For you professional detailers, what do you charge

[BrandonL]

So I'm thnking about posting up flyers on campus advertising detail service to pick up some extra money. Obviously I'm no professional but I'm confident that I can offer the right service to college kids (and faculty) for the right price and hone up my skills in the process. So for those of you that do this professionally what do you charge? Thanks for any information

[Team Adam's]

It sort of depends on the service you'll be providing. Some charge for parts of the car (price for interior, price for exterior, price for engine bays, price for tires and wheels.) Some charge for stages. Car Wash is a price, while clay bar, polish and wax is another.

 

Post up what your actual capabilities are and we'll help ya out

[BrandonL]

Well I'm good at washing, learning the clay bar (should have that down soon), just used the swirl and haze remover and resto for the first time and think that came out very well, and just now getting waxing down to the point that I'm comfortable charging for it. Interior I have experience with but haven't done engine bay so probably won't focus on it. Also I'm thinking about giving away a MF towel and a bottle of DS with every full detail

[Sundog Detailing]

I agree with Jason, it also depends on your area. My prices are considered cheap but it's because of where I am, if I were in a larger area I would raise my prices quite a bit.

 

I f you visit my website you will notice all my prices start from a dollar amout, I do that because evry vehicle is different so nothing will be the same price. People have different views on what " in good shape " means.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Sundog Detailing

[Sundog Detailing]

I wouldn't advise giving those things away as it will kill your profit, I had a ton of pens made and give those out because people tend to leave pens everywhere and it's a great way to spread your name.

[estecoca]

In my experience, people are often surprised to learn how much a good detail is worth. They think 'its just a car wash' and that its worth 20-40. ha! I asked some co-workers what they would be willing to pay for a wash, clay, scratch removal and wax. they all thought 50-60 would be about right. yeh, right.

[6spdg37s]

yea man it depends on who it is, what the extent of the work is, if u wanan be negotiable in teh beginning id say start higher so u can drop the price ...people like to think there getting a deal.. i.g. 200 advertised for claybar SHR, POlish, WAX but ur gona give it to them for 175 or 150 cause they go to the same school as you..jus an idea

[Baron_Von_Awesome]

In my experience, people are often surprised to learn how much a good detail is worth. They think 'its just a car wash' and that its worth 20-40. ha! I asked some co-workers what they would be willing to pay for a wash, clay, scratch removal and wax. they all thought 50-60 would be about right. yeh, right.

 

And that is probably the hardest part of detailing - prove to the customer it's worth the cost. You need to find an effective way to sell your services with emphasis on the difference between a detail and a simple wash. How you do that depends on your area.

 

Don't give away free anything unless it's business cards and/or pens. If you want to give discounts on anything, let the customer earn it through repeat business and referrals.

[jjwvette]

For 20 to 40 they'd get turtle wax from me...watered down

[IMADreamer]

Around here (small town, poor area, everyone losing their job) the going rate is 100$ for the basics, wash and wax. interior is another 35$, and I actually don't know of anyone locally providing clay/polish services. Of course I don't know anyone locally doing a good job detailing either. I've seen both local detailing places work and they are awful. The interiors are left all greasy and the exteriors are so so. Of course you will be using Adam's products so you won't have to worry about greasy residue.

[Team Adam's]

I have a fairly established set of regular customers that I charge a cut rate for b/c their rides are with me regularly enough that they don't need much work to maintain. But, for first timers and/or people who only bring their stuff in when its bad I charge a minimum $150 for a basic detail on a small-medium car, $200 for large cars, $250-$300 for SUV's and trucks. Thats of course is a full exterior detail, minor paint correction, vacuum and dressing the interior and basic undercarriage/engine bay cleanup. Prices go up depending on how bad the paint, interior, or engine bay is and if the customer requests additional services (extra coats of wax, sealants, shampooing, etc)

 

I think if you offer just a basic cut and dry detail $150 isn't an unfair price to start.

[Team Adam's]

People have different views on what " in good shape " means.

 

Aint that the truth!! I almost have to laugh when some of these people tell me "Oh... its not that bad, I just want it cleaned up a little, shouldn't take you long" and then when I finally get my hands on the car it looks like someone performed an exorcism inside.

