Full Service Wash Pricing: How much?

[brwill2005]

David, it is Bradford for your information. Anyways, the plan looks good on paper, however, like others have mentioned you are going to have trouble finding people willing to pay that much for a wash and vacuum type service. I have about 15 cars that I service bi-weekly or monthly at between $50-85 each time. Finding those 15 cars was a challenge. My plan is similar to yours, only it would be a team of fours guys (two at each station). The stations will be set up for high efficiency, and the services priced to attract a large market share. Essentially each station will be bringing in $60 per hour gross income. Combine the two stations and that will be $120 per hour gross. The key here will be efficiency, and getting the cars done quickly with good quality while the customer waits.

[Scottwax]

IMO, there is no real way to be profitable doing washes, it`s just a service that we provide to retain clients. If it keeps them coming to the shop and we break even on the service, then I am ok with that.

Agreed, which is why I`ve cut way back on weekly washes. The regular income is nice but I can make more per day doing details. I look at it as a long term investment because they are loyal customers and detailing their cars is easier due to the regular care. I have a two vehicle minimum for washes and only for local customers.

[EBPcivicsi]

You are going to do this mobile, right David? I guess I should have stated that my advice would be based upon my experience running a fixed location. If I had someone to put in a mobile set up, I would in a hearbeat--they would just wash all day!

[alloutdetailing]

I am located in Sanford FL.



Here is what I call a maintenance wash:



Wash,vac,wipe down interior panels,clean windows in/out,dress tires,air freshener.



Wash also includes cleaning behind the rims and wheel wells. bugs and all blah blah





Here is what I charge:



cars $25

mid size suv $35

mini van $35

Pickups $45

big suv $45



Now I honestly think this is extremely cheap all the way around. If there is spill on a panel I clean it at no extra charge. <---- Stupid but I do. Everyone who will give me work says it`s a bit much. I explain to them cost and all but as you already know no one cares. For now I am only doing the customers I have.





I am no longer settling for a lower price. I use to think well $20 for a $25 job is not too bad. BS!!!!! I don`t need customers who don`t want to pay. I am targeting people who really care about there cars and are willing to pay.





I did not read all 3 pages of this thread but what do you people think about these prices I am charging?





Also all my products are commercial grade and not Walmart crap! Not thread jacking just adding my opinion and feeding so more help. Thanks

[imported_advs1]

damn i thought i was the only one that did that. my wife gets so pissed because she says i do a damn interior detail on almost every car i do, wether its a wash or full blown detail lol. but seriously i have to cut down on doing too much for too little. its hard around los angeles because we have people doing crap washes for $8 and full details for $50-$80.



i had a lady ask me the other day how much to wash her lexus crossover, i said $30(we were at the location doing other work already). she was like wow thats a lot. then she asked if i could get some bird crap etching out of her hood, i said sure for about $55, plus wash. she was like cant you just wash and polish my hood for $25?? all i said was good bye.

I am located in Sanford FL.



Here is what I call a maintenance wash:



Wash,vac,wipe down interior panels,clean windows in/out,dress tires,air freshener.



Wash also includes cleaning behind the rims and wheel wells. bugs and all blah blah





Here is what I charge:



cars $25

mid size suv $35

mini van $35

Pickups $45

big suv $45



Now I honestly think this is extremely cheap all the way around. If there is spill on a panel I clean it at no extra charge. <---- Stupid but I do. Everyone who will give me work says it`s a bit much. I explain to them cost and all but as you already know no one cares. For now I am only doing the customers I have.





I am no longer settling for a lower price. I use to think well $20 for a $25 job is not too bad. BS!!!!! I don`t need customers who don`t want to pay. I am targeting people who really care about there cars and are willing to pay.





I did not read all 3 pages of this thread but what do you people think about these prices I am charging?





Also all my products are commercial grade and not Walmart crap! Not thread jacking just adding my opinion and feeding so more help. Thanks

[Scottwax]

You are going to do this mobile, right David? I guess I should have stated that my advice would be based upon my experience running a fixed location. If I had someone to put in a mobile set up, I would in a hearbeat--they would just wash all day!

That`s fine if you are doing several cars at an office but 1 or 2 cars per location and you can`t make squat doing it mobile.

