Amount To Charge?

**mauidiver15** · 01-05-2003, 10:46 PM

Hey everyone,

Just thinking about running a small, part-time, little detailing business out of my home. When just starting out, I`d offer a full wash, wax, vacuum, armor-all and whatever else the customer prefers.

What should I charge for that kind of service?

Any other opinions/tips on running this kind of operation would be great.

Thanks

**Jngrbrdman** · 01-05-2003, 10:51 PM

First tip would be to use the search. This has been discussed a few times recently and are probably fairly close to the surface. There are some good pointers in here if you look for them.

Your services aren`t very specific. If you are just going to wash their car, vacuum it out and then put on a coat of wax then I wouldn`t say you could charge more than 45 or 50 bucks for the job. It kind of depends on the area you are in and the class of client you have. Obviously you would charge more than that on an SUV and less on a motorcycle. It just depends on your customer I guess. Check out some of the threads regarding this. They might help you figure out what kind of prices you should be looking at. Welcome to Autopia! :xyxthumbs

**mauidiver15** · 01-05-2003, 11:01 PM

Thanks for reply,

I was about to search, but I am a member to a similar board, and I am used to a bunch of unusable search results, sorry for the extra thread.

**Knight** · 01-06-2003, 02:27 AM

Well, I would say first figure what it costs to do a wash,wax, vaccum and dress. How much does the wax you use cost? as a whole. How much the dressing? etc. Then try to figure out the number of times you can use that service. So let`s say the wax you bought is a paste wax. About 15 dollars. estimating about 200 cars lets say. So fifteen divided by 200. Thats 75 cents a car for that cost per car. Try to figure everything that way maybe. Then that will just cover the cost of the wax. Then as jngr said see the demand for the service. After you figure out breaking cost part then the demand you can charge accordingly. so let`s say you just wax. 75 cents is the cost to cover. so maybe charge 15 bucks for the wax job or 10. See if you get a lot of hits that way. If you do then you can stick with it or change. If price is too high they will go elsewhere. If too low then you could be getting more because people demand it more. or lol, you can ask or visit a pro website and just copy there prices. LOL I just put in my 50 cents.

:up

**Jngrbrdman** · 01-06-2003, 02:33 AM

Originally posted by Knight

Well, I would say first figure what it costs to do a wash,wax, vaccum and dress. How much does the wax you use cost? as a whole. How much the dressing? etc. Then try to figure out the number of times you can use that service. So let`s say the wax you bought is a paste wax. About 15 dollars. estimating about 200 cars lets say. So fifteen divided by 200. Thats 75 cents a car for that cost per car. Try to figure everything that way maybe. Then that will just cover the cost of the wax. Then as jngr said see the demand for the service. After you figure out breaking cost part then the demand you can charge accordingly. so let`s say you just wax. 75 cents is the cost to cover. so maybe charge 15 bucks for the wax job or 10. See if you get a lot of hits that way. If you do then you can stick with it or change. If price is too high they will go elsewhere. If too low then you could be getting more because people demand it more. or lol, you can ask or visit a pro website and just copy there prices. LOL I just put in my 50 cents.

:up

Which wax costs 15 bucks and will allow you to do 200 cars??? I`ve never heard of such a thing. If you are going to do math on how much it costs to detail a car then I would suggest you use a more reasonable number. You can`t set your prices based on how much wax you used. You have to look at the market you are in and price accordingly. Nobody will get their car detailed by someone who is only going to charge 15 bucks. You have to be realisticly priced or people will think you are cheap and dangerous. Charge what the job is worth.

Tell me where to get this 200 car wax. I want some of that. I`d love to see a 5 gallon tub of wax for $15. :p lol

**Knight** · 01-06-2003, 02:40 AM

Estimating. I was trying to put the point across that I was guessing. I don`t know how many times a can of wax can wax cars. I never finish one can. Always switch and try something new, or it spoils. ( give it to my friends that just destroy it! ) I could tell you stories. LOL Anyway, math(econ) is a good way to figure out both the PRICE to charge and the DEMAND as well. There are all kinds of graphs and math that can be used to figure the equilibrium to charge people based upon the demand and price.

