Detailing Prices

[VetteHead]

I`m not in the detailing business, but an acquaintance of mine wants me to do some detailing & polishing for him. From those of you who do detailing for others, I`d like to get some idea of what you would charge for the following services using all of my own products, tools and supplies:



1. wash car

2. clay car

3. polish with SMR using PC

4. polish with Show Car glaze using PC

5. wax car



Thanks for your help.

[mika17]

well i don`t use clay bars, i use paint cleaners...but, i`d charge about 150-200 depending on the size of the car, and in what condition it comes to me in.

Reason being i use microfiber towels, wash mitts, polishers, very nice buffer and zaino....only the best. Go to any other detail shop and they do it fast, sloppy, w/sometimes dirty towels and mitts, and all of this overcharging you for the work done.

[Chuckmotor]

The way I figure out my prices when I detail other people`s cars (which I do only on weekends or when I have time), I add up how much money I want to make per hour then multiply it by the time it will take. Then I add in the costs of supplies and gas to get to the person`s house. Since mobile detailing is something I do for side spending cash and to support my detailing hobby, I usually charge about $20-$25 per hour.

[imported_Intel486]

You`ll have to learn to break everything down into different prices so you`ll be able to make custom details for people



1. wash car - around $12

2. clay car - around $20

3. polish with SMR using PC - around $30

4. polish with Show Car glaze using PC -around $30

5. wax car -around $30 for liquid w/ PC. +$10 if paste.

[jmdlat]

Its not really the price of the products that make detailing expensive. Its the time and labor that goes into it. Takes 6-8 hrs for me to do a complete job. But the chemicals I use last many cars. Its just the time that it takes...

[mika17]

Time....exactly what i was implying. i detailed a Lightweight M3 for Deutsche Marque Concours De`legance on May 5th and won 2nd place. It took me 10 hours to detail this guy`s car, whom was also a friend. He tracks this car and its his daily driver....10 hours

10 hours, it was free tho...hehe

Otherwise it would have been about 275$ I charge by job, not hour. Also depends on the products that i use...i can use the really good stuff or wax that last a long time or that looks better and lasts only a short time. I basically look at the car and determine the price...just how i do it.

Not saying its the only way

[Jngrbrdman]

I agree with neenja. I`d charge probably closer to $200 for those services. I look at the supplies as well as the time it takes sometimes. I figure that job would cost you maybe $15 in supplies. Figure that it will take you the cost of a clay bar and the other polishes and supplies needed. Then there is a time issue. If this was your car then you wouldn`t stop till every swirl was removed. Are you going to take that much time on their car? It depends how much they are paying. Maybe for $300 I would work untill that thing looked like it was mine. For $150 they are going to get a shiney car but more than likely they can hire me again to remove all the swirls. That job is going to take all day and durring that time you could be out doing 4 or 5 $80 jobs and making more money. Anytime clay and PCs are involved the price is going to go through the roof. I paid $90 just to have a car polished once and they didn`t even remove all the swirls.