[alloutdetailing]

damn i thought i was the only one that did that. my wife gets so pissed because she says i do a damn interior detail on almost every car i do, wether its a wash or full blown detail lol. but seriously i have to cut down on doing too much for too little. its hard around los angeles because we have people doing crap washes for $8 and full details for $50-$80.



i had a lady ask me the other day how much to wash her lexus crossover, i said $30(we were at the location doing other work already). she was like wow thats a lot. then she asked if i could get some bird crap etching out of her hood, i said sure for about $55, plus wash. she was like cant you just wash and polish my hood for $25?? all i said was good bye.

Yeah. I mean don`t get me wrong I hate to turn down money and I am not rich but ***!!!! Doing things for nothing is like getting into credit card debt. Once you start you can`t stop. Lately I have been swinging away from all that crap. I just want people who are going to pay what it`s worth or F%ck it. I don`t need crappy azz people.





I`m just looking at it this way. If I help someone out by charging them less. Chances are that they will come out and ***** about the stupidest thing. So now I just help or do extra to those that don`t ask or those who stick with me no matter what.

[jtford95]

That is why I don`t detail on a full time basis. I didn`t know how to price my work out correctly. David it sounds good on paper, but, can you get that type of paying clients?

I wish it was that easy.

[David Fermani]

I know you say you don`t charge per our but, do you not have an avg $ that you end up yielding per hour...

Because these days I detail part time, I don’t focus on doing details in a timely manner. Customers usually drop off on Friday night and pick up on Sunday. Average jobs take 15-20 hours and average $700-$900. I’m certain that my pricing would adapt if I were doing things differently. Especially if it were my primary source of income. But, I enjoy taking my time and being home with the family; jumping in the pool and taking a long lunch if wanted.

If you got the $50 prospects then do it...



I would do $75 if they came to me...You will also be able to upsell other items as well....

Actually, I’d only like to have 50 vehicles to service regularly. Most clients I’ll focus on will have 3-4 vehicles so that really means acquiring between 15-20 clients. That’s pretty easy. My services have already been requested by 3 that have about 10 cars. I`ll be starting this early next year(weekends), so I`ll be able to get a decent taste for the system then.

You are correct and this is key because the actual act of washing a vehicle is one of my least favorite things to do. I have trained someone to do this and he is very good...



Run with it David

Much appreciated Jason . I actually find washing/maintaining a vehicle more interesting. Especially after it’s been completely detailed or it’s brand new.

I wish it were easy to pick up 50+ regular wash clients at $50 a pop. People are cheap and finding those who are willing to pay for quality in bulk is not easy.

Again, 50 vehicles, not 50 clients. Big difference. Especially in the logistics.

Actually, after following your posts for the past couple of years I would really like to see you get there.



I think the +500 initial correction is going to be hard enough to get. But I will never be the guy that tells someone they can`t do it. So go for it and then fill me in on how you did it.

Thanks fergnation! I think the initial correction would be easy to capture. I’ve already had no problem obtaining twice that $$ on many occasions. I’d say $500 for the maintenance/rejuvenation would be fair. It shouldn`t need anything more than a light 1 step polish and light interior cleaning. Because these vehicles will constantly be maintained, they’ll never get off the beaten path by much. If so, I’ll detail them sooner. And likewise on a vehicle that doesn’t require this service.

I like the plan, and I hope it works out well for you. I have been trying to set up something similar here but, its almost impossible to compete on a "lower" level with the quick "in-out" hand washes here that do mediocre work at best. Plus, I dont think this kind of plan works if you don`t get tons of volume consistently.



Oh, and here, anything over 50.00 for a hand wash is considered insanity. Not even a lot of the high end customers I sometimes deal with would ever consider having their car washed for 50.00. Especially when they know that they can do it themselves and achieve similar results, call me out 1-2 times a year to clean up any marring they induce, and still have an awesome looking ride.



just my .02 cents. Good luck though and let us know how it works out!

Thanks dmw! This business will not work in all geographic areas. It takes a high concentration of hi-end clients that see value in this service and are not shy in respect to maintaining their vehicles to the utmost highest standards. Again, focusing on a specific target audience is key. Here in S. Florida, there’s an abundance of these people. There’s literally thousands, so capturing ~20 will be like shooting fish in a barrel. I have a feeling that once the business is in a stabilized mode, there will be a constant growth. I think an important part of running/starting a successful business is offering a service that people need and want. Especially one that has little to no comparitive competition.

