable in the long run, or even on your next job, if you're using a UDM, your 16 hours divided by that $300 leaves you at $18.75 an hour of hard earned labour.

A flex may net you $60/hour, a rotary even more.

okay now i'm done with that.....







amazing job!!! WOW!! You actually did a really great job. Your efforts are WELL RECOGNIZED. You actually show how long it takes to do it right and the fruits of your labour show. Keep it up!!!
 
First: GREAT job on the car! Like most of us here, we learned the process with a random orbital and took tons of hours to finish...but it worked.

If you get a rotary, I'd look at the Dynabrade line. It's approx. 1 Lb lighter than DeWalt and works well. Also, start with a small backing plate and pads. You have a lot of control and the transition is easier. Finally, keep your rotary rpm to 1,000 - 1,200 and correct away!

Pricing is very dependent upon customer base: As a rule of thumb, I keep myself in the $40 per hour range for retail customers and would look at a job like that and estimate 12 hours or so. Easier to deduct a price than increase it.

Toto
 
Hey thanks for the advice guys! Now I'm pulling my hair out trying to research a rotary and pads etc. What do you think of the Flex? The new variety with wool pads and foam pads with a rotary are throwing me off. I finally have a nice collection of pads for my UDM and now I need to get all new stuff. Argh! help! LOL!
 
I don't have one myself yet, but I say that you get the Flex first. A rotary is a much bigger liability than a DA so I think you should wait to get one unless you plan to take up detailing professionally.
 
Or you could just get the rotary and practice on a test panel/car and get use to it.
 
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