Complete Autopian Detail Price?

mikebires · 12-29-08, 05:04

I'm trying to figure out what the price for a complete wash, clay, correction, polish, protect, type detail would cost. This would include cleaning and dressing the engine, door jambs, wheels, plastic trim, steam clean the interior......the whole 9 yards!!!

I estimated the worst of the worst and came out to about 39 hours of work. What is the average hourly rate and amount of time does it take some of you guys to do this type of a detail. When I broke it down to about $350.00, it worked out to about $8 an hour....which is completely ridiculous.

What do you guys think?

Premium · 12-29-08, 05:35

"correction" is relative to the amount of work needed for a particular car to be "corrected."

I can generally get all of that work done and a 1 step done in about 7-10 hours depending on the dirtiness and the size of the vehicle.

toyotaguy · 12-29-08, 10:33

average hourly rate here I believe is about $60/hr...some are 50, some are 70+

If you are spending 40 hours on a car, it will run over 2000 bucks! better get that baby looking pristine!

NCZ13 · 12-29-08, 11:12

my rate comes b/w 25 and 30 an hour. Its what i feel comfortable charging, and isnt high enough to scare away people. I feel thats a pretty good average on here, about 30-40 an hour.

a 40 hour detail will definitely be in the thousands.

DiPsAuCe · 12-29-08, 11:23

It does scare me and turns me off the idea of hiring a professional when i see rates per hours instead of an estimate straight up. I mean how is the customer gonna know if the detailer is actually just kicking back on the couch with a beer in hand and charging for that on the hourly rate? IMHO, i prefer detailers that just give an estimate at first sight. 500 is pretty steep for a detail but i can picture it, but in the thousands is just INSANE!!!!

TH0001 · 12-30-08, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiPsAuCe

It does scare me and turns me off the idea of hiring a professional when i see rates per hours instead of an estimate straight up. I mean how is the customer gonna know if the detailer is actually just kicking back on the couch with a beer in hand and charging for that on the hourly rate? IMHO, i prefer detailers that just give an estimate at first sight. 500 is pretty steep for a detail but i can picture it, but in the thousands is just INSANE!!!!

500 is only pretty steep if the client doesn't have an idea of the work being done, IMO.

Puckman · 12-30-08, 04:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by TH0001

500 is only pretty steep if the client doesn't have an idea of the work being done, IMO.

+1. Look at the results Todd, Ryan and others get after maybe 20 - 40 hours of work and it is worth it. Actually $500 is an incredible price CONSIDERING the work it takes!

I'll do a 2 step correction in about 11 - 12 hours non stop. I only break for a quick bite when I'm waiting for LSP to set up. I hope no one here is sitting on the couch sucking beers before the vehicle is finished.

Showroom Shine · 12-30-08, 06:00

All details are different. Some people do not want to spend the money for a full correction. Wash, clay, rinse, buff, in steps. 7 to 10 hours work, depending on damage. Estimate around $55 to $60 and hour. Results will tell you if someone has not done a Great job. Why pay for half *ss work. Detailers know what to look for and what needs to be done. Most can give you a rough idea of they can or can't do. A completely Satisfied customer is the goal!

toyotaguy · 12-30-08, 02:58

on average:
$250 will get your car looking 75% better
$300 80% better overall
$500 90% better overall
$750 95-99% like new overall

now, it's the bigger cars, the dirtier cars, the SHOW cars that take 20+ hours to get done right and get charged accordingly. If someone tells you 900 bucks for a detail, rest assured its not just a wash and wax with a bunch of fillers covering the defects!

figure it this way, you make $xx per hour, would you work for less? Probably not.

Now for business owners, factor in buying supplies and tools, advertising, being mobile, etc and the hourly rate you want to charge...the high price of a detail makes more sense.

OverExposed · 12-30-08, 04:23

ii lurked this forum back before the paul dalton hype and thooo1 reality and most autopian detailers wouldnt charge more then 250 for a detail and bragged about this amount. orosco says he would spend days on a car for 250 so dont feel bad. now even hacks say they charge 50 an hour which gives the real detailers a bad name.

if you are new to detailing charge less because you still suck. just because you read a couple posts and bought a portercable with your allowance doesnt mean your worth 50 per hour. try 1o or 15.

if you have experience and skillz charge more maybe 2o or 3o and be happy. if you are like most of this forum and do really nice work charge 4o or more. charge your worth.

toyotaguy · 12-30-08, 04:39

location plays a factor too

Premium · 12-30-08, 05:51

What you charge is based on your target clientelle IMO. If you are looking to target people with big bucks that expect the utter best and don't mind paying for it, then charge in excess of $60+ per hour and try to find the work. If you are looking to target the working professional that has the money but not the time and doesnt really care about the process they just want a clean car, then selling them might look more like $20-$40 per hour. And so on and so on.

There are soooo many factors! You should just test out the market and see what price range gets you more work. Adjust prices accordingly. Hope this helps!