Detailing Prices and Packages?

[Chris Nemlich]

I have just started doing some detailing for money. So far I have only done friends cars so coming up with a price is easy. Now that I would like to do some more business, I am trying to figure out what packages and prices I should offer.

I currently have these ideas:
Quick Wash and Wax - $35
Full exterior detail including 2 coats of wax - $80
Interior Detail - $80
Full Detail - $125

I am really lost as far as better ideas. I want to offer different levels for exterior and interior. However, I'm not sure what each level should include.

I do not use a PC nor do I have a carpet cleaning machine.

[mirrorfinishman]

Since you charge $80 for an exterior detail and $80 for an interior detail; why would you only charge $125 for a Full Detail? Why not $160? It should be the same amount of work and take the same amount of time.

[foris2]

At least $150.00 for the full detail!

[Chris Nemlich]

I would charge 125 to give an incentive to get the full detail...I figure if I give them a full detail then I can get them on a maintenance plan.

[scrub]

What kind of service do you envision?? A lot of quick wash and wax jobs in your limited time off from your full time job or a few full details in the same time allotted. The reason why I ask is I'm going through the same decision process. I figure my time is limited and a quick wash and wax doesn't showcase all of my talents. In addition I don't feel a wash and go is the best business card of my work for people to see. What I mean is clients might say I got my ride detailed by so and so, to a friend. Lets say that friend knows what a detail is. The friend thinks its some sort of rip off and your rep is hurt.

Another thing I'm trying to overcome is all my friends cars are clean and I'm out of clients... Mirrorfinishman offered some advice to this before and I can't locate the post. I'm working on growing a business.

The maintenance plan is a great concept to use. $125 without carpets is high for my area in SC, but if you get that great. I see your logic in cutting your full detail price. If you give to many options clients will naturally select a lower price package.

What is included in the $80 interior detail?

What wax do you use to aplly 2 coats for the $80 exterior detail.

Think about a PC in the future. Saves time. I ordered from Meguiar's for the lifetime warranty. Next will be a rotary and extractor.

It sounds like you are off to a great start. Sorry about the long wind...Good luck!!

[Superior Shine]

How much an hour do you need to make to break even?
(insurance, materials, equipment, etc....) ???

How much money do you need (want) to make on top of that?

Add the two figures and that is what you need to make an hour. Lets say it is $50 an hour.
Now you need to price your services accordingly. If it takes you two hours to do an exterior detail (you also need to specifically define what you include in your exterior detail) then your charge should be $100 for the service.

Apply that formula to all your services and that will determine the prices.

[mirrorfinishman]

Originally posted by Superior Shine
How much an hour do you need to make to break even?
(insurance, materials, equipment, etc....) ???

How much money do you need (want) to make on top of that?

Joe has posted some very good advice.

Simply figure out how much you 'need' to make per hour in order to break even. Then add what you 'want' to make as profit on top of that figure. The total of both will give you your hourly rate.

Based on industry standards, many pro detailers have an average hourly rate of about $50 per hour. So when you estimate a job you may want to consider the price you charge based on the amount of time you think it will take to complete. For example, if two different detailing jobs take about the same time to complete, then they should both be priced about the same.

In summary, you should always consider pricing your services based on how much time you think it will take to complete the job. And you should always try to aim at earning your established hourly rate.

[Beercan31]

I don't know if I'm out of line here but I charge the costumiers(mostly my friends) the cost of materials.
for example
swirl remover 16oz 10.99
speed glaze 32oz 14.99
swirl free polish 32oz 14.99
dacp 32oz 18.99
59.96
rounded up
I ask for $65.00 for a 4 step+ tip
wash
clay
wash
polish
wax x2
The first job pays for all your products all others would be profit
most of the time I walk away with $100.00 - $125.00
As of yet I do not do interiors and concentrate all my attention to the out side of the veh. as I start to bank some profit this will be used for investing in equipment for doing the interiors properly. Ie steamer, Vacuum...


(I am new at this and all of my friends allow me to detail there autos for the hands on experience, every one of them can't belive how great there auto's look when done, In my mind I'm not ready for the real world, all my friends keep wanting me to open a detail center. I keep telling them I have 10 years to master this "detailing thing" before my retirement from my first job.)

[Big Ben]

Serious,
I had alot of those friends when I first started. They were all telling me how great my detailing jobs were and they were all lining up to get their $50.00 three steps detailing jobs. Now that I have my biz going, I estimate my time to be worth $30.00 an hour because I have a mobile detailing biz and I don't have many overheads. It take me 3hr to do a three steps exterior so I charge $90.00. Same for the interior it usually take me 1 and 1/2 hr to do a normal clean up job and remove a few stains so I charge $45.00. If I have to do a shampoo or remove pet hair I charge extra.

And by the way all those friends of mine that were lining up to get a $50.00 detailing job... Well I don't see them anymore!!!

Big Ben

[Slats]

First of all, these guys know what they are talking about since they have their own businesses. But it sounds like you just want to make a little extra money on the weekend. When I used to do that I would charge by the hour. It works out to be a lot easier. Ask the customer what they would like done, roughly how much they are willing to spend, and then do your work accordingly.

Slats

[Lt1Corvette]

Originally posted by Slats
First of all, these guys know what they are talking about since they have their own businesses. But it sounds like you just want to make a little extra money on the weekend. When I used to do that I would charge by the hour. It works out to be a lot easier. Ask the customer what they would like done, roughly how much they are willing to spend, and then do your work accordingly.

Slats

I did that for a while; however I had some problems with it. When people would tell me what they wanted done and I would give them my rate and go to work. I always found that the owner was hounding me to get done. Often would have me stop before I was done and leave a bad job on the car. I prefer to charge a solid price, then I can take as long or as little time as is necessary to create the best finish I can. A solid price just works better for me.

[HotRodGuy]

I "try" to charge by the hour, if not I give them a pretty good estimate.


For full exterior (clay, #83, #80, LSP) and a minor interior cleaning( Vacuum, dust, scrub the mats) I charge on avg $175

[Marc08EX]

Originally posted by HotRodGuy
I "try" to charge by the hour, if not I give them a pretty good estimate.


For full exterior (clay, #83, #80, LSP) and a minor interior cleaning( Vacuum, dust, scrub the mats) I charge on avg $175

And it only takes you 4 hours? How do you do that?

[Lt1Corvette]

Originally posted by Bri
And it only takes you 4 hours? How do you do that?

Scott is just too talented for the rest of us. That would take me about 6-7 hours.

[HotRodGuy]

Originally posted by Bri
And it only takes you 4 hours? How do you do that?

Misspoke myself, for that price, i'll spot check deeper scratches w/ 83. If the whole car needs 83, I do it for 225

Usually takes me 4-5 hours to do #80 #83 spot checking, claying, 2 coats of LSP

interior work