Full Service Wash Pricing: How much?

[imported_Detailing Technology]

Lesson here:



There are almost 2 billion Chinese people in China. If I can sell each one a $1 air freshener, I could make almost $2 billion dollars! WOW....





Keep the mental masturbation where it belongs, in your head.





Just go out and make money. You will blow the charts out of the water if you do what you know how to do.

[Scottwax]

Back to my original question - How much is everyone charging for full service car washes? Anyone able to get $75 or more?

Basic car wash (ONR, vacuum, glass, tires and fenderwells) is $70 -100 for two vehicles depending on size. That`s about tops for what you can get around here. Add $20 per vehicle for OCW.



A few problems I have with doing a lot of weekly car washes.



1. Too easy for people to cancel if there is rain the next day or two after their day. Can`t say I really blame people either because I don`t do rain checks.



2. It gets pretty monotonous doing the same cars week after week after week after week.



3. Lack of job satisfaction. The car is clean, big deal. I get more personal satisfaction out of a detail, I feel like I`ve accomplished more that day.



On the plus side:



1. Regular income (assuming the weather cooperates) is nice.



2. Easier to maintain the work you did on the detail and future details are easier.



3. Nice Christmas tips.

[SoCalB6]

Basic car wash (ONR, vacuum, glass, tires and fenderwells) is $70 -100 for two vehicles depending on size. That`s about tops for what you can get around here. Add $20 per vehicle for OCW.



A few problems I have with doing a lot of weekly car washes.



1. Too easy for people to cancel if there is rain the next day or two after their day. Can`t say I really blame people either because I don`t do rain checks.



2. It gets pretty monotonous doing the same cars week after week after week after week.



3. Lack of job satisfaction. The car is clean, big deal. I get more personal satisfaction out of a detail, I feel like I`ve accomplished more that day.



On the plus side:



1. Regular income (assuming the weather cooperates) is nice.



2. Easier to maintain the work you did on the detail and future details are easier.



3. Nice Christmas tips.

YES YES YES! :up



I do a wash for $30 (ONR wash, wheel faces and barrels, wells, dress tires and wells, windows, vacuum and wipe down). I can knock out a sedan in ~45-1hr. I know this is wayyy too low, but I can usually up-sell some type of service, so I make my money on that . A waxing (spray wax) is +$25 and I can do it as I am drying the car, maybe 20 minutes more are spent. If they are willing to clay the car +$75, I will use a liquid or paste wax/sealant. I also charge mileage and a $60 minimum per stop if doing mobile. Doing mobile is of course within reason, I am not driving 60 miles round trip for only $60.





I just started adding washing only services to my line up ~6 months ago after a good amount of requests and to supplement income.

[brwill2005]

Jdoria- No offense, but why is it you spend so much time knocking everyone`s business models? You yourself, claim to be a professional and post in the professional forum. Why bother if you see detailing businesses as so non-viable by your own standards. Is it simply because you enjoy tossing around your so called expertise on an internet forum? Just curious.

[Barry Theal]

YES YES YES! :up



I do a wash for $30 (ONR wash, wheel faces and barrels, wells, dress tires and wells, windows, vacuum and wipe down). I can knock out a sedan in ~45-1hr. I know this is wayyy too low, but I can usually up-sell some type of service, so I make my money on that . A waxing (spray wax) is +$25 and I can do it as I am drying the car, maybe 20 minutes more are spent. If they are willing to clay the car +$75, I will use a liquid or paste wax/sealant. I also charge mileage and a $60 minimum per stop if doing mobile. Doing mobile is of course within reason, I am not driving 60 miles round trip for only $60.





I just started adding washing only services to my line up ~6 months ago after a good amount of requests and to supplement income.

Wow tell me how you are willing to get 75$ to clay a car?

[imported_Detailing Technology]

Jdoria- No offense, but why is it you spend so much time knocking everyone`s business models? You yourself, claim to be a professional and post in the professional forum. Why bother if you see detailing businesses as so non-viable by your own standards. Is it simply because you enjoy tossing around your so called expertise on an internet forum? Just curious.

Not knocking it, David asked for my calculations. Thats a lot of work. In the end, it should produce some fruit.



I don`t detail for a living.

[imported_Jakerooni]

I don`t detail for a living.

That seems to be the thing these days. Of all the so called "Pro`s" on this site (and others) I think only a handfull or even less actually make their living detailing. EVERYONE else seems to think there`s no money in detailing so do something else as a regular gig. I know there`s a LOT of great detailers out there but I have a hard time taking someone seriously that only does this for "Side money" Where there are the few of us that live and breath this business 16 hours a day 7 days a week. Yet someone that does a car a week or just a couple a month get more "cult" followings than someone that actually does this for a real living...... What is the world coming too?

