Pricing ?

Mike280zxt

Mike280zxt

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My brother in law and I have been detailing for about 8 months now.We started doing family and friends autos.Family was free and friends pay $100.We thought that this would just be a hobby because we like doing this for fun.

Well,We have had great success with simple business cards and by word of mouth.And next spring is going to be very busy.I just feel like we're not charging enough for all the time we spend.I don't want to make this long so here is what we're charging.



Cars: $120

Trucks: $130

Suv's : $ 150


Exterior for all three include

Wash and dry

clay bar

Tape all molding

One step sealant using Griot's random orbital

Best of show wax Griot's random orbital


Dress all rubber,plastic and chrome

Tire dressing

Polish all glass using Griot's random orbital


Interior

Vacuum floors and seats

Shampoo carpet and seats if needed

Treat all interior...Dash, leather with rejuvenator


Even though there are the two of us,It still takes us 4 hours on the avg to do a car.We take our time and move the buffer slow.The longest was a 2006 Escalade which took almost 8 hours.Alot of swirls and scratches.

Anyway,What does everyone think of our pricing?We're are going to be very busy in the spring and just need some opinions on what we should be charging.
 
I see a few red flags in your post.
1. you mention that the Escalade took so long because of a lot of swirls and scratches but you list a one step sealant.

If you are going to be using a one step sealant, I would suggest doing so at the pricing that you have listed in your post but keep the interior to a basic wipedown, vac and windows. Any paint correction/swirl removal beyond a quick one step and I would be charging at least double what you have listed in your post and would be using a product designed for correction instead of a one step.

2. if you are using a one step sealant, you should really consider cutting out the wax step unless the customer wants to pay extra for it.

It is my opinion that carpet shampooing should be a service offered above and beyond a basic detail. Keep a basic service basic and set the bar high for show car detailing and charge accordingly. Talk to an accountant so you don't overlook things that you need to run a business then charge according to what you need to make per hour to survive as a business.
 
tuscarora dave said:
I see a few red flags in your post.
1. you mention that the Escalade took so long because of a lot of swirls and scratches but you list a one step sealant.

If you are going to be using a one step sealant, I would suggest doing so at the pricing that you have listed in your post but keep the interior to a basic wipedown, vac and windows. Any paint correction/swirl removal beyond a quick one step and I would be charging at least double what you have listed in your post and would be using a product designed for correction instead of a one step.

2. if you are using a one step sealant, you should really consider cutting out the wax step unless the customer wants to pay extra for it.

It is my opinion that carpet shampooing should be a service offered above and beyond a basic detail. Keep a basic service basic and set the bar high for show car detailing and charge accordingly. Talk to an accountant so you don't overlook things that you need to run a business then charge according to what you need to make per hour to survive as a business.
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Sorry i forgot to mention that we had to get out the swirls and scratches with Griot's machine polish 2.The suv was never waxed so we figured we would just do it.This isn't a full time business for us.Just a side business.We're are still pretty new at this and learning.Thanks for the advice.
 
tuscarora dave said:
I see a few red flags in your post.

1. you mention that the Escalade took so long because of a lot of swirls and scratches but you list a one step sealant.



If you are going to be using a one step sealant, I would suggest doing so at the pricing that you have listed in your post but keep the interior to a basic wipedown, vac and windows. Any paint correction/swirl removal beyond a quick one step and I would be charging at least double what you have listed in your post and would be using a product designed for correction instead of a one step.



2. if you are using a one step sealant, you should really consider cutting out the wax step unless the customer wants to pay extra for it.



It is my opinion that carpet shampooing should be a service offered above and beyond a basic detail. Keep a basic service basic and set the bar high for show car detailing and charge accordingly. Talk to an accountant so you don't overlook things that you need to run a business then charge according to what you need to make per hour to survive as a business.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

BTW nice sig tuscarora dave. I also agree with that.
 
The service and prices you've stated seem to be a light detail covering the more basic steps and when done correctly can make a maintained car shine up nicely.

Using your pricing as a guideline, charging $150 and 2 men taking 4 hours yields about $18.75 / hour and that doesn't take into account products and supplies which aren't cheap. Bump this to 8 hours and you'll be lucky to see $6.00 / hour.

This is a full detail pointing out the work to be done to each area. This is allot of work and if done correctly can take two technicians 5 to 8 hours to complete. The interior is cleaned using a hot water carpet extractor cleaning system.

This is just an example to go by.

These prices might be a little high but it also depends on where the work's done. Less work also means lower prices. Remove half the work stated below reduces the amount of time, product, supplies and man power thus cutting the amount charged in half.



