Who does detailing for a living or side job??

[Whitethunder46]

I've been thinking of starting a side business in detailing come next spring. I've always had a passion for cars, and gorgeous looking cars. I take great pride in knowledge of a clean car and transforming a nice car, into a beautiful show worthy car.

Well I'm 20 years old right now, and in my second year of college in management. If I enjoy what this summer idea, I would look into starting my own shop.

My plans:
Exterior:
Car Wash. Not sure with what, but I would like to do a 1 gal. size. Maybe Meguiars
Towel Dry
Windows cleaned with Invisible glass and then rain-x
Tires with Pinnacle tire gel
Wheel's with a wheel cleaner (not yet determined)
Any chrome exterior would be polished with Mother's Chrome polish
Any plastic/vinyl trim with Pinnacle
Final would be a quick detail or quick spray wax
Price: $25-$30 Not sure.

Interior:
Vacuum
Carpet/Upholstery: Wolfgang spot remover
Leather: Pinnacle Cleaner/conditioner. The combo bottle, not seperate (as of now)
Windows with Stoner's, if tinted then a tint protective as well.
Vinyl: Wolfgang protectant
Price: $25-$30

Waxing:
Headlights/Taillights Polished
Clay bar at customer's request
Carnauba: Pinnacle Series II
Synthetic: Yet to be determined
Price: Synthetic - $25, Carnauba - $30, Clay bar - Add $10.

Polishing:
Headlights/Taillights polished
Clay bar at customer's request
Pinnacle XMT #3 or #2 depending
Pinnacle XMT #1 (if needed)
Pinnacle XMT Glaze if using carnauba
Different glaze (if using sythetic)
Followed by carnauba or synthetic wax
Price: Carnauba - $100, Synthetic - $90, Clay Bar - Add $10


Everything done with a PC DA until I would feel comfortable upgrading to a rotary. (If I would need too)

Please let me know what you think. Prices worthy? Anything I should add or take off?

[FloridaNative]

I've been thinking of starting a side business in detailing come next spring. I've always had a passion for cars, and gorgeous looking cars. I take great pride in knowledge of a clean car and transforming a nice car, into a beautiful show worthy car.

Well I'm 20 years old right now, and in my second year of college in management. If I enjoy what this summer idea, I would look into starting my own shop.

My plans:
Exterior:
Car Wash. DP Xtreme Foam, Poorboy's Super Slick Suds or Meguiar's NXT
Not sure with what, but I would like to do a 1 gal. size. Maybe Meguiars
Towel Dry Cobra guzzler.
Windows cleaned with Invisible glass and then rain-x
Tires with Pinnacle tire gel
Wheel's with a wheel cleaner (not yet determined) DP wheel cleaner is excellent and very gentle. And DP's wheel wax will keep the wheels clean for a long time after.
Any chrome exterior would be polished with Mother's Chrome polish
Any plastic/vinyl trim with Pinnacle
Final would be a quick detail or quick spray wax You would need something more durable for your LSP. Either a sealant or a wax. Although this new product from optimum looks very promising. :)
Price: $25-$30 Not sure.

Interior:
Vacuum
Carpet/Upholstery: Wolfgang spot remover
Leather: Pinnacle Cleaner/conditioner. The combo bottle, not seperate (as of now)
Windows with Stoner's, if tinted then a tint protective as well.
Vinyl: Wolfgang protectant
Price: $25-$30

Waxing:
Headlights/Taillights Polished
Clay bar at customer's request Most people's cars are in pretty bad shape before they finally pay to have it detailed, you will almost definietly need to clay each one.
Carnauba: Pinnacle Series II DP's Max Wax and liquid Souveran are some other great choices too. :)
Synthetic: Yet to be determined
Price: Synthetic - $25, Carnauba - $30, Clay bar - Add $10.

Polishing:
Headlights/Taillights polished
Clay bar at customer's request
Pinnacle XMT #3 or #2 depending
Pinnacle XMT #1 (if needed)
Pinnacle XMT Glaze if using carnauba
Different glaze (if using sythetic) if using a sealant there is no need to glaze. Sealants need a very clean paint surface to bond to.
Followed by carnauba or synthetic wax
Price: Carnauba - $100, Synthetic - $90, Clay Bar - Add $10


Everything done with a PC DA until I would feel comfortable upgrading to a rotary. (If I would need too)

Please let me know what you think. Prices worthy? Anything I should add or take off?

As far as prices go, I think you should offer differing packages based upon the need of the car. A basic package with a interior vacuum, wash and wax and then get progressively more detailed packages based upon the needs of the car. I'll leave price quotes for the professionals to answer as they could better advise you as to what they would recommend for differeing priced packages. :) Good luck.

