How to judge cost of services?

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Stephan@FamouslyHot

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Hey all,

I have a question many others have had about their price list, also on coming up with how they got their pricing, etc.

I know that there is an hourly rate most people charge, but On some other detailers websites, the cost from a two stage or three stage detail goes up considerably, and when divided by the hours it took, it's a much higher hourly rate than their basic services. Is this normal? Or should all services be based on hourly rate? No matter how much work was performed?

I live in Columbia sc, and these are the prices and format that I have come up with :

Express Exterior - Hand Wash & Wax

Prices starting at:
$50 Compact (2-door; Camaro, Mustang, 370z, etc.)
$60 Mid Size (Sedans/Wagons; Camry, Charger, etc.)
$70 Full Size (Truck/Small SUV; Z-71, F-150, Tundra, Escape, FX35, etc.)
$80 LG Trucks/SUV (Vans, Tahoe, Expedition, F-250, Odyssey, etc.)
(Approximately 1-3 hours)

Includes:

Gentle hand wash using safe methods and materials, so not to induce any swirls or scratches
Vehicle is dried using quality microfiber waffle-weave towels
Door jambs, gas cap, hood and trunk drain gutters are degreased and cleaned of tree debris and grime
Removal of road tar, tree sap, and bug guts
Tires, wheels, and inner wheel wells are cleaned thoroughly to remove excessive build up of road grime and oils.
A premium, no-sling water-based dressing is applied to the tires to match your taste (Matte Finish to Glossy Shine)
Exhaust tips cleaned
Quality Carnauba Spray Wax or Sealant applied to vehicle


Deluxe Exterior - Decontamination & Protection

Prices starting at:
$80 Compact (2-door; Camaro, Mustang, 370z, etc.)
$100 Mid Size (Sedans/Wagons; Camry, Accord, Charger, etc.)
$120 Full Size (Truck/Small SUV; Z-71, F-150, Tundra, Escape, FX35, etc.)
$140 LG Trucks/SUV (Vans, Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, F-250, Odyssey, etc.)
(Approximately 2-5 hours)

Includes:
Express Exterior Service plus the following;

Wheels are carefully decontaminated using chemicals designed for safe removal of brake dust and bonded contaminants. Safe for all wheel finishes
Clay bar treatment applied to paintwork to remove bonded surface contaminants, and to produce a smooth, and extremely clean surface
Exhaust tips polished & protected
One layer of paint sealant for up to 4 months protection


Ultimate Exterior - Paint Correction, Enhancement & Protection

Overview:

Bring life back to your paint with high gloss and deep reflections! The Ultimate Exterior uses the Deluxe Exterior as a starting point prior to polishing your vehicles paint to your desired level of service. The paintwork and glass is further decontaminated of embedded road grime, industrial pollution and iron particles using a chemical solution called Iron X. All glass is machine polished to remove road film and water spots. All paintwork is then corrected to your desired level of service, followed a layer of quality paint sealant for protection lasting up to 6 months.

Stage I:

Prices starting at:
$250 Compact (2-door; Camaro, Mustang, 370z, etc.)
$270 Mid Size (Sedans/Wagons; Camry, Accord, Charger, etc.)
$290 Full Size (Truck/Small SUV; Z-71, F-150, Tundra, Escape, FX35, etc.)
$310 LG Trucks/SUV (Vans, Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, F-250, Odyssey, etc.)
(Approximately 6-8 hours)

The Stage I service is a true one-step polish with wax designed to maximize shine and gloss while leveling the paintwork to remove minor paint defects such as light scratches, marring, hard-water spots and light oxidation. The vehicles paintwork is corrected to a remarkably, glossy shine and 50-70% of defects are removed.

1-Step; All-in-One Polish with Sealant
Minor imperfection removal
Restores paint to a high gloss
Leaves the surface with a durable synthetic paint sealant for up to 3 months protection

Stage II:

Prices starting at:
$450 Compact (2-door; Camaro, Mustang, 370z, etc.)
$470 Mid Size (Sedans/Wagons; Camry, Accord, Charger, etc.)
$490 Full Size (Truck/Small SUV; Z-71, F-150, Tundra, Escape, FX35, etc.)
$510 LG Trucks/SUV (Vans, Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, F-250, Odyssey, etc.)
(Approximately 8-10 hours)

The Stage II paint correction service consists of a two-step polishing and waxing process designed to drastically transform your paintwork to near showroom condition. All paintwork is leveled to remove moderate to heavy scratches, marring, oxidation, hard-water spots, etching and holograms. The paintwork is corrected to an extraordinarily glossy shine and 70-90% of defects are removed.