  • [*]Hand Wash & Dry
    [*]Bug & Tar Removal
    [*]Clay all Painted areas as needed
    [*]Clean Tires, Rims & Wheel Wells,
    [*]Polish/Wax Rims, and chrome areas
    [*]Clean/Wax Door jambs
    [*]Machine Buff Exterior to Remove Light to Medium Scratches and/or Dull Oxidized Paint
    [*]Machine Polish Exterior to Remove the majority of Swirl Marks & Produce a Glossy Shine
    [*]Apply Polymer Paint Sealant
    [*]Apply Wax
    [*]Detail Logos & Trim to Remove Excess Wax Residue
    [*]Dress Tires
    [*]Wax wheels
    [*]Clean and Detail Engine Compartment
    [*]Molding and trim is dressed to protect it from the elements
    [*]Blow Out/ Vacuum Interior & Trunk
    [*]Shampoo Upholstery, Carpets, Seats and Floor Mats (no headliners)
    [*]Clean all Vents, Gages, Knobs
    [*]Clean & Dress all Interior Vinyl
    [*]Clean & Condition Leather
    [*]Headlights are polished for crystal-clear clarity and safe, even light distribution
    [*]Clean/ Polish Windows, Mirrors, and Wiper Blades

Pricing

Compact Cars & Pickups - $280& up
Large Cars & Pickups - $290& up
Small SUV's, Minivans - $310& up
Larger Utility Vehicles - $330& up
Suburban, Expedition - $340& up
Vans, Excursions, Etc. - $350 & up
 
I'm with tuscarora on this one. If your doing swirl removal you should definitely be charging at least double. A real paint correction (3 step) on an Escalade could take much more than 8 hours. A one step sealant isn't really doing much for swirls.

Here in MA, I detail on the side. It may be due to the area I'm in but I charge more than you do. Not by much, but I also don't do all of what you do in your wash package.

For a standard car this is what I do...

Outside - Wash/degrease rims, tires, wheel wells, Wash (two bucket method), clay, then wax or sealant, dress tires and wipe rims (if wheels are bad I polish them real quick with something like Wheel Armor) Wash all glass inside & out, Polish all chrome

Inside - Vacuum, wipe down all interior surfaces (if really dirty I spend more time on the wipe down with some interior cleaners), clean any leather if applicable, then dress everything.

I don't think I missed anything in there. Anyway I will charge $130 for that. I'm a one man show and because I usually take my time it takes me about 4-5 hours to complete that. I'll do a couple small spots on the carpets if it's needed, but a full shampooing is extra.

And I'm actually really cheap for the area. I know a couple places that charge upwards of $200+ for what I do. And some of them are not exactly the greatest detailers (leaving wax residue behind, etc).

It's really all about what your time is worth to you and your brother in law. If you think about it, you get $120 for 1 car...takes you 4 hours, that's 8 man hours, so your only making $15 an hour. On that Escalade if you only charges $150 and it took the both of you 8 hours, that's only $9.38 an hr. Which could be OK for your area. But if you really want to make money you need to realize that your time costs money, plus your materials. Detailing supplies are expensive (or at least can be).
 
This may seem obvious but one thing to always be thinking is "what product or process can I use to do this faster". With time, if you think this way you will be able to cut more than half your time out of a single detail. This of course means a lot of research and testing methods/products. IMO, owning and getting proficient with a rotary is a must for doing business even if it is just a hobby business.
 
If I were you I would always state that the prices are "starting at" and then quote the starting price or you can say (like above "295 & up") this way if, you have a scenario when someone comes to you with a car that needs a ton of extra attention in and out you can adjust the price a bit. I am no expert but thats how I would do it.
 
SeaJay's said:
I'm with tuscarora on this one. If your doing swirl removal you should definitely be charging at least double. A real paint correction (3 step) on an Escalade could take much more than 8 hours. A one step sealant isn't really doing much for swirls.

Here in MA, I detail on the side. It may be due to the area I'm in but I charge more than you do. Not by much, but I also don't do all of what you do in your wash package.

For a standard car this is what I do...

Outside - Wash/degrease rims, tires, wheel wells, Wash (two bucket method), clay, then wax or sealant, dress tires and wipe rims (if wheels are bad I polish them real quick with something like Wheel Armor) Wash all glass inside & out, Polish all chrome

Inside - Vacuum, wipe down all interior surfaces (if really dirty I spend more time on the wipe down with some interior cleaners), clean any leather if applicable, then dress everything.

I don't think I missed anything in there. Anyway I will charge $130 for that. I'm a one man show and because I usually take my time it takes me about 4-5 hours to complete that. I'll do a couple small spots on the carpets if it's needed, but a full shampooing is extra.

And I'm actually really cheap for the area. I know a couple places that charge upwards of $200+ for what I do. And some of them are not exactly the greatest detailers (leaving wax residue behind, etc).