[Whitethunder46]

Hey, thanks for the comments and the time to fill those in! Most of those products you mentioned were actually the one's I was planning on using. I was thinking of using Meguiar's Shampoo plus instead of the NXT.

Also, thanks for the info about the glaze before a sealant. If I used a glaze I was going to try chemical guys creme glaze.

I want to try and keep the packages hwo I listed for the most part, for I don't want to separate things too much. Also, I forgot to mention for trucks and vans, the price probably would be a little more as well. Remember, I'm doing this on the side, so I'm not necessarily trying to "compete" with professional's.

[OCDetails]

In addition to sorting out your services, make sure you file a business name and get a business license. For mobile detailing it usually isn't very expensive and it will add to your credibility as a business owner. You might also want to explore setting up an LLC to protect your personal and your business assets. If a tree falls on a car while you are detailing it then the owner could sue you into bankruptcy. If you seperate your personal and business assets then they can only sue you for what the business owns, which probably won't be very much. Don't put your family at risk just because you don't want to spend the $90 or $100 it costs to file for an LLC. Same thing with the business license. If someone gets bent and turns you in for operating without a business license then you could really be hurting. It cost me $22 bucks to file a DBA and $35 for a business licence. Look into it.

[Kelso]

i do it on the side and will go full time, i currently do washing and detailing for a car wash, but the moneyis out there, you will have to adjust your packages and prices after a while so when you start, just build up a clientele base with a price sheet like you have there, then figure out how long each thing is tkaing you and how much you need to make per hour and readjust your prices accordingly. also remember to throw in a disclaimer that prices are subject to change on the condition and size of the vehicle. detailing a clean Mini shouldnt be the same price as a dualie F350 work truck ya know.

and im surprised at the low price of claying.not just for you, but virtually all detailers, it takes a lot of time to do it and has a big effect on vehicles feel and appearance, why do we charge so little to clay?

[supercharged]

I've been thinking of starting a side business in detailing come next spring. I've always had a passion for cars, and gorgeous looking cars. I take great pride in knowledge of a clean car and transforming a nice car, into a beautiful show worthy car.

Well I'm 20 years old right now, and in my second year of college in management. If I enjoy what this summer idea, I would look into starting my own shop.

My plans:
Exterior:
Car Wash. Not sure with what, but I would like to do a 1 gal. size. Maybe Meguiars (or NXT works fine for detail jobs)
Towel Dry
Windows cleaned with Invisible glass and then rain-x (I would use Klasse AIO instead of Rain-x. same beading, and no dust)
Tires with Pinnacle tire gel (only if bought in gallon sizes, otherwise it's to expensive for what you are planning to charge, or try Megs hyper dressing).
Wheel's with a wheel cleaner (not yet determined) (APC from Megs, cut 4:1)
Any chrome exterior would be polished with Mother's Chrome polish (sounds good)
Any plastic/vinyl trim with Pinnacle (I really love Pinnacle, but for bulk detailing use 303 protectant).
Final would be a quick detail or quick spray wax (of your choice)
Price: $25-$30 Not sure. (make that a starting price. Only for small cars (Civic, Corolla, and such. I would not wash H2 for this kind of money. Minimum $50)

Interior:
Vacuum
Carpet/Upholstery: Wolfgang spot remover (only for tough spots, otherwise APC, or APC+ from Megs will do it just fine)
Leather: Pinnacle Cleaner/conditioner. The combo bottle, not seperate (as of now) ( I would offer both one and two step process. And charge $20 for one step, and $30 for 2 step. Again, that's for leather cleaning/conditioning only).
Windows with Stoner's, if tinted then a tint protective as well.
Vinyl: Wolfgang protectant (or 303).
Price: $25-$30 ($50 minimum starting price).

Waxing:
Headlights/Taillights Polished (I would also seal them with Wolfgang plastic sealant, or just use Megs Plast X).
Clay bar at customer's request
Carnauba: Pinnacle Series II (I really like Liquid Souveran, or DP Max Wax. A little more profit this way).
Synthetic: Yet to be determined (Poorboy's EX-P, Wolfgang DGPS)
Price: Synthetic - $25, Carnauba - $30, Clay bar - Add $10.

Polishing:
Headlights/Taillights polished
Clay bar at customer's request
Pinnacle XMT #3 or #2 depending
Pinnacle XMT #1 (if needed)
Pinnacle XMT Glaze if using carnauba
Different glaze (if using sythetic)
Followed by carnauba or synthetic wax
Price: Carnauba - $100, Synthetic - $90, Clay Bar - Add $10


Everything done with a PC DA until I would feel comfortable upgrading to a rotary. (If I would need too)

Please let me know what you think. Prices worthy? Anything I should add or take off?

