The Pricing Thread

D

Deep Gloss Auto Salon

New member
As I wander through the multiple thread asking "how does my pricing look" I realize that there are so many of these threads that are never concluded. No finality to them regarding cost structure.



What I think would be valuable considering this is an on-line communitty that seems to be all about helping fellow autopians would to have one thread with peoples pricing structure.



Keeping in mind that geography plays a big part in pricing please include your general geography



I know a lot of those on this board stray away from "packages" and opt for hourly rates. For those that fall into this category please try to give your general guidelines



This will help all detailers if utilized not just seasoned ones by making sure noob's are not selling services for too cheap.



Hope this works!!!???
 
I agree with you that it would be great to have such a guide but I believe that there are too many variables (besides geography) for it to be successful. Just some examples -

Mobile VS Fixed Location.

Part Time VS Full Time.

Licensed and Insured VS Fly-By-Night

I bring my own water and power sources VS The other guy doesn't.

I don't want to be "undersold" by the next guy.

Daily Driver detailers VS Custom/Show Car/High End Only detailers.

Proficiency using a rotary/orbital machine.

The list is endless. Please note, the "I" is used in the generic sense, it does not mean "me", and with all due respect to those that are not licensed and insured -although you may be an experienced detailer that really knows his stuff and does a great job - to me you're just a hobbyist looking to make a quick buck and not a "professional".
 
Well mine is listed on my website. I go the route of packages and add ons. Makes it easier for the customer to understand what are reasonable expectations. My full details start from $80 and go up to $150 with full paint correction. (still trying to figure out how people on here can actually charge $400+ for a detail and have people pay it) I operate out of a poor economy (Flint, Mi.) so that really has alot to do with my pricing. And my details usually take anywhere from 4-8 hours depending on how bad it is.
 
Mines on my website as well att2detail dot com. Im not sure how people get what they get either. It's all geographical, so theres no way to have a standard. Maine just puts a lower value on a perfect paint job.. I made more money working 2 days on a weeks vacation in Va beach than I do in week here:mad:
 
cj99si said:
Mines on my website as well att2detail dot com. Im not sure how people get what they get either. It's all geographical, so theres no way to have a standard. Maine just puts a lower value on a perfect paint job.. I made more money working 2 days on a weeks vacation in Va beach than I do in week here:mad:
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Which is why I thought this thread would be of true value to the noobs (helps set pricing) and the vet's (make sure other detailers are not undercutting the industry which could affect us all)



Thanks for those that are playing along!
 
MotorCity said:
Which is why I thought this thread would be of true value to the noobs (helps set pricing) and the vet's (make sure other detailers are not undercutting the industry which could affect us all)



Thanks for those that are playing along!
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But then if Jake or CJ up their price so much they will be out of business right away.



Also, what about the noob that just polished his car for the first time and wants to detail on the side? Should he ask 300$ for a full detail even though his skill level is much much lower than the majority of the others pro's? Detailing is so market dependent that it really is way way too hard to set a bar for pricing.



Just my two cents and of course it is all only my opinion
 
cj99si said:
Im not sure how people get what they get either. It's all geographical, so theres no way to have a standard.
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:bigups Completely agree with this statement! Ive made a couple packages tailoring to my clients needs over time and found these main packages are the "bread&butter" of your business. You can always throw add ons later. I like to keep an extra price sheet in my binder of all the "alacarte" services i can offer if the customer would like me to go into more detail than i already have. I also offer Monthly Plans for the customers who want there car washed every week so that they dont have to do it themselves nor do they have to pay me every time they see me.

Know from what im hearing im not too much more than the others in town but Im worth every penny of it and everyone has reffered me to someone else. All my prices and services are listed on my website.
 
awahl63 said:
But then if Jake or CJ up their price so much they will be out of business right away.



Also, what about the noob that just polished his car for the first time and wants to detail on the side? Should he ask 300$ for a full detail even though his skill level is much much lower than the majority of the others pro's? Detailing is so market dependent that it really is way way too hard to set a bar for pricing.



Just my two cents and of course it is all only my opinion
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As with ANY tpoic on this forum a bit of common sense and solid rationale is needed to understand these are general guidelines and not the "gospel".



