what to charge?

[PA DETAILER]

neighbor approached me yesterday and asked what i would charge for a wax. guess he knows i am a weekend detailer. the car is a brand new mec. milan. black. needs nothing but a wash/hand wax. checked on some prices locally. appears like $50 would be ball park. i don`t know if i am going to do it yet. would that be ball park?

[Ronkh]

Most new cars need a minimum of
clay and a paint cleaner.

I`d be surprised if it doesn`t need a bit of polishing as well.

[Beemerboy]

I agree with Ron, clay, paint cleaner like PB PP and seal, wax or both.

I would be at 100 bucks

[tuscarora dave]

I personally would not under charge a neighbor as they will be wanting it all the time. I agree with Ron and Beemer boy and if he demands that all he wants is wax I would say no I am not interested in the job. I would`nt mind having a few guys out there complaining to their friends that I would only take a job if I could do it the right way.;)

[Bunky]

How about doing it for free as a favor and show him how to take care of it.

[Beemerboy]

How about doing it for free as a favor and show him how to take care of it.

Not for free, that just sets you up for more free work IMO

Detailing is not an easy job, and if you are doing other cars and charging then a neighbor would be no different.

I have two neighbors on my street that have used me, and paid the full amount.

As for the level of service that he is asking, "just wax" you have to educate him on this by telling them the best way to correct and protect.

[Troy@Protekt]

neighbor approached me yesterday and asked what i would charge for a wax. guess he knows i am a weekend detailer. the car is a brand new mec. milan. black. needs nothing but a wash/hand wax. checked on some prices locally. appears like $50 would be ball park. i don`t know if i am going to do it yet. would that be ball park?

Give him what he wants if that`s all it needs.

A wash and wax takes roughly an hour so $50 sounds about right on that car.

Now chances are it will need more so I would examine the car and upsell. Doing less than what the car needs is not good for business because it will reflect on you. That`s your call though.

[JohnHenry]

I agree with Ron, clay, paint cleaner like PB PP and seal, wax or both.

I would be at 100 bucks

True on the East Coast as well.

[gvilledetailing]

Does the guy not want the inside done at all? I would go in the 100 range if you were able to get the additional service of clay treatment plus polish and wax. If its just a wash and a wax nothing else I would say 50-70 depending on how dirty the vehicle is. A dirty car can take an additional thirty minutes or so if its really bad. I have seen some absolutely horrific cars with bugs and such. Have some pictures before and after on the website. This one guy said not many bugs well when I showed up for the estimate it was literally covered with bugs to where you couldn`t see the paint. What I am getting at is you need to assess the situation when you get there. The same make and model may look identical at first glance, but take twice as long. Use your best judgment and you will be fine. It sounds like you have checked your competitors which is how you should establish some form of baseline anyways. Hope that this was of some help.

[Lowprofile]

You could always quote him an hourly rate. But I also agree with clay and paint cleaner first. You have to consider also the amount of time you invested in research. Your amount of knowldege in auto detailing the "right way" and with the right products should command a premium.
Maybe your other neighbors will see you working on his car and want theirs done as well. Could be a good side job for you.

[Big Leegr]

Can your neighbor offer something other than cash in exchange? (Is he a carpenter/mechanic/etc) Maybe it would be better if you worked out a barter trade. I avoid charging cash prices. (But then again, I`m def. not a pro)

[Mr. Clean]

Give him what he wants if that`s all it needs.
A wash and wax takes roughly an hour so $50 sounds about right on that car.

Now chances are it will need more so I would examine the car and upsell. Doing less than what the car needs is not good for business because it will reflect on you. That`s your call though.

I agree. Depending on your relationship with the neighbor, you might not want to persue a full on sales pitch. I would suggest the benefits of claying the surface as a prep step. If he hangs around during the wash, you can demonstrate that with the baggie. If he balks, you might go ahead and clay 1/2 of a horizontal panel gratis (this shouldn`t take but a few extra minutes) and then after the job is done you have a side-by-side demo. Also after you assess the condition of the paint, you can point out any imperfections and how you can address those. For a new car, I wouldn`t be so certain that a polishing step would be required for correction, gloss enhancement maybe.


Can your neighbor offer something other than cash in exchange? (Is he a carpenter/mechanic/etc) Maybe it would be better if you worked out a barter trade. ...
Excellent thought! :bigups

[PA DETAILER]

i will be doing this shortly. he just wants a wash/wax. going to foam gun it, wash, dry, and use a wax/cleaner all in one. $65 OTD

job complete. being a new car, the paint was close to perfect. they were very happy with my work.