Please remember that you want to make profit. I really love all Pinnacle/Wolfgang/DP products, but some cars are just not worth using them on. For instance, someone can ask you to detail their little Ford Festiva, and I would not use Pinnacle on it, knowing that a person is not willing to pay extra for extra detail attention. On the other hand there can be a brand new all around tinted BMW 7-series, and you already will know that if this person can afford a car like this, he/she can for sure afford Pinnacle. I think you know what I mean.

Hope this helps.

[Whitethunder46]

How's this sound:

SECTION AREA PRODUCT EXTERIOR
Car Wash - Soap Meguiar's NXT, 1 gal
Bug & Tar - Removal DP Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner
Tire Shine - Pinnacle Black Onyx Gel
Wheel Cleaner - DP Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner
Windows - DP Kyrstal Vision Glass Cleaner
DP High Performance Glass
Rain-X
Chrome Polisher - Mother's Chrome Polish
Trim conditioner - 303 Aerospace Protectant
Quick Detailer - Turtle Wax ICE

Headlight Polisher - Wolfgang Plastic Lenz Cleaner
Wolfgang Plastic Lenz Glaze
Wolfgang Plastic Lenz Sealant
Clay Bar - Pinnacle Ultra Clay
Carnauba Wax Pinnacle Series II
Synthetic Wax Poorboy's Sealant w/ Carnauba
Carnauba Glaze Pinnacle XMT Glaze
Synthetic Glaze Pinnacle XMT Glaze (would use since the sealant contains carnauba)
Compund Polishers Pinnacle XMT #3
Pinnacle XMT #2
Pinnacle XMT #1

INTERIOR
Carpet/Upholstery DP Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner
Windows DP Krystal Vision Glass Cleaner
Vinyl DP Interior Surface Protectant
Leather Pinnacle Cleaner/Conditioner

Rough Sketch. Still thinking of other options than Rain-X, but I've always had positive experience. Also should I still get a bottle of Wolfgang Spot removal if I got DP carpet cleaner??? Skeptical on the wheel cleaner and bug/tar removal that I listed. Any other ideas?

Side note: I really want to use "better" products. I've never been one to use cheap things. I firmly believe you get what you pay for. In this case, results would prove this.

[Tex Star Detail]

Side note: I really want to use "better" products. I've never been one to use cheap things. I firmly believe you get what you pay for. In this case, results would prove this.

I will chime in later. I detail for a living.

On that quote, I sorta disagree. Though I do use higher end products on some occasions, not many, but some, I tend to see the same results, some better, from products I get in bulk from my distributor.
Remember, it is process, not products. Not saying that some products aren't better, because I know there are better.
Just, if you are spending a ton on supplies, that is alot of overhead. That cuts into your profit.

Like I said, I will get into it later......I have to take the brats.....errrrrr.....kids out to trick or treat......

[Whitethunder46]

I will chime in later. I detail for a living.

On that quote, I sorta disagree. Though I do use higher end products on some occasions, not many, but some, I tend to see the same results, some better, from products I get in bulk from my distributor.
Remember, it is process, not products. Not saying that some products aren't better, because I know there are better.
Just, if you are spending a ton on supplies, that is alot of overhead. That cuts into your profit.

Like I said, I will get into it later......I have to take the brats.....errrrrr.....kids out to trick or treat......

Haha, well have fun. Please so take the time to mention certain products or area's that might not necessarily need the best supply. I've always been used to performance, and well in that area, it does matter. I have a 2001 Mustang GT Saleen replica, I'll post pics sometime here soon.

[Totoland Mach]

TexasTB hits the nail squarely! It's more process than product!

I recently started a weekend part-time detail job at a BMW re-seller's shop. This owner taught me more about process in 3 Bimmers than I ever knew. His comment was that I sure know how to wax, but didn't know how to sand and compound (wow, he was right about that one!). To be truthful, I was very intimidated about using 3000 grit on a Snap-On air orbital with a BMW 745 Li. But after some careful instruction and guidance, I got the lesson. Then, he proceeded to show me how to use compound and a rotary. After that, it was filling in rock chips the correct way (no paint globs!).

It's a great job in a spectacular shop (heated, air conditioned, tons of lighting, etc). And, it's low volume with 1-2 cars per week. So, I have an excellent teacher, great work environment, reasonable pay and I have all the tools at my disposal.

You might want to check on this type of job before starting out on your own. The education experience is definitely a plus...even at my 62 years of age!

Toto

[sparkie]

I do it part time, mostly for fun. Your cheaper then I'm am! But I started out cheap. Little by little I went up. Good luck!

