what to charge?

S

shadybreal

New member
One of my regular customers asked me today what I'd charge to wash and wax his camper. It's 42 foot long and it really good shape since it's only about a 1 year old. It would be an exterior only job washed and wax. I told him I would have to think about and that I would get back to him. I also explained to him that it would take at least half a day, but more like a full day. It has a very swirls from brush washing, but I don't plan to do any correcting on it. I would like to just wash and wax w/ a quick wipe on wipe off wax that has a some fillers to help w/ swirls. Any ideas on what to charge and opinions on what type of wax? Thanks!



Reflections189.jpg
 
meguiars #20, or the flagship marine line is pretty good...and it will take about 4 hours all said and done going at it alone...its relatively on and off with the wax....break the sides into 4 sections and wax, then remove, move over and repeat....
 
oh and I would charge about 6-7 bucks per foot for a wash/wax...10-12 for a one step where you work in the product more, and 18 for a polish, then wax two step....and 25+ for a two step polish, glaze, wax....
 
LOL, you guys are brave! I don't have the patience for something that large, although a wash 'n wax wouldn't be all that bad. I always seem to underestimate those type of jobs. I would charge them hourly.



Good Luck!



Jeremy
 
Here is a link to an article in Professional Carwashing & Detailing.

Make it big — pricing a large detail job

Article Archives



Note that most rv's and other large vehicles will usually require about two feet per hour to complete the work. In the case of detailing a 42 foot rv, you could figure about 21 hours. That is like one person working three days at 7 hours per day.
 
maybe for a full detail frank, but not for a wash and wax only...



wash should be done in about 1 hour if you have deionized water, other wise, get some ONR - if not, then you are going to have water spots galore if you have to wash the thing in the sun.



grab a PC and a finishing pad and go to town with it on speed 5 and a good quality sealant wax...no need for a carnuba here! - i used megs21 and it worked great, with a little hiding ability for the light swirling that remained after using 66 on it...should take about 4 hours total...including the roof!!!



roof = about 1-1.5 hours

front and back = 30 min

each side = 45min - 1 hour

then dress the wheels and do the windows...in and out in 5-6 hours
 
Usually the front is gonna take you over half of the wash - clean up phase, bugs on a car are ten minutes...bugs on a motor home are gonna be an hour minimum. Rear cap will be a mess as well.



A 10 foot ladder will be needed...have your insurance guy on speed dial if you use a pressure washer!



Nice rig he has. Its a day long job, enjoy!
 
wash with a super degreaser I assume, or a good APC....no way would I have gone at that with soap alone...but 8 hours...you didnt just wash it, you CLEANED it! Hope you charged accordingly....that one may be by the hour for me....
 
That was a "cleaning"...a wash would have done little to improve it. The unit sat for 5 years unwashed.



I used everything in the arsenal! The aluminum ladder was coated in mold, that took a half hour. I could fill a lawn bag with the tree droppings on the roof, gutters and awning.



I prefer the lightly soiled motorhomes that really shine when finished, but this one just added to the skills and experience column.



It was fun, Im glad there is a group of people who are as wacked out about this stuff as I am!



later
 
shady, just figure how much you want to make a minute I usually charge anywhere from $2.25 to $15.50 depending on the time and product used and size of job. I say if you are going to take more than 3 hours charge $2.25 a minute plus add your fixed cost, mulitply your fixed cost by 15% to 25% and you should have a cost you can profit from and he would be happy with. Measure and find out what the surface area you are cleaning and figure how long it takes to clean an area by the square foot to figure minutes.



Your equation:

(60 minutes) X $2.25 plus Fixed Cost plus 25% of your fixed cost = per hour



Example:

60x 2.25 + 17 + 4.25 = $156.25 / hour



Just fill in however many minutes you estimate it will take, shoot higher rather than lower and if you get done in less time pass the savings on to your client and he will be very delighted.

There are a hundred ways to figure this out I just keep it simple, but profitable. You could use this equation for all your jobs, too.
 
Take a look at what others are charging in your area. If you are just starting out, charging too much more than the competition probably will not get you a lot of business. If you do good work, you can raise your prices higher when your reputation develops. Until then, charge the high side of the middle. To maximize your profits, buy quality chemicals in bulk and keep your processes simple and efficient. Concentrate on getting the job done more efficiently while not sacrificing quality.
 
Ahh yes...I never mentioned a price to charge.



You say a return customer?



Wash and prep is 2 hours for me...on what is pictured.



Hand wax is around 2 hours with some exterior window care...a regular customer I say $120 - 200 depending on the frequency of the customers visits and previous business.



The key is to not get greedy...no reason to turn away a good customer. I do these alot so the "fear factor" is over with.



Keep learning - a mistake is cheaper than tuition.
 
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