Pricing Questions?

[PapaPremier]

Hey guys, i havent been on here much but have known about it for awhile now, i mostly detail aircrafts and have done cars a lot too but my pricing on cars are not sooo solid...I will usually give a "thorough detail" such as "wash, show-room shine sealant --- its like a wax but its a spray on and its an awesome product, it has .005% silicone and gives a slick feel, vacuum, leather treatment, windows, wheels & tire shine" and i price them at ...

sedan/sports car - $50
mid size trucks/suv - $60
Full size truck/suv - $70

And then i add $25 w/ a hand wax, now is this a bad price? I dont do steam clean but i really want to buy one here soon and i want to start buffing cars out, a lot of my clients want that but i dont know how to much to charge after a steam vac and a buff on the car, i also want to add clay barring into the package so if you could help me out on my pricing that would be great, I'm mostly a detailer who knows the ins and outs of aircrafts, and just a little bit about cars.

Thanks for all your help, PapaPremier , OKC, OK

[supercharged]

Hey guys, i havent been on here much but have known about it for awhile now, i mostly detail aircrafts and have done cars a lot too but my pricing on cars are not sooo solid...I will usually give a "thorough detail" such as "wash, show-room shine sealant --- its like a wax but its a spray on and its an awesome product, it has .005% silicone and gives a slick feel, vacuum, leather treatment, windows, wheels & tire shine" and i price them at ...

sedan/sports car - $50
mid size trucks/suv - $60
Full size truck/suv - $70

And then i add $25 w/ a hand wax, now is this a bad price? I dont do steam clean but i really want to buy one here soon and i want to start buffing cars out, a lot of my clients want that but i dont know how to much to charge after a steam vac and a buff on the car, i also want to add clay barring into the package so if you could help me out on my pricing that would be great, I'm mostly a detailer who knows the ins and outs of aircrafts, and just a little bit about cars.

Thanks for all your help, PapaPremier , OKC, OK
it's not a bad price if you use a QD to spray. Using actual sealant - you should charge more.

Again, that is just a quick detailer that only offers very light protection (about 1 week), and all it does is boost wax.

having any thoughts about other detail packages?

[PRB]

For what you're currently doing, your prices seem reasonable. Have you compared to your local market pricing?

Do you have an hourly rate for your time on the job?

While you don't necessarily need to tell a customer "I charge $X/hour", know that in your head and estimate accordingly. Even if you set your pricing as flat rate for certain vehicle types/sizes, this rate x hour equation can take some of the guesswork out of it.

While adding the services you describe will add hours, it also adds complexity. Keep this in mind. Some people may have $15-20/hour for wash packages, but may think more along the lines of $35-40 + when doing polishing and carpet extraction. The machines are more expensive as are your chemicals, plus your training and skill increase. Don't sell yourself short!

[PapaPremier]

Gotcha, thanks for the input, but yeah, I think I got the prices down for quick details and such but what i dont know is how to price packages that include a buff, or steam vac, or engine cleaning, its takes me and another guy about 45mins per car on a quick detail but a really good quality, but i dont know how to price or even what to say about buffing, steam vac, and those packages....any help?

Yeah, i've looked around and asked other detailers what they charge and i'm right at the middle. So i feel that my prices for quick details are good but i dont know how to price the bigger jobs and the more elaborate services. What are you all's prices?

[abrcrombe]

It all depends on your clients, the market, and your skills. Some people charge like 125 for a full job, and some charge closer to 400. How long would it take you two to do the whole thing?
Say it takes 6 hours and you want to make 40 bucks an hour. 6x40 is 240 bucks. That is just a rough equation on how to calculate your prices.