[David Fermani]

Based on an annual gross of $230k.



Pay overhead - Lets be conservative - $70k (keep in mind you have not paid yourself yet, just that 1 worker $35k)



Pay fed/state tax - leaves you with +/- $110k



Pay yourself, your tax, retirement and its a wrap!



What are you walking home with? $1,200-1,400 week with no medical or life insurance?

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but $70K? For what? Again, I think you’re way off. 1st of all, any worker would be classified as a Sub-Contractor. Therefore, there won’t be any tax or worker’s comp withholdings. Health Insurance/401K/Pension – (through Wife).





Quick list of major expenses:

-Insurance - $1500

-Vehicle - $6000 (payment/insurance/fuel)

-Phone/Internet - $1500

-Supplies - $3000

-Uniforms - $500

=-($12,500)





+$230,000 – Sales(very conservative figure btw)

-$12,500 - Expenses

-$35,000 – Sub-contract labor at max income output(variable expense)

=$182,500 –Profit before taxes



Unless I’m missing something major, I think this is a very viable business. Even at these low sales numbers.

Not knocking it, David asked for my calculations. Thats a lot of work. In the end, it should produce some fruit.



I don`t detail for a living.

Please don`t take this as rude, but what do you do for a living and what qualifications/experience do you have in regards to operating a detail related business? I know you worked at your parent`s dealership at different capacities and had other non-auto related experiences, but what gives you credibility to give real world input into this? Please share.

[gmblack3]

Does anybody look up to someone making $8-12/hr working at a dealership?

[Scottwax]

Unless I’m missing something major, I think this is a very viable business. Even at these low sales numbers.

Weather. You`d be safer assuming 30-35 washes per year for your weekly customers. I`ve been doing weekly washes for customers since 1995 and there is a reason I`ve cut back. I used to have regulars scattered through the entire week, now just Thursday through Saturday, although Friday is just the morning.



If you are going to hire a couple people to do the weekly washes while you concentrate on detailing, you are still going to have to follow up regularly on your workers to make sure they are giving the quality you expect. You can also have retention problems if you hit a month or two of bad weather, especially contract workers.



There is money to be made doing weekly washes but I think right now your numbers are a bit optimistic.

[MarcHarris]

David it seems you`re all over it. I`d love to get a few big time accounts to have a set-up like you`re thinking about doing.



To answer your question: No. In part though - we`re not willing to do it. It`s easiest to explain based off a recent inquiry:

Owner contacted us to Winter Prep his brand new GTI - he`s out of the Lansing area. Jacob is in Rochester, so the driving time starts then - approx 2 hours to get to the client. 30 minutes to set-up, 30 minutes to take down, and work for only 2-3 hours (4-6 man hours). Breaks down to 4 hours of driving, 1 hour of set-up take down, and maybe only 2 hours of work. So gone 7 hours for 2 hours of pay...

Not worth the job unless he brings us the car.



That`s what I believe many detailers to be facing in this type maintenance detailing. It`s not that there isn`t a market for it - it`s just not time+cost effective. You`ve already found the perfect solution in having a minimum amount of cars to do (even if you add in a neighbor to make it work - no biggie).

The additional problems will be just as Scottwax brought up:

Weather

Same-ol Same-ol gets boring

Lack of satisfaction



If anything David - set up a business model and put it into action, then work out the little bugs... then let me know how to do it perfectly up here

[imported_Detailing Technology]

Please don`t take this as rude, but what do you do for a living and what qualifications/experience do you have in regards to operating a detail related business? I know you worked at your parent`s dealership at different capacities and had other non-auto related experiences, but what gives you credibility to give real world input into this? Please share.

I`ve been doing nothing but telling you to go and do this business. I`d not get hung up on the small numbers and just go make it happen. If you build good infrastructre, it all falls into place.





David - don’t sweat it. You are asking a good question.

[imported_Detailing Technology]

Does anybody look up to someone making $8-12/hr working at a dealership?

Brian - Sure there is, the guy making $7/hr!





But does anyone look up to a guy living in the sticks who drives 400 miles to go clean somones car for a few bucks?:nixweiss

[Scottwax]

But does anyone look up to a guy living in the sticks who drives 400 miles to go clean somones car for a few bucks?:nixweiss

We get a stretch of crappy weather here (and with an El Nino winter forecast, we probably will) I`m looking at going to Phoenix for a couple weeks and working there. Beats sitting around here surfing the internet in my underwear, not making anything. :p

[imported_Detailing Technology]

AMEN Scottwax!