2-Step; Polish and Wax
Moderate swirl, oxidation and scratch removal
Greater gloss and clarity
One layer of paint sealant for up to 4 months protection

Stage III:

Prices starting at:
$650 Compact (2-door; Camaro, Mustang, 370z, etc.)
$670 Mid Size (Sedans/Wagons; Camry, Accord, Charger, etc.)
$690 Full Size (Truck/Small SUV; Z-71, F-150, Tundra, Escape, FX35, etc.)
$710 LG Trucks/SUV (Vans, Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, F-250, Odyssey, etc.)
(Approximately 10+ hours)

The Stage III paint correction service takes things to a whole new level through a three-step compounding, polishing and waxing process designed to remove severe scratches, oxidation, etching and other defects requiring professional attention. If you desire your paint to look it’s absolute best for a virtually flawless, show-room winning result, this is the package for you. We strive to remove all paint defects while not compromising your paints integrity or life span (note: some defects may be too severe to safely remove with machine polishing). 90-95% or more of paint defects are removed.

3-Step; Compound, Polish and Wax
Severe imperfection removal
Phenomenal gloss and deepest reflections
Two layers of paint sealant for up to 6 months protection

Thank you all!

Stephan
 
Don't have time to read all that but seem overly complicated. I have one price for cars, one for trucks vans and suvs.

Make your menu simple to understand and choose what suits them best. Don't use overly complicated verbiage.

Simple, simple, simple.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
 
You really need to understand your cost (labor, materials, overhead). I do not think you can make money spending 2 hrs and getting $50 if you have normal business overhead.

I would suggest not trying to be the cheapest but focus on good work so you get a good reputation. The majority of the majority shop by price but once you have a reputation established you can get more.
 
I would say that the cost of the express exterior and the deluxe exterior are right on. I could do a wash and wax on a 2 door in just over 1 hour so thats roughly $40 an hour. but I would say that you would have a hard time upselling the next package where the price jumps to $250 because most people will just want clean and shiny, and it seems they would get that with the lower end package and save $150-$200. and then, the prices literally multiply for just 1 more step. I think you would be better going with a semi-permanent coating like opti-coat if you think you are going to get $450 for a small car, and most certainly if you are trying for the highest package at $650, you better be getting a coating. especially if none of these prices include any interior work.
 
I don't think it's overly-complicated at all. One size cannot fit all. If I'm paying hundreds of $$ for a "car wash", I would like to know exactly what I'm getting. I think it's well-written and professional. I think the prices are very reasonable for the work. I especially like the $250 1-step price point. I just did my own correction recently, but before that I shopped around. I could not find anyone that would bust out the DA polisher for less than $350. Some guys are up in the $700-900 range just to touch the paint. that's not practical to me and 90% of the potential clientele out there with daily drivers.

I guess you really have to decide what clientele you're after and how much you'd like to earn for your efforts. If you can cover your costs and still make a decent profit with a $250 1-step, I'd say you're good to go being that this will likely be your most popular package apart from a wash and wax. Once they see your work and can appreciate the level of effort, they might be more inclined to pony up for additional services.
 
Looking at your top prices I would say that you need to be the best detailer in your area in order to get paid that kind of money. ( even if it takes a long time) and you need high end customers. No one is going to spend 600 plus on a Ford.
 
I think a big change is coming to the auto-detailing world thanks once again to technology. The machines are getting better and more powerful, and the products are getting more efficient. This is allowing detailers to get great results in less time and with less effort. It's also allowing more and more people to get into the detailing business. These new detailers have an advantage in that they are coming in at a time when technology makes getting great results easier than in years gone by, so I believe they might be inclined to charge less than established pros for the same services.