Pads/polishes/waxes etc suggestions that people ask for every day will depend on sooo many factors (temp/paint confition/skill set) yet people still ask and people still answer. No reason this topic should be any different



Base lines are useful, gives a starting point and then can be tailored for each individuals situation.
 
Yeah, my highest detail is only $200. I also cant see how people can get that.



My pricing is as follows



Normal wash $30-$50



Wash/wax/vac $60-80



Wash/polish/wax/vac $100-130



Full on detail $150+
 
You guys are right.....it is geographical. My full details start at $175 for cars and $275 for tucks and SUV's. I couldn't charge those prices in Michigan or NC but would be WAY under the price range in Florida or Southern California. It all depends on where you live....well of course.....and the level of service you offer!! LOL!!



I feel that my customers get every pennies worth on my details. I have "extras" that I offer but rarely ever charge for them.....it always seems to work out that I just do the work and am hapy to have the practice so I give it to them for free.



When I first started out (not that long ago) I was doing every car or truck for between $100-$150. I need practice and was very willing to put in the work for less money to learn how to detail. Now that I am more skilled I charge more and I think the customer appreciate the effort I put into their vehicles.
 
mose said:
You guys are right.....it is geographical. My full details start at $175 for cars and $275 for tucks and SUV's. I couldn't charge those prices in Michigan or NC but would be WAY under the price range in Florida or Southern California. It all depends on where you live....well of course.....and the level of service you offer!! LOL!!
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You'd be surprised what we can get in Michigan. At the current moment Michigan is in a one state recesion while the rest of the country seems to be thriving but even so, there are some affluent areas. I happen to live very close to a few of them Bloomfield Hills / Rochester / Grosse Point to name a few.
 
I;d like to know what everyone charges for a full detail regardless of geography.



My FULL CAR detail would consist of:

Hand Wash

Hand Dry

Door jambs

cleaning/dressing trim

cleaning/dressing wheels/wheel wells

Glass cleaning inside and out

Shampoo/steam carpets

Leather treated

Dash, and all vinyl and such dressed and protected

De greasing and detailing engine

Clay bar

2 step polishing

Glaze

Sealant and/or glaze



I'd like to know how you much guys normally charge for that sort of thing.
 
Wasn't baggin' on Michigan.....was just playing off of what jakerooni had said. Sorry if I offended!
 
mose said:
Wasn't baggin' on Michigan.....was just playing off of what jakerooni had said. Sorry if I offended!
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No offense taken at all!





The reason I added that is because of what Jakerooni said, I didn't want you to think all Michigan markets are like that. Unfortunately Flint has lost a lot of industry over the years. Flint used to be bustling just like Toledo Ohio but now alot of industry has moved elsewhere.



For example a guy I work with just asked me how much to do the following while we were eating luch today:



EXTERIOR



• wash

• Clay

• Wax





INTERIOR



• Dress

• Shampoo carpet/mats



ENGINE



• Cleanse no dresssing





When I asked him what he was comfortable paying (just wanted to see what he was thinking) he said no more than $170
 
MotorCity said:
No offense taken at all!





The reason I added that is because of what Jakerooni said, I didn't want you to think all Michigan markets are like that. Unfortunately Flint has lost a lot of industry over the years. Flint used to be bustling just like Toledo Ohio but now alot of industry has moved elsewhere.



For example a guy I work with just asked me how much to do the following while we were eating luch today:



EXTERIOR



• wash

• Clay

• Wax





INTERIOR



• Dress

• Shampoo carpet/mats



ENGINE



• Cleanse no dresssing





When I asked him what he was comfortable paying (just wanted to see what he was thinking) he said no more than $170
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Well $170 for a wash/clay/wax is pretty good. If you work fast you could probably do that in 2-2.5 hours so you are making about $70-80 an hour. That is a lot.
 
stiffdogg06 said:
I;d like to know what everyone charges for a full detail regardless of geography.



My FULL CAR detail would consist of:

Hand Wash

Hand Dry

Door jambs

cleaning/dressing trim

cleaning/dressing wheels/wheel wells

Glass cleaning inside and out

Shampoo/steam carpets

Leather treated

Dash, and all vinyl and such dressed and protected

De greasing and detailing engine

Clay bar

2 step polishing

Glaze

Sealant and/or wax



I'd like to know how you much guys normally charge for that sort of thing.
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For this service, I would charge between $300 and $330. This would only be about 5% of my market, however.



