Detailing packages and pricing help

**Custom Care** · 03-20-2013, 07:49 PM

I am at the point where I would like to test the waters of detailing part time. I have a few vehicles under my belt and have put together a couple packages that I would be comfortable offering. My goal for this year would be to offer a relatively simple set of services to earn some money and gain some experience while decididing if I would like to pursue a future in detailing. If so, I would attend some training courses during the off season next year and prepare to try and take the business to the next level.

Here is the main package I would like to offer and some of the proposed products I would use

Deluxe Detail - Starting at $149 2-4 hours to complete
- Foam and Wash Exterior
- Dress Tires (Meg`s HD or Perl)
- Treat Wheel Wells (CG Bare Bones)
- Clay Exterior
- 1 Step Paint Polish (D151, KAIO, or BF TPnS)
- Advanced Sealant or Wax (Opti Seal or BF WD/CS)
- Clean Wheels
- Clean Mirrors
-Clean Windows
-Vacuum Interior
- Clean Dash Surfaces (Steam)
- Clean Nooks and Crannies (Steam)
- Wipe and Clean Door Panels (Steam)
- Clean Cup Holders and Console (Steam)
- Dress/Protect Interior (303)
- Clean Carpets (light)
- Clean and Condition Leather (Steam, OPC and Tantex)
- Clean Doorjambs (Steam)
-Final Inspection

Some of my upselling opportunities would be engine cleaning, advanced paint correction, stain and odor removal, headlight restoration and rock chip repair. I`m still trying to work out the pricing for these items.

What do you all think?

I would also like to hear some feedback on the different prices for different sized vehicles i.e. small $149, mid $169, large $189 or just one flat price.

Thanks,
Brandon

**Ronkh** · 03-21-2013, 05:20 PM

Pricing is a tough question.

IMHO

It`s gonna be location dependent, competition dependent, economic conditions, types of cars and consumers

As well as what the local scratch and swirl is charging for their "details"

**ShaneB** · 03-21-2013, 05:36 PM

Everything I`ve been told or read is basically the same thing Ronkh posted. I don`t have much experience but $149 seems like an awful lot if you do a car in 2 hours

**tropicsteve** · 03-21-2013, 05:46 PM

brandon, try to check out what other local detailers are charging in your area. you may have to charge less than others for a basic service to get your foot in the door. just be sure the customers know the difference between a true correction and a basic service.

**Custom Care** · 03-21-2013, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Ronkh

Pricing is a tough question.

IMHO

It`s gonna be location dependent, competition dependent, economic conditions, types of cars and consumers

As well as what the local scratch and swirl is charging for their "details"

The market is really weird here, a couple boutiques and a bunch of crappy scratch and swirls with super loyal customers. The price undercuts the boutiques while still offering a similar level of service but I definitely can`t compete with the established car wash prices. Going through the ratings and reviews I found alot of disgruntled customers so I plan to target the people not satisfied with the scratch and swirl but don`t wan`t to pay the high prices at the boutiques. Also that 2-4 hour estimate is with an additional set of hands.

**ShaneB** · 03-21-2013, 05:59 PM

Ohhhh k. Didn`t mention that. That sounds better then

**Custom Care** · 03-21-2013, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by tropicsteve

brandon, try to check out what other local detailers are charging in your area. you may have to charge less than others for a basic service to get your foot in the door. just be sure the customers know the difference between a true correction and a basic service.

Thanks for the info. I also should have been a little more clear with the initial post, I was intending to get a little more feedback on the composition of the package itself as a "mid-level" detail.

**Custom Care** · 03-21-2013, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by ShaneB

Ohhhh k. Didn`t mention that. That sounds better then

Yeah, I`m still getting used to the fact that everyone reading the thread can`t actually see what I was thinking at the time.

**TyAutoDetail** · 03-21-2013, 08:48 PM

If you decide to set your price at that make sure your work can back it up. Don`t determine your price on competition, but decide it of what you feel you are worth. If you do a great job, people are willing to pay for quality

**camaro2ssblack** · 03-21-2013, 09:59 PM

It looks to me your pretty in line with your package and pricing. I like the idea of adjusting the price for the size. Good luck!

**Hickrocket1258** · 04-05-2013, 04:11 PM

I wouldn`t know what to charge for, but demographics is key as someone mentioned. A lot of detail shops in my area would cost over $300 for my dad`s friends car. I did it for her, spent about 8 hours on it and she was so happy with the results. She ended up paying the $300 anyways. Start high on the price in my opinion.