It's really all about what your time is worth to you and your brother in law. If you think about it, you get $120 for 1 car...takes you 4 hours, that's 8 man hours, so your only making $15 an hour. On that Escalade if you only charges $150 and it took the both of you 8 hours, that's only $9.38 an hr. Which could be OK for your area. But if you really want to make money you need to realize that your time costs money, plus your materials. Detailing supplies are expensive (or at least can be).
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We removed the scratches and swirls using the machine polish 2.See above...... I know a one step sealant won't remove swirls and scratches.Should it of taken more then 8 hrs to do?I don't know,The paint looked amazing after we were finished.The guy was very happy with our work and has sent 6 people are way.
 
tuscarora dave said:
This may seem obvious but one thing to always be thinking is "what product or process can I use to do this faster". With time, if you think this way you will be able to cut more than half your time out of a single detail. This of course means a lot of research and testing methods/products. IMO, owning and getting proficient with a rotary is a must for doing business even if it is just a hobby business.
Click to expand...

Good point.I have been watching Mike's how to videos and they have helped out a lot.We do like to take our time and not hurry the job.I guess in time we will speed some things up in different areas of the job.Thanks for everyone who replied to my post.The advice was very helpful.:props:
 
STI4Life06 said:
If I were you I would always state that the prices are "starting at" and then quote the starting price or you can say (like above "295 & up") this way if, you have a scenario when someone comes to you with a car that needs a ton of extra attention in and out you can adjust the price a bit. I am no expert but thats how I would do it.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. You really need to charge by how long it will take you to detail rather than a flat rate. There are some cars I have been able to complete quickly because they had been detailed before and didn't need much work. Other cars which have had a life of neglect.....let's just say cleaning their wheels and claying them took longer than the cars I mentioned which I was able to complete quickly. I would have two completely different prices for cars that fall into those different catagories.
 
Bert31 said:
I agree with this. You really need to charge by how long it will take you to detail rather than a flat rate. There are some cars I have been able to complete quickly because they had been detailed before and didn't need much work. Other cars which have had a life of neglect.....let's just say cleaning their wheels and claying them took longer than the cars I mentioned which I was able to complete quickly. I would have two completely different prices for cars that fall into those different catagories.
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Another good point.We have learned to ask this when a customer calls.At first we didn't and it was very time consuming on some vehicles.We did a persons work truck and the bed was very dirty.We cleaned it out and whenn he picked up the truck,He said we didn't need to clean the bed.He was very happy for us doing it.And gave us a tip.
 
Bert31 said:
I agree with this. You really need to charge by how long it will take you to detail rather than a flat rate.
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I wanted to add to this. Being able to examine a car and judge how long it will take you is an art. It will take experience to be able to do this accurately. More than once I have estimated how long it would take me to do a car, used that estimate to come up with my price and then halfway through the detail realized I screwed myself. An experienced full time detailer can probably get within a half hour of how long a job will take them. I am not there yet but I can still get a decent idea so that I don't cheat people with well maintained cars that just need a sprucing up and also so I don't cheat myself.
 
If you are fully licensed and insured (with WCB) it will become clear why a plumber shows up at your door step with a minimum charge of $85-100 and leaves with a paid invoice of about $200.00 in less than an hour. Of course, this is based on an average job nationwide.
 
Mike280zxt said:
Another good point.We have learned to ask this when a customer calls.At first we didn't and it was very time consuming on some vehicles.We did a persons work truck and the bed was very dirty.We cleaned it out and whenn he picked up the truck,He said we didn't need to clean the bed.He was very happy for us doing it.And gave us a tip.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust a customer to give you an accurate assessment of their vehicle. They don't know much about detailing or they wouldn't be coming to you. Also, according to customers their car is never as bad as it really is and they assume a light buffing will clean fix everything.

You best bet is to inspect the car in person with the customer there and then go over the levels service you can provide:

Wash and Wax - offers protection and minimal (if any) improvement of the paint. Cheapest

One step polish - will improve marring to some degree and add gloss to the paint.

Two step polish - will remove most marring and add greater degree of gloss to paint

Three/Four step polish - will remove pretty much all marring that can be safely removed and will have the highest degree of gloss.

You will also want to go over interior:

Interterior vacuum, wipe down and interior windows only?

Add carpet shampoo?

Add protectant to dash and other plastics?

Add Leather deep cleaning, conditioning and protectant?

Expecting a customer to be able assess all of these variables is not realistic. Most newb detailers struggle with it themselves.
 
I agree that most customers never really believe that their vehicles need much work, yet their expectation is a five star treatment for Walmart prices. I tend to target upper end vehicles as most customers would entertain the "royal" treatment.
 
GaDetailDoc said:
I agree that most customers never really believe that their vehicles need much work, yet their expectation is a five star treatment for Walmart prices. I tend to target upper end vehicles as most customers would entertain the "royal" treatment.
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Agreed. The work is much more rewarding as well.
 
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