[Sundog Detailing]

Aint that the truth!! I almost have to laugh when some of these people tell me "Oh... its not that bad, I just want it cleaned up a little, shouldn't take you long" and then when I finally get my hands on the car it looks like someone performed an exorcism inside.

 

 

hahahaha, yeah and it looks like they wash it with a rotor tiller

[Team Adam's]

hahahaha, yeah and it looks like they wash it with a rotor tiller

 

I prefer to use a cinderblock wrapped in barbed wire as a wash pad, I dip it in my own proprietary mixture of playground sand and gravel, then apply liberally with all the pressure I can muster.

[BrandonL]

Thanks for the info everyone. The area that I'm thinking about working in would be my school which is Pepperdine in Malibu. Most of the kids there (at least the ones that drive) have some decent money so I was thinking that maybe $100 for basic exterior detail and an extra $30-50 for a complete interior detail wouldn't be out of line. Maybe more if the car is in really bad shape. As far as giving away detail spray I was thinking that giving away some small spray bottles with my name and phone number on it (the small $3 ones that they sell) would be a good way to generate repeat business. Just a thought but I didn't think it would cut into my profits enough to matter really.

[Sundog Detailing]

I prefer to use a cinderblock wrapped in barbed wire as a wash pad, I dip it in my own proprietary mixture of playground sand and gravel, then apply liberally with all the pressure I can muster.

:lol::lol:

[Bill-V8V]

I prefer to use a cinderblock wrapped in barbed wire as a wash pad, I dip it in my own proprietary mixture of playground sand and gravel, then apply liberally with all the pressure I can muster.

 

Well at least you didn't give away all the trade secrets, he'll never know you mix the sand and gravel up with break fluid to make it spread easier :lolsmack:

 

 

 

Please don't try any of these methods at home, this stunt should only be attempted by a professional :jester:

[Krzdimond]

And that is probably the hardest part of detailing - prove to the customer it's worth the cost. You need to find an effective way to sell your services with emphasis on the difference between a detail and a simple wash. How you do that depends on your area.

 

This is how I justify the cost: I explain that the process will take "X" hours, but you'll go from this:

 

 

to This:

 

 

 

 

 

and, yes, I DO carry a brochure with the pics in it wherever I go....

[BrandonL]

I was absolutely thinking about doing this myself. My father-in-law has this haggard old Saturn SC-1 that is everything a car's paint shouldn't be. I'd like to take some before and after pictures of this car and show them to potential customers. I'll be sure to post the up here too

[JJ1o87]

Yeah depends on your area. But lets say if I started a business, I'd probably charge close to 200 bucks for a full detail. I mean also realize the time you'll be spending on the car. I spend close to 8 hours on average doing mine. Plus, you might want to consider becoming licensed and insured to start up a side business like this just to keep it safe I'd assume.

[Junkman2008]

That's why I don't detail for a living. I couldn't afford my own rates!

[11chevz71]

I think that a lot of money to get a car detailed anywhere you live.

[Baron_Von_Awesome]

Maybe more if the car is in really bad shape.

 

Make sure you clearly establish a cut off point for yourself - the $150 flat rate for your interior/exterior detail should cover x amount of hours. Anything beyond that and it moves to a per hour charge. That way you don't burn yourself too bad if you can only squeeze in 1 car a day instead of 2.

 

If you're going to be mobile in a tight spot like a campus, you'll make a killing on a la carte services - full wheel detail, headlight restoration, etc...small things like that don't take much time or materials and can add up quick and it's very easy to be competitive with the prices.

[Baron_Von_Awesome]

I couldn't afford my own rates!

 

I work as a network engineer and as a detailer and I always say the same thing - "I can't afford myself."

[Brent44]

I would adjust your prices to who you are marketing to. In my business I typically charge by the job, but it usually ends up being close to $30 an hour. I make sure it is absolutely spotless though and my clients are all older and are moderately successful. My friends (18-23) say they could never afford what I charge, but they really don't understand how much money I've put into my equipment and so forth. It's very important to educate your clients on what makes you different from other detailers. I wouldn't have half of my clients if I didn't explain to them what I do differently than some 14 year old with a bath towel, some dawn dish cleaner, and a bucket. I would start out a little bit lower since you are working with college kids as your clients and then you can always move up if you feel you aren't getting what you should be. Hope I helped

 

-Brent

[Junkman2008]

Tell'em Brent!