My typical FULL DETAIL is the above minus engine, glaze, 1-step polish (and sealant is $40 extra over wax). A lot of times I'll throw any of these in if the vehicle is a previous client, the car is fairly clean, or I think the car is cool (yeah... i'm a geek but it keeps them coming back). My price = $190 to $230. This is closer to 30% of my market.



Simple Wash & Wax is $70 to $100. Hand wash is CHEAP at just under $20.



I also agree that this is highly dependant on many variables. I was charging $25 for a hand wash and getting little to no business. I dropped it under $20 and now it's easily 50% of my market and gets lots of new clients into my doors. It's amazing what $5 will do.



Another thing to take into consideration is the fact that I have a brick and mortar location. This means that half of my sales goes to my operating expenses. I have to do at least $1500 per week to live, but I do it 6 days a week.
 
Yea I'm pretty lucky so far my overhead is dirt dirt cheap. And I agree with motorcity there. He's in the prime location for Michigan. I'm actually planning on expanding in pretty much the only other area of Michigan that's doing worth a damn. The Holland Grand Rapids area. trying to get something in line to accomadate the marine line. Starting my fact finding mission this weekend over there. Hopefully by next spring I'll have something all set up. Although for being in Flint here I think I'm doing phenomally well. I opened up June 1st of this year and I'm already doing anywhere from $1300-$1800 a week in sales. Not bad for being in the worst economic county in the entire united states (read in a local paper a few weeks back)
 
Todd, why a $40 increase from wax to sealant. I applies the same and comes off the same for me. One gallon MALCO sealant appoximately $80, I dont know how long that will last, but round figures 4 oz/ vehicle, 32 vehicles. Wax $16-$25 for 8 0z paste, not the cheap M***** that I used to use. I goes a long way but so does the sealant, and then I try to sell a wax in a couple weeks, Nattys, Hattys Blue or Nattys Red. Been running a very small car cleaning service in Audubon, Iowa for 1 1/2 years. RANDAL
 
awahl63 said:
Well $170 for a wash/clay/wax is pretty good. If you work fast you could probably do that in 2-2.5 hours so you are making about $70-80 an hour. That is a lot.
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This was at work while eating lunch so I handled it diff than a regular customer that would call or that I would approach. ...



He asked how much I charge and I told him I would email him a price list. By the time I got to my desk he had emailed me what he wanted and ended with "this is what I want but can't spend any more that $170".



I will do more than that but that is all he asked for. A tip a wiser man than me offered was to always do one "freebie" When the customer is doing final inspection show them what you did and explain (if needed) the benefit. So even though this is all he asked for I'll throw a few things in



For example he'll get his wheels/wells thrown in for sure. Every car I do gets that (unless specifically requested not to). I don't feel "done" unless I dress the tires/wells - plus it takes just a couple minutes.



I'll probably seal his glass - I know I love to see the rain/windshield wiper fluid just roll tight off - 1st time that happens he'll have the freebie right there in his face for the entire drive... little stuff like that keeps them coming back and helps with referrals IMO





Ok, back on track anyone else care to share some of your pricing?
 
Jakerooni said:
Yea I'm pretty lucky so far my overhead is dirt dirt cheap. And I agree with motorcity there. He's in the prime location for Michigan. I'm actually planning on expanding in pretty much the only other area of Michigan that's doing worth a damn. The Holland Grand Rapids area. trying to get something in line to accomadate the marine line. Starting my fact finding mission this weekend over there. Hopefully by next spring I'll have something all set up. Although for being in Flint here I think I'm doing phenomally well. I opened up June 1st of this year and I'm already doing anywhere from $1300-$1800 a week in sales. Not bad for being in the worst economic county in the entire united states (read in a local paper a few weeks back)
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WOW Jakerooni that says ALOT!! For those that don't know about Flint Michigan it was a OEM hub (GM) The movie Roger and Me was Flint and the closing of the GM plant there that started a 30,000 person job cut!!!
 
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