Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

[1994Gen1L]

I had a part time detailing business in the mid-90's; year round, on the weekends, evenings and so on. I never performed any paint correction; usually a wash, coat of Meg's cleaner wax, tire and dash dressing, wheel wells, underhood and small stain removal.

Jump ahead to 2012 and I am thinking of starting up a part-time, appointment only, detail business. I have a few prospects already, sort of that is. A few people have asked about applying a coat of wax on their cars. I mentioned it would need to be clayed after washing, to clean off surface contaminants. I also mentioned $25-$50 an hour depending on type/size of vehicle.

The interested people thought $25 was to high for just a coat of wax on a mid-size (Honda, VW, Chevrolet) sedan. What is the going rate for detailers these days, $40-$50/hour?

Thanks,
James

[Bruce Devilbiss]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

Hope this helps. I do one or 2 cars a month, mainly for family and friends. Since I'm retired this is all I want to do. I charge 135.00 for a clay, polish and wax,also windows and wheels. 25.00 more if I have to us some UC or M105 to remove some defects. Then another 25 if I do the interior. I know this is cheap for what some people have told me they had to pay but I'm not out to get rich, just make a little extra spending money the wife don't know about..

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

One of the possible customers wants me to take care of it ASAP. But, they have no garage or carport. And, I don't want my vehicles outside any more than absolutely neccesary during winter months.

They plan on washing it for me. So, i see it needing: QD wipedown, clay, polymer cleaner wax, trim, windows, wheels and tires.

It's a fairly clean, 2009 - Black Chevy Impala, light swirls with ZERO paint correction. I'm thinking $80 - $100.00 price range.

[Showmob]

I would say thats a fair price for that kind of work especially if you are not buffing anything

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

The AIO will be applied with my DA. My one concern is the customers husband will expect zero swirls. I've explained the cleaner wax will not remove the swirls, only add a layer of protection and improve the overall appearance of the vehicle.

[Showmob]

You could tell him you can remove the swirls however it will cost extra most people will pay extra for a higher quality job. just make it worth your while

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

The customer would like to keep the cost to $100 or less if possible. I'm waiting on a good weekend without rain in the forecast.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

The AIO will be applied with my DA. My one concern is the customers husband will expect zero swirls. I've explained the cleaner wax will not remove the swirls, only add a layer of protection and improve the overall appearance of the vehicle.

You really need to manage the customer's expectations here. If he's expecting zero swirls on a black car, you need to be very clear about what that entails time wise, and what your hourly rate is. Even if you only charge $25/hr, which sounds really low to us, and it took you 5 hours to correct the paint (not unrealistic at all, and maybe even a bit conservative if the swirls are bad and the paint is hard) then you'd still be at $125 without touching the interior. Most guys doing this full time are charging in the $40 to $70/hr range, so their pricing would be considerably higher in the end.

Explain to your customer the difference between improving the finish by hiding defects versus actually removing them, what the durability of "hiding" defects would be, etc. Do a walk around with him and point out the defects that would either require special attention or just can't be removed. Sounds like he needs a bit of an education, and that falls on your shoulders so that he's happy, you get paid what you feel you deserve, and you prevent any debate/argument/confrontation after the fact.

[jarred767]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

Mike's advice is spot on. The customer needs to be educated on what is needed to achieve the results that they are looking for. If they really want the swirls removed and defects corrected, you should be charging them a little more as not only will you need the time to remove the swirls, but then apply a coat of wax afterward too. Expectations need to be clear (on both sides) before getting going on the job.

I would say that $25 an hour is really quite a bargain on their end, but then again, all markets are different. For a competitive hourly rate (especially if you want to do this a little more than a couple times a month) you should look into what other shops in your area are charging. I charge roughly $40-$50 an hour depending on what is being done, but again, it definitely depends on location. A detailer in Southern California will almost always be able to charge more than a guy doing the same work in North Dakota for example. Find out your area's going rate and what you are comfortable charging based on your experience, and then keep an open mind for adjusting those prices going forward if necessary.

Good luck with the business venture!

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

...and that falls on your shoulders so that he's happy, you get paid what you feel you deserve, and you prevent any debate/argument/confrontation after the fact.

I went down a similar road on a Super Cab F150 years ago. Long story short, the customer and I agreed on a set price with the understanding, that an almost 5 yr old chocolate milk stain would be very difficult to completely remove, from light color interior. Upon returning the vehicle, the customer attempted to pick a fight with me at his place of work. He received about 7 hrs of work for free, I neither had the will or desire, to get in to a physical altercation or go to jail.

Any furture detailing I perform will have a work order, work to be accomplished, amount per hour and a signature prior to any work being accomplished.

Thank you,
James

[1994Gen1L]

Re: Thinking about starting up again with a ? about prices.

Mike's advice is spot on. The customer needs to be educated on what is needed to achieve the results that they are looking for. If they really want the swirls removed and defects corrected, you should be charging them a little more as not only will you need the time to remove the swirls, but then apply a coat of wax afterward too. Expectations need to be clear (on both sides) before getting going on the job. Good luck with the business venture!

Exactly! I have, to some degree. I decided to keep things simple at first, start with an AIO and see if there is enough work to consider 2 or 3 step paint correction/details.

Thanks,
James