:up

**Scottwax** · 01-06-2003, 06:48 PM

Charge the amount you want to earn per hour (after expenses) multiplied by how long the average wash/wax/vac takes you and that is what you charge. I try to make sure I average $30 to 40 an hour. Straight wash jobs I average closer to $30 an hour because the work isn`t as hard and closer to $40 when I am doing details, claying, etc.

**mauidiver15** · 01-06-2003, 07:49 PM

Thanks for all the replies!

Another question to add to this...

Can you give a list of all possible jobs (wash, clay, wax, ect.) people tend to want from you guys and what kind of "packages" these should go in?

Thank you again

**Scottwax** · 01-06-2003, 07:53 PM

Just do a basic menu of your prices for a wash, wash/wax, interior only and full detail and then do other services like claying, extra polishing, oxidiation removal, etc as `ala carte` items. Much easier than a huge list with every single combination.

**Nagchampa** · 01-06-2003, 08:41 PM

Originally posted by mauidiver15

Thanks for all the replies!

Another question to add to this...

Can you give a list of all possible jobs (wash, clay, wax, ect.) people tend to want from you guys and what kind of "packages" these should go in?

Thank you again

Do not make it complicated! What exactly do you offer?

Exterior

1) Wash

2) Wash & Wax

3) Wash, Polish, and Wax

Interior

1) Wipe

2) Wipe and Vacuum

3) Wipe, Vacuum, and Shampoo

These are three very basic procedures that can be used to give you an idea of what kind of combinations you can offer a client. Make your packages by using both lists.

eg. you might find that a customer will want their vehicle washed and waxed, and the interior wiped and vacuumed. Make a package up with this combo and call it package "A"

Just design your packages so that your customer will always feel that you have gone beyond the call of duty. Cleaning and dressing fenderwells is a perfect example of this. Most people will not notice that you cleaned them but they will notice their car looks a heck of a lot cleaner than it does when it goes to the $7 carwash up the street.

**Jngrbrdman** · 01-06-2003, 08:59 PM

Originally posted by mauidiver15

Thanks for all the replies!

Another question to add to this...

Can you give a list of all possible jobs (wash, clay, wax, ect.) people tend to want from you guys and what kind of "packages" these should go in?

Thank you again

Just take a trip to your local detailer and check out their price list. That`s about it. Or you can take a trip to our local search function and its there too. Which ever is easiest for you.

**mauidiver15** · 01-07-2003, 12:42 AM

Ok, next question is what brand product do you guys recommend for a good balance between quality and cost that is preferable to use with a client. If you use the products from more than one company, tell me which product with which company please. Thank you again for all your help.

**Nagchampa** · 01-07-2003, 01:35 AM

Originally posted by mauidiver15

Ok, next question is what brand product do you guys recommend for a good balance between quality and cost that is preferable to use with a client. If you use the products from more than one company, tell me which product with which company please. Thank you again for all your help.

This is one of those questions to which there is no answer. People here have used every possible combination of product and device. Just read the review section for an idea of what people like.

**ragtopgolfer** · 01-07-2003, 08:36 AM

I think before you ask how much to charge you mention what ever the customer wants. Find out what kind of customer you want and then go ask them what they want. Then we could better answer how much to charge.

**Hawkeye_TDI** · 01-15-2003, 10:24 PM

I had a guy travel from Nj to do my 00///M5.

Here`s what he did

Wax removing dawn wash

clay

3m rubbing compuond

3m SWR

Wash

3m IHG

Z1

Z2

interior Zymol on leather and vacume

All windows inside and out

Zaino tire gloss

Good converstaion (nc)

His price was $350.00 Took him 9 hrs to complete, and he did a fantastic job!

Good luck

Bruce