I would much rather do mediocre details then washes. Dealing with 3 or 4 customers/vehicles a day will be much easier then 10-12. Even if you can do the washes in 1hr you will lose time in the transitions and you won`t physically be able to work 10 straight hours a day everyday of the week, and your helper won`t even want to, not for 35k a yr.

Great input Michael. Doing 3-4 details daily is much different that washing 10-12. Detailing that many vehicles will require multiple skilled technicians, washing this many vehicles won’t. Also, don’t forget the revenue & overhead differences between washing that many vehicles compared to doing mid-level(mediocre) details. Like mentioned above, the key is obtaining clients with multiple vehicles. There’s no way one person could hit 10 stops in 1 day, day-in, day-out. There could be days where you could go to 1 location and service 15 vehicles there.

Some questions for thought:



Will your market be willing to pay $5,500/yr on detailing costs for one vehicle?

Yes. Some clients pay almost ½ that just in detailing already. Add washing and you’re there easily. The difference is that right after I detail these client`s vehicles, they get hammered by a crappy car washer that marrs the heck out of them. They end up needing multi-step corrections on a regular basis. It makes no sence to abuse a car like this and these people don`t really have an alternative (until now).

Assuming you`ve got your 50 customers, can you and a helper complete a full correction, or the semi-annual details that are due, plus your other 9 washes in one day?

Again, were talking about 50 vehicles, not 50 clients. I’ll be the only one doing detailing. I’ll take on help once I establish enough workflow to support it. I’ll try doing washes 4, maybe 5 days per week and details in-between. I`ll stagger the details to 1-2 per week. This will definitely take a lot of logistical skill to plan this, but that’s where I thrive. For 10 years my shop did 25-30 cars a day and very rarely was there a hiccup with pick-up/delivery.

If a customer needs to reschedule can you and one helper do the catch-up work and stay on your current jobs in a given day?

Good question. Because I’ll be doing this 4-5 days per week, I think spreading out catch-up work will be attainable. I’ll also have help on stand by in case a back up is foreseen.

IME the volume of work you`re attempting to complete can`t be done with one employee. You`re trying to operate at less then 15% of your gross in employee cost. Has your previous detailing business ran close to that? Mine runs at about double what you`re attempting to do.

Comparing this business model to my last one is like comparing apples to oranges. This one will require much more hands on involvement(initially) than my last one. Much less headache and overhead too. Doing 50 vehicles per week with 1 person helping will be easy as long as state of the art processes and workflow is utilized. Don’t forget; I’m not going to 10 different stops each day.

^^^^ I agree with Michael, you might need more help. Maybe train one guy, then as business picks up have him train the other and send both of them out while you do the correction work.



and what is considered a full service wash to you? (maybe I missed it) I would find it hard to believe anyone would pay $75 for a simple washing, let alone $100. But, if you can find the clients for that, more power to ya!

Full service weekly wash in a nutshell is a what ever is required to bring a vehicle to “post-detailed� appearance. It will not include(or need) buffing, waxing, shampooing, degreasing or scrubbing. These aren’t cars that haven’t been washed in 2 months. They’ll be maintained to the same standards Autopians care for their own vehicles on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis.

David, it is Bradford for your information. Anyways, the plan looks good on paper, however, like others have mentioned you are going to have trouble finding people willing to pay that much for a wash and vacuum type service. I have about 15 cars that I service bi-weekly or monthly at between $50-85 each time. Finding those 15 cars was a challenge. My plan is similar to yours, only it would be a team of fours guys (two at each station). The stations will be set up for high efficiency, and the services priced to attract a large market share. Essentially each station will be bringing in $60 per hour gross income. Combine the two stations and that will be $120 per hour gross. The key here will be efficiency, and getting the cars done quickly with good quality while the customer waits.

