Price List?

[Calais]

I wanted some input from established pro detailers as to how much I should charge. I don't want to undercut myself too badly but I live in the city (lots of competition), I'm 17 and I need to attract and keep clientele. I've decided to make my entire price list a la carte, that way people who have a limited budget or want a custom package can pick and choose what services they need. All price are subject to change based on the size of the vehicle and how soiled/swirled/scratched/oxidized the car is.

5 step hand wash - $25^
Clay - $25^
Tires cleaned, wheels cleaned and tires dressed - $10^
Interior Vacuum, cleaning and dressed - $20^
Wax - $20^
Carpets removed and cleaned - $5^
Paint Correction - $15/hour
All chrome meticulously cleaned and polished $10^ (for cars with lots of chrome like my own)
Pure polish/glaze (without other correction, mostly for SS) - $20^

[Tuck91]

Re: Price List?

Might want to raise the price on the carpet cleaning and shampooing.

I recently detailed a mini van and the carpet took about an hour to do. You also might want to raise the price on paint correction a little.

What is the 5 step hand wash?

[john m.]

Re: Price List?

My tip to you is it is fine to price things out this way, but sell in packages. Like a Wash and dry package where you do wheels and dress them.

Then a wash, clay, wax package and so on adding a little more and bumping up the price each time. It will also help you to raise the price a little more


Ex. with me, I will only shampoo carpets on an interior only detail or on a full detail which are both over 100. So anything smaller they get a normal vaccum. Give them incentives to want to upgrade in packages

[Calais]

Re: Price List?

Might want to raise the price on the carpet cleaning and shampooing.

I recently detailed a mini van and the carpet took about an hour to do. You also might want to raise the price on paint correction a little.

What is the 5 step hand wash?

I planned to APC>agitate>dab dry until I get a wet/dry vac. I guess I could go up a few bucks, ~$10?

~$20/hour for paint correction?

Soak>rinse>hand wash>rinse>dry. I soak to minimize grit on the surface for when my mitt touches the paint for next to no swirls. Also, it sound like I care.

[Calais]

Re: Price List?

My tip to you is it is fine to price things out this way, but sell in packages. Like a Wash and dry package where you do wheels and dress them.

Then a wash, clay, wax package and so on adding a little more and bumping up the price each time. It will also help you to raise the price a little more


Ex. with me, I will only shampoo carpets on an interior only detail or on a full detail which are both over 100. So anything smaller they get a normal vaccum. Give them incentives to want to upgrade in packages

I'm finding it difficult to place the services into packages that make sense to me, seem profitable and appear affordable to customers. I feel that with the a la carte menu it seems like they are getting exactly what they want and nothing they don't, thus saving themselves money. It makes customers feel like they are being frugal while still being profitable for me.

[Calais]

Re: Price List?

Okay, so would the following price list seem more appropriate? Any input on what kind of packages I should offer and at what price?

5 step hand wash - $25^
Clay - $25^
Tires cleaned, wheels cleaned and tires dressed - $10^
Interior Vacuum, cleaning and dressed - $20^
Wax - $20^
Carpets removed and cleaned - $10^
Paint Correction - $20/hour
All chrome meticulously cleaned and polished $10^ (for cars with lots of chrome like my own)
Pure polish/glaze (without other correction, mostly for SS) - $20^

[Andrew C.]

Re: Price List?

To do carpets you can spray APC, agitate with a brush, then rinse with a hose. Then Get something to run across the carpet while wet to push out all the water , then let it air dry.


You can take a look at my site if you want some package ideas

https://www.acautospa.weebly.com

[CieraSL]

Re: Price List?

Then Get something to run across the carpet while wet to push out all the water , then let it air dry.

An ice scraper works really well for pushing out the excess water.


You can pick up a cheap one like this for a couple of bucks at any auto parts store.

[Bounty]

Re: Price List?

I wanted some input from established pro detailers as to how much I should charge. I don't want to undercut myself too badly but I live in the city (lots of competition), I'm 17 and I need to attract and keep clientele. I've decided to make my entire price list a la carte, that way people who have a limited budget or want a custom package can pick and choose what services they need. All price are subject to change based on the size of the vehicle and how soiled/swirled/scratched/oxidized the car is.

5 step hand wash - $25^
Clay - $25^
Tires cleaned, wheels cleaned and tires dressed - $10^
Interior Vacuum, cleaning and dressed - $20^
Wax - $20^
Carpets removed and cleaned - $5^
Paint Correction - $15/hour
All chrome meticulously cleaned and polished $10^ (for cars with lots of chrome like my own)
Pure polish/glaze (without other correction, mostly for SS) - $20^

I'll copy/paste one of my posts from a similar thread along these same lines. Read through and you'll have an idea of the pricing level you want to be at that allows you room to grow but effectively covers your time/materials/profit needs:

Just as an example, a 12-hour job for me would run in the $370 range if it was straight time. More than likely I'd charge for an basic exterior wash/cleanse/wax ($105), basic interior detail ($35), basic engine detail ($35) and then hourly/per pass for the paint correction. That has the customer at $175 before I break out any tape, polish, or machine.