I'm seeing a parallel between the auto-detailing and photography professions in this regard. The advent of digital SLRs brought many aspiring photographers into the business and drove prices down. Of course, there are always hack jobs and fly-by-nights, and there are always those established pros with their established reputation and clientele whom may be unaffected, but many others were forced to compete with the newer entries. This may also be the case with detailing, particularly with paint-correction services. Just a thought.
 
slimnib said:
Looking at your top prices I would say that you need to be the best detailer in your area in order to get paid that kind of money. ( even if it takes a long time) and you need high end customers. No one is going to spend 600 plus on a Ford.
Click to expand...
this is exactly what I was thinking. if you are just starting out, don't have a ton of references to offer, and lots of before/after pictures of previous work, good luck finding someone to pay top prices. my theory has always been: keep prices very low at first for 2 reasons 1) you get more customers, and likely a lot of rougher vehicles to work on, that gains you the very valuable experience you will need, plus gives you the references and before/after shots you can use later 2) it builds a customer base because the customers you work for will be really happy and will spread the word everywhere they go, and before you know it, you have a good, repeat clientele that knows what you are capable of, and is willing to pay the higher prices after you raise them.

you probably wouldn't want to pay a 20 year mechanic top dollar for his work, because he just started out and has not yet "proven" that he can handle any problem. but a person that has been in the industry for 40 years, and has kept up to date on the changing technology, would certainly warrant top dollar.
 
Hourly rate largely depends on your experience and skill set.

Starting out I didn't have the best tools and products so naturally my hourly rate was lower because I just didn't have my process down. Now I have a great pressure washer, steamer, tons of different brushes, tools, vac attachments, towels, products, etc. and I rarely run into problems because I have run into most scenarios.

For example starting out it used to take me 2-3 hours to wash, clay, seal. Now I can wash, clay, seal pretty much any vehicle in less than 2 hours. I think your prices are pretty good but I would be careful with under pricing large trucks, vans and SUVs for any type of polishing. My one-step for those types of vehicles start at $470-550 depending on condition and color. There is A LOT of real-estate to cover.
 
I did not read your entire post, but with regard to the larger hourly for higher end work there are the following considerations:

1. Customer expectations are going to be higher. Chasing individual imperfections becomes very time consuming. When lower level details are performed it is understood that not everything will be removed.

2. The risks involved are usually higher and it is often only a matter of time before something happens. The value of the cars receiving such work is often in the upper range as well.

3. Estimating and charging on the higher estimated time frame, in any industry, is normal and necessary in order to cover any contingencies. A mechanic, contractor, landscaper, painter, etc. all hope to complete a job in x amount of time but must charge for y or risk losing money on the job, though it may sometimes still happen.

There is no shame in earning a profit.
 
I feel like I have said it a thousand times. location makes all the difference. where I live, 95% of people want clean and shiny. if I hit them with a price that even starts with a 2, they will hang up immediately. asking people on here what to charge is virtually a waste of all of our time. I live 35 miles from an area where I could double my prices, but I don't want to have to drive that distance. working from home is where its at, even if it means making less $$. too many variables, I'm done here. good luck, brother
 
Thank you all very much for your input! I do agree with what has been stated, and probably have my prices a bit higher on the all in one and multi step correction packages.

I currently work 5 days a week, and only have to days available to perform side detailing at the moment, and kind of feel a bit more comfortable with a slightly higher price, because it is allowing me to work on my paperwork, building a portfolio, organizing processes, etc.

I am sure a day will come at the new year where I may fire my current boss and take the bull by the horns and try this all out, and lower prices to try to gain more clientele.

Scott, I really appreciate your input, your input and passion on your posts and website are very inspiring.

sparkism, thank you for your advice as well, I do see what you're saying about the industry changing, even though I am new, because it is allowing more quality work to be performed and give confidence to newbies.

I was trying to keep interior services separate because some people may not want that included?

Also, the cost breakdown per vehicle small to large, I think is helpful, because there are probably some lurkers out there who like to observe from far at prices and have a little more definition about what a small/mid size/full size vehicle is. Some detailers post the break down on their website, some don't, I wasn't sure which would 'be better'.

I think what I am trying to ask is: Do many of you out there charge a flat fee for your service because of the particular steps it takes to get the job done, or do you all charge lets say, 40$/hour, and when you perform an estimate, you say it will be 4 hours, that's 160$, no questions asked, no matter what kind of work you did in those hours, like lets say, head light restore, express exterior and interior?

I am trying to be clear in my question, if there is confusion please let me know and I can try to explain a little better?
 
To me that formula seems overwhelmingly complicated especially to your customers. Try to have one price for cars, for trucks, etc. As others have said, KEEP IT SIMPLE!
 
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