[Tex Star Detail]

I'll do this in sections to make it not so long.....



My plans:
Exterior:
Car Wash. Not sure with what, but I would like to do a 1 gal. size. Maybe Meguiars- Meg's is good. I use NXT, but recenlty switched to my suppliers soap

Towel Dry- Wafle Weave is what I use

Windows cleaned with Invisible glass and then rain-x-- I used to use Invisible glass, but cut cost $1 per can by switching to SprayWay. Even more if you buy concentrated cleaner....mix yourself. Forget the Rain-X. Added cost, and the customer could probably care less

Tires with Pinnacle tire gel- Have not use Pinnacle tire dressing. I know it is on sale though;) Not sure if that little bottle will last a while. Expecially if you want to detail alot of cars. I would go with Megs Hyper dressing. Dilutable from 1:1-1:4 I use something similar from my distributor. Except I buy it in the 5 gallon drum for the price of a gallon and a half of Hyper Dressing. Same thing, without the grape smell IMHO

Wheel's with a wheel cleaner (not yet determined)- Simple Green diluted correctly, Megs Wheel Brightener, and a few others I use. Soap and water for cleaner wheels.

Any chrome exterior would be polished with Mother's Chrome polish- ditto

Any plastic/vinyl trim with Pinnacle- never used it, but I buy in bulk

Final would be a quick detail or quick spray wax- I use my Distributors brand. One of the 3 he carries.

Price: $25-$30 Not sure.- Price sounds about like mine. 25 for cars, 30ish for bigger vehicles, and 35ish for large ones. Depending on condition

[Tex Star Detail]

Interior:
Vacuum
Carpet/Upholstery: Wolfgang spot remover- Again, never used it. I use Megs APC. Been on a gallon bottle all year. Use Oxy and Folex for bigger messes. In the process of buying an extractor. Started small and working my way up.

Leather: Pinnacle Cleaner/conditioner. The combo bottle, not seperate (as of now)- Never used it, I recommend bulk

Windows with Stoner's, if tinted then a tint protective as well.- Same as last post

Vinyl: Wolfgang protectant- Never used it. I use My Distributor brands

Price: $25-$30- The price seems low, at least for me it does. I charge a minimum of $40 to start. and that is a decent shape interior. Of course I have the folks who think it is too high, but others think it is cheap. Find your target market.....

;)

[justin_murphy]

Here's my price menu......but remember detailing is case by case basis.

http://blueridgeclean4u.com/3.html

[Tex Star Detail]

Waxing:
Headlights/Taillights Polished- I run my PC over them as well when polishing.

Clay bar at customer's request- Most customers will say no. You have to sell tham on it and explain it over and over. It is in my exterior and full detail packages. And add into the price.

Carnauba: Pinnacle Series II- Never used it, but hear it is good. On sale now for $30, original $40. I would find cheaper for customers' cars. Nattys white and blue are good. Get both for the price of Series II. Though I am picky with my wax.

Synthetic: Yet to be determined

Price: Synthetic - $25, Carnauba - $30, Clay bar - Add $10.- Stick with one price. Customers hate picking and chosing. They get confused. I charge one price, carnauba or synthetic. I do not charge more for claying. I do however, upsell a sealant for $30 more, and get alot of people bite on it.


Polishing:
Headlights/Taillights polished- see above

Clay bar at customer's request- see above

Pinnacle XMT #3 or #2 depending
Pinnacle XMT #1 (if needed)- Small bottles go by fast....trust me. XMT is a very good swirl remover. Though I cannot afford to buy them all the time, I pick up gallon bottles of polish, and compound from my distributor for the price of 1 small bottle of polish

Pinnacle XMT Glaze if using carnauba- I do not use a glaze at all

Different glaze (if using sythetic)
Followed by carnauba or synthetic wax
Price: Carnauba - $100, Synthetic - $90, Clay Bar - Add $10


Everything done with a PC DA until I would feel comfortable upgrading to a rotary. (If I would need too)- I only use a PC. Very seldom I use a rotary.

Please let me know what you think. Prices worthy? Anything I should add or take off?

As far as prices, it really depends on your area.
Here is what I offer to my customers....

Wash 'N' Vac- $25 and up
Wash 'N' Wax- $55 and up
Interior Detail- $50 and up
Exterior Detail- $80 and up
Full Detail- $135 and up
I will PM you my website so you can see what I do in my packages.

When I first started off, I bought all small bottles and "botique" products, and lost my arse badly. Since I found my Distributor, I tripled my product at half the price. I still do use products from AG. Some I could not live without.:awesome: Just do not fall into the, "I need the best of the best" trap. You will be spending more than you will be making.
I am sure I can think of more, but I am tired....LOL