When pricing out paint correction I prefer hourly because it affords me the opportunity to get the level of correction I'm satisfied with. I'll do an all-out test spot for a customer and then approximate the job with the caveat that to get the rest of the car to look that way it will take at least "x" amount of hours. Some customers do not like an hourly charge because they feel it's too open ended. In that case I charge $200 per pass. In other words if I had to go over the car with the Flex/CCS Orange/M105 once followed by Flex/CCS Green/M205 that would be two complete passes or $400. If I have to go over it with a PFW pad prior it would be another pass and now $600 in paint correction alone. I've had two four-pass jobs in my life and that would obviously be $800 in addition to the aforementioned $175 for a total of $975.

Of course more complete interior and engine detailing services can bump that up by another $140 or so. You have to factor in a lot of things besides just your man hours. Wear and tear on your machine, pads, polishes, liquids, towels, applicators, and the necessary clean-up and maintenance of those items. Educate the customer as to the very specialized and typically expensive machines and detailing products you are using and the specific expertise you have. When you look at it that way, my $35 an hour rate really is nothing compared to what mechanics charge ($75 to $125 per hour).

Although the numbers may look big to some remember a two or three pass job can stretch to three days and if you're gong to keep me for the greater part of a week I need to be compensated accordingly. As far as the philosophy of underpricing to start out I am totally against it. I understand you want to establish yorself. But try another approach. Why not set your prices at what you'd like to get. Then offer a discount for first-time customers or the month of June or something. Say 20% so that a $200 job is given for $160 then a month or so down the road the actual non-discounted price is established and your hard work is remembered. Word of mouth spreads but at your actual pricing. How do you think the customer feels when you charge him $150 and two or three months later $300 just "because"? If he knows he's getting a one time deal he'll be even more likely to tell others what a good deal he got for an extensive service and recommend you. Just my two cents...

Hope it helps...

[Caress Detailing]

Re: Price List?

I would say just assess each car you're working on first before setting a price. You don't want to overwork yourself for $5 an hour.

And most customer's ideas of "it's not so bad" means it's in terrible condition and needs a lot of work.

I found that out with a black honda accord I'm going to do next week. "Oh I wash it often, and the condition it's not so bad." Oxidation, Marring, Swirl City, deep RIDS all over the place, Oxidized headlights, Cracking leather, dirty dash board, caked on brake dust. You name it. There's no way I'd do that car for $25 or even $100.

[jdoria]

Re: Price List?

I am in Westchester, 30 mins from you, you are giving your services away if you are a pro and can deliver.

A hand car wash at a customers home or place of business runs between $50-100. People will pay.

[Calais]

Re: Price List?

Next week, hopefully, I am going to be detailing my boss' truck. It's a Ford Explorer, so its going to take a lot of time and effort but I am actually really looking forward to it. His whole car is pretty hammered, he needs some of his interior re-upholstered, swirls and RIDS galore, medium oxidation, filthy tires and dry trim. His only request was "make it shiny", so I decided on the following regimen: Wash w/GC, clay w/either mild clay or smooth surface kit, polish w/M80, wax with Cleaner Wax, vacuum with my home vacuum and wipe down the interior with QID. Bleche-Wite and Hyperdressing for the tires. Hyperdressing on the trim. I'm charging $175, I think he is going to be really happy with the results.

I did a test spot, about 6"x6" to see if ColorX would cut the oxidation and he almost flipped out at the results. I thoroughly QD'd the area, taped it off, clayed it and worked some ColorX into it for a few seconds and showed him the difference from where the tape was. He was so happy all he said was "you got yourself a job". He called his cousin over and now he's thinking of having me detail his VW bug.

[Andrew C.]

Re: Price List?

Next week, hopefully, I am going to be detailing my boss' truck. It's a Ford Explorer, so its going to take a lot of time and effort but I am actually really looking forward to it. His whole car is pretty hammered, he needs some of his interior re-upholstered, swirls and RIDS galore, medium oxidation, filthy tires and dry trim. His only request was "make it shiny", so I decided on the following regimen: Wash w/GC, clay w/either mild clay or smooth surface kit, polish w/M80, wax with Cleaner Wax, vacuum with my home vacuum and wipe down the interior with QID. Bleche-Wite and Hyperdressing for the tires. Hyperdressing on the trim. I'm charging $175, I think he is going to be really happy with the results.

I did a test spot, about 6"x6" to see if ColorX would cut the oxidation and he almost flipped out at the results. I thoroughly QD'd the area, taped it off, clayed it and worked some ColorX into it for a few seconds and showed him the difference from where the tape was. He was so happy all he said was "you got yourself a job". He called his cousin over and now he's thinking of having me detail his VW bug.

That's what I like to hear. Good Job on selling yourself to not only your boss but probably his cousin now too. Take some pics if you can of the detail so we can see how it went. Your price sounds solid, but I would cut the cleaner wax and use NXT 2.0 or another LSP that isn't a cleaner.

[Calais]

Re: Price List?

That's what I like to hear. Good Job on selling yourself to not only your boss but probably his cousin now too. Take some pics if you can of the detail so we can see how it went. Your price sounds solid, but I would cut the cleaner wax and use NXT 2.0 or another LSP that isn't a cleaner.

I've also talked with my neighbor about detailing his new Mercedes. I think I am going to jump the gun, skip the #80 and end up using some ColorX by hand and finish up with Ultimate Quik Wax. I've got the detail set up for the 25th and can't make my ADS order until this saturday. Unless my order comes in under a week, I guess I will have to go ahead with the ColorX method. I think he will be thrilled with the hydro-phobic qualities of the UQW.