How much to charge

[DetailElite]

You did a really good job Now all you have to do is get him to let you do the maintenance on it!

[dennis5_0]

First, you did a fantastic job on that vehicle, I read the article because I am thinking of doing the same thing as you did, starting a little side business and was wondering what to charge. What you did and the time it took has given me a good start on my little endeavor, good luck with your new hobby,lol.


Dennis

[Hoytman]

...Yes OP, you may get some great experience, but WOW you learned how to clean up someones mess! And you made less than minimum wage!

I did a vehicle last year (Tahoe) in the same condition. Twenty one hours later it looked as good as your job did, but...for $100. Do the match...at $4.67 hr in labor alone the job ended up basically for free when you figure supplies, water used, electric.

It boils down to people will let you let them take advantage of you.

Oh sure, I didn't mind this time because I was learning to and I wanted to see how long a thorough job would take me. I planned on charging very little because I knew the education was worth something to me. As it turns out, that education was a valuable lesson. A hobby will become work very quickly and I don't work for free...anymore...for noone.

IMO: This is the desired avenue leading to detail for profit. Now you have knowledge in the process of detailing a neglected vehicle. You have also gained the ability to judge times per issue and gained some clarity in price structuring.



Next thing you know you'll be searching the threads for the best steamer, extractor, rotary, and so forth.
Keep up the good work...see you on the forums hand...

Great post!

Thanks. Yeah, my wife was telling me the same thing. Experience wise i've learned something new in the process. I have a job the pay well and love it. However, detailing is a hobby and it's not really work when you enjoy what you do. So far i'm enjoying this new found hobby. Thanks for all the supports and encouragement.

It will become work if you don't get proper compensation. Only you can determine what proper is, but it's a lot more than what you and I both received...that's for certain.

...When I first started detailing I charged really low prices to get my feet wet. The thing to understand is, you are not just cleaning a car, you are adding value to it. You could compare it to putting new siding on a house or remodeling a kitchen. In almost every case the customer makes their money back and more.

When selling the service it should be sold as an investment. People spend thousands of dollars on a vehicle and putting a few hundred bucks into it once or twice a year is a wise investment.

All that money is made back at trade in time.

Happy detailing.

This guy has nailed it and I for one am paying attention.
I was thinking in terms of giving my friend a great deal and a clean car. I accomplished both. Then I realized even he happily took advantage of my hard work and my generosity. Then I thought, what if this guy decided he wanted to sel that Tahoe. He would have gotten several times more for it than the detail cost him. Maybe a $1000 dollars or more. I figure a minimum of $350 for the same type of work on a big Tahoe. More like $500.

Gosh I love to fish...and I've got a 5 year old boy that loves it too. If I can't make extra dough to provide more for him I'm not working for free and will devote all of my time to him, rather the details like that again.

[rustytruck]

There's nothing wrong with $100 dollar details I do them all the time. Just make sure your only providing $100 dollars worth of work. For me that means 2 1/2 to 3 hours. To the customer they are getting a car that looks great not perfect but great. It's always 10 times better than they could have done. Perfect no but $100 will not buy perfection. I also have a 5 year old and he's a blast. On my day off I can do an express detail in the morning put a one hundred dollar bill plus tip in my pocket and spend the rest of the day with my son.

[Hoytman]

There absolutely isn't anything wrong with a $100 detail that last 2-3 hours. My post was in reference to the time he and I spent for the amount of money earned. Remember, he already spent 5 hours on the interior, let alone the outside time he spent. Same with me. I don't think you would work too many times, that long, for that amount of money as a hobby. As a hobby, I don't need to make a killing, but I want something more for efforts. The only reason I did was to see how good I could get the Tahoe with the tools I had, and how long the process took.

My point was that I'll spend the entire day with my son before I'll spend another 21 hours for $4.75 an hour. Again, that was a choice I made on purpose...on one occassion.

[snellvilleauto]

Thank you guys for all the sound advises. I heard what yall saying and have learned alot.

Here is another detailing job that i did today w/ my best friend/college roommate/my son's god father.

I also gave him these in hope he can can the car clean

Pinnacle XMT 360 Spray Wax, Carnauba spray wax, spray car wax, detailing wax
XMT 360 corrects, cleans, and seals auto paint! XMT 360 is more than a cleaner wax, its a swirl remover, polish, and paint sealant in one.
Duragloss Aquawax (AW) #951
32 oz. Poorboy's World Natty's Paste Wax- BLUE, Poorboys Nattys Blue Wax, car wax
Muc-Off Frequent Use Wheel Cleaner, alloy wheel cleaner, auto wheel cleaner

At the end, he took my family out to Red Lobster.

[JorgeSFL]

Looks great man, you are doing well!

[bigaizsosexy]

Keep up the good work. This type of work comes from referrals, and nothing shows good work like referrals. Keep it up!

[snellvilleauto]

thanks.