Time frame for details

[Pontiacfan]

I have done two cars now , wash , clay , wax , interior and engine , of course wheels and tires/ fenderwells. It seems to take about 6-7 hours. Is this a normal time frame ? And what would you guys charge for something like this ? I am still in the initial phases of detailing , just to get an idea of what to charge.

[Ted S.]

Time frames are both tricky and stupid. There are a lot of variables that account for how long it takes to complete a certain detail. Experience, products used, machines available, severity of the auto being detailed.

I wouldn't worry too much about time frames, but I think after doing more and more details, you could probably tell how long it will take after doing your initial inspection.

Thinks like cat/dog hair, stains, dirt, tar, bugs, etc. all give you hints to the time frame of your detail.

Again, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about time frames too much. Something shouldn't be rushed.

[A.P.A.D.]

between 4-5 hours for me for interior, wheels, wash, clay, and wax (minus the engine as most people dont want to pay for this to be done.) i charge $120 for 4 dr cars, $140 for trucks, vans, and SUV. additional charges if vehicle is larger or really dirty. I try to get $25-$30 an hour.

prices could be different depending on your location and what people are willing to pay.

[silverfox]

Nobody in my area would: a) pay for a 7 hour detail, nor b) give their car up for 7 hours. The money frankly is in quick turnaround wash and wax for daily drivers.

[dnoraker]

For me, it takes about 5-7 hours for cars ($180) and 7-9 for vans and suvs ($220) inside, out and engine. That's wash, clay, sealant, wheels/tires, trim, windows, shampoo interior, clean/dress vinyl, clean/condition leather, degrease engine. I charge extra for more than light tar, tree sap, paint overspray, extra soiled interiors, etc. I charge $40/hr for buffing and wet sanding. I'm part time and have been charging money for about 5-6 years.

I get virtually all my business from Craigslist. Put up a nice clean ad, links to your website, and have quality before/after pics and you will get customers. Don't charge too little (if you do quality work) because you will scare people away. I have some of the highest posted prices on Craigslist in my area and I stay busy. My clients are frustrated with the lack of quality with high volume shops and come to me to have the owner doing the work.

All that said, I used to take a couple days on a full detail and charge like $80, but I had no insurance, no extractor, no steamer, only a DA, limited tools and limited knowledge of chemicals. It takes a lot of practice to do it right under 8 hours in a standard job and that's if you have the right tools. My extractor and steamer changed everything.

Keep in mind that I'm talking about daily drivers. I'm not talking about show car work that can be much more intensive. Evaluate the customer. I talk to them about their goals to match the right package to their vehicle. I'm not buffing out a car that will go through the cloth wash next week!

[maximus20895]

I don't know how you guys do inside and out in under 10 hours...

[dnoraker]

A lot of practice, having the right tools, and most importantly, not trying to make a show car out of a mini-van. I shoot for $30-40/hr and a family isn't going to spend $300-400 on a standard detail (no paint correction for me) when the kids are going to make a mess in it the next day. Sometimes they're getting ready to sell it, and a basic detail is still better than any dealership. I used to go show car all the time (I used to polish swirls in the stereo display...) But most people don't care and it's a waste of time. I had a hard time letting some things go, but when I realized that not getting tire dressing on the rims was still better than most detailers, I chilled out a bit. I'm not sloppy, but I don't give away premium services.

Now, I've worked on some classic Mustangs, BMW, Corvette, G8, Charger SRT-8 etc. this summer and they were premium jobs where inside and out was more like $400-500 that included compounding, extensive rim detailing, polishing door jams, etc. Those took a couple days, 10-15 hours or so. I used to practically give that stuff away.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I do a lot of "8 hour full details" but when people want more thorough high end work I can put anywhere from 15 to 30+ hours into a vehicle.

[Jenn1270]

I'm slow as christmas. The inside takes me about and hour or so and the outside a couple of hours because of the frequent breaks for heat.

My hat is definitely off to you guys that do this for a living. It is quite hard work.

Jenn

[maximus20895]

The inside usually takes me about 4+ easy..

[dnoraker]

That sounds more like my "express"package. About 1.5-2 hours for wash/wax/tire dressing/windows/vacuum/interior wipedown and dress. $60-70, depending on the size. It's meant for in between "full" details with claying, shampooing, etc. Just introduced it this year and have had ONE. Most jobs I get involve paint correction, oddly.

[dnoraker]

The inside usually takes me about 4+ easy..

Yep. Shampooing is very time consuming. Especially in the Spring around here (MN) trying to get salt out and not have it reappear when the carpets dry.

I also really work at getting all hard surfaces perfectly clean. I use steam a lot.

[maximus20895]

Yea, I haven't done many, but it seems that is my time. I'm not really sure what I should do to make it faster, but the same quality. It seems carpeting takes 2 hours and wiping everything down with APC takes at least an hour or so, but I don't know why..

[shoeless89]

Besides paint correction, cleaning upholstery, carpets, leather, and all the surfaces takes the longest. Anywhere from 1-4 hours depending on the condition.

[dnoraker]

Besides the extractor, a couple tools knocked a lot of time off my interior jobs- a $100 Wagner steamer I got at Lowes and my Metro Vac N Blo portable vacuum ($189 at AG). The vacuum is very powerful and has a ton of attachments for getting into just about any space. Once I vacuum, the steamer is indispensable for the console area because it liquifies all the beverage residue. No more wiping over and over, using a ton of soap that has to be wiped off as well. I do still use some soap, but I sometimes use he steamer like a "rinse cycle", especially on steering wheels and arm rests. Everything feels new and clean. I get a lot of compliments on that stuff because most detailers don't get it right. And it's fast!

Above all, having a process written out that's efficient is critical so you don't do things twice or miss spots. I used to randomly go through the interior until I stopped finding dirt. Not effective.