Thanks for the reply Bradford. The purpose of this tread was to research what others are charging in different markets. It looks like you`re able to get a decent price for your service. I was actually approached by a group of current clients that asked if I could do this service for them. They all live in the same neighborhood and price(after discussing it with them) isn’t an issue. These are very picky people that require nothing but the best service for their vehicles. If I request something that needs to be done, price isn’t a factor. Here’s a taste of the average home in this area: (FYI: this is not one of my client’s homes. Just an example of one in the neighborhood to show the demographics I’ll be positioned within)





Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Property Search System

You are going to do this mobile, right David? I guess I should have stated that my advice would be based upon my experience running a fixed location. If I had someone to put in a mobile set up, I would in a hearbeat--they would just wash all day!

Yes, I’ll be doing it mobile. I think doing this in a fixed location would be real challenging and probably not realistic. Other than climate, what’s stopping you from exploring this? With the vehicles I’ve seen in your Click N Brags coupled with the level of detail you cater to, I’m sure you’d do great. :up

That`s fine if you are doing several cars at an office but 1 or 2 cars per location and you can`t make squat doing it mobile.

Right. You’ll need to coordinate this to service multiple vehicles at 2-4 locations each day. Drive time will eat up your profits and time.

[jeteast99]

Big $ in that area. Good luck!

[Barry Theal]

I need to F`n Move!!!!!! LOL I wonder what I could get for a bi weekly amish buggy plan!!! lol This sounds like a great idea.

[gmblack3]

David, I don`t think you need it, but good luck to you. If anybody here can do this, it would be you.

[bwalker25]

on paper it looks great, I look forward to seeing how this pans out in the future. Good luck David.



Edit:



David what about vacations for yourself and the family?



if you did this, (52 weeks in a year, 4 weeks off (read: december off))



@ $75.00 per car

50 cars

48 weeks

1000 per car for detailing.

is $230,000 yr with a month off to do whatever.



This is an "average" weekly profit of $3750. So if you only took a 2 week vacation then you can figure an additional $3750 per week of work. You would get $500 per car twice a year for details in the "weekly wash" program which is an additional net of $50,000 a year.





@ $100 per car and $500 for semi-annual detail

50 cars

48 weeks

$1000 per car for detailing

is $290,000 yr with a month off to do whatever.



This is an "average" weekly profit of $5000 in just washes. So do the math here and its an additonal $5k per week of work. You would get $500 per car twice a year for details in the "weekly wash" program which is an additional net of $50,000 a year.



Now if you figure working year round the #`s go up, and if you figure with the "weekly washes" you could get 1 or 2 (2 would be good) full details @ 1000 per pop thats some additional change as shown below



@ $750 per full detail

2 per week

48 weeks

additional net $72,000 income on top of the wash program per year.



@ $1000 per full detail

2 per week

48 weeks

additional net $96,000 income on top of the wash program per year.



Minimum Income $230,000 yearly

Maximum Income $386,000 yearly and this still includes a month off....

[EBPcivicsi]

Yes, I’ll be doing it mobile. I think doing this in a fixed location would be real challenging and probably not realistic. Other than climate, what’s stopping you from exploring this? With the vehicles I’ve seen in your Click N Brags coupled with the level of detail you cater to, I’m sure you’d do great. :up

We do, I just find that detailing is more profitable for us--mostly due to our lack of space--I will be "semi-solving" that when we move tomorrow. :woohoo:



I also feel that in order to be profitable "washers" one would almost have to be mobile--I would charge more because of the convenience factor and overhead would be decreased significantly.

[brwill2005]

I think many of you are forgetting how efficiency and economies of scale factor into the equation. Right now, I offer quality mobile detailing services. Since, it is just me, I charge about $40 per hour for my work. I have managed to create a decent customer base that keeps me busy. There is a limit though, in who is willing to pay $40 per hour to have one person meticulously detail their car. This is despite me living in a county with the HIGHEST PER CAPITA INCOME IN THE COUNTRY. In addition, as others have already stated, I spend considerable time driving from location to location servicing my maintenance wash customers, as well as individual details. I have come to realize that there is only so much one person can do. Now, if I was able to offer similar services, only the service would be done much quicker (team of guys) and much cheaper, the demand would be much higher. Sure, pulling this off would require some capital investment, and the profit per job would be a bit less. The difference is, with a very efficient operation, and a much larger market share (cheaper price), I could take advantage of economies of scale. In other words, doing much more volume would make the lower profit margin work to my advantage. This all assumes a VERY efficient and properly set up operation.