Help Pricing...

**crober53** · 07-07-2014, 05:22 PM

Alrighty guys... I have a monthly customer who has decided he wants me to do his houseboat. The issue is... the boat is 225 miles away. He is wanting the 70'x16' houseboat washed and waxed. I generally charge $100 lineal foot for this. However, it's a little bigger than what I'm used to. The fuel there and back will cost $100, so no biggie there. If one of your regular customers asked you of this... what would you charge?

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**VP Mark** · 07-07-2014, 07:03 PM

As much as you would normally charge. I will do regular clients favors on small jobs but on big stuff the price stays the same. If you discount them big once on this they will want it every time.

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**rustytruck** · 07-07-2014, 07:46 PM

I would not travel 225 miles to clean a boat. That is close to a 4 hr ride each way. Why not make a few phone calls for the guy and find someone near where the boat is that can do it for him?

**refreshauto** · 07-07-2014, 09:02 PM

Would not charge him any different, I live in NC and still have a real good customer in Orlando that i still travel drive there to work on his cars

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**brondondolon** · 07-07-2014, 09:45 PM

If anything I'd charge more then normal I mean you will have 8 hours of driving to do in total. Plus how long do you think it will take you to detail the house boat? I couldn't imagine it taking less then 8 hours. That's a total of 16 hours. Is it even worth it?

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**Just02896** · 07-07-2014, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by crober53

Alrighty guys... I have a monthly customer who has decided he wants me to do his houseboat. The issue is... the boat is 225 miles away. He is wanting the 70'x16' houseboat washed and waxed. I generally charge $100 lineal foot for this. However, it's a little bigger than what I'm used to. The fuel there and back will cost $100, so no biggie there. If one of your regular customers asked you of this... what would you charge?

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So if you charge $100 per foot, wouldn't the price be $7K?

**Kengo123** · 07-07-2014, 11:07 PM

^ thats what im wondering

**crober53** · 07-08-2014, 10:05 AM

Sorry it's $10/lineal foot. Autocorrect. One big reason why I'm even considering it is it's on Dale Hollow, and I'm a pretty avid fisher. He's allowing me to spend the weekend on the boat and take out his pontoon during the weekend. I figure take a fellow detailer I'm friends with and use it as a vacation.

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**brondondolon** · 07-08-2014, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by crober53

Sorry it's $10/lineal foot. Autocorrect. One big reason why I'm even considering it is it's on Dale Hollow, and I'm a pretty avid fisher. He's allowing me to spend the weekend on the boat and take out his pontoon during the weekend. I figure take a fellow detailer I'm friends with and use it as a vacation.

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That's not that bad then. 90% of us are going to tell you charge him your normal price. Problem is you want to cut your regular a deal which is why you asked in the first place. Since he's letting you stay on the boat for a few days to do the job and you want to cut him a break charge him what you feel comfortable charging while still making you happy at the end of the day.

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**Dr_Pain** · 07-08-2014, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by crober53

Sorry it's $10/lineal foot. Autocorrect. One big reason why I'm even considering it is it's on Dale Hollow, and I'm a pretty avid fisher. He's allowing me to spend the weekend on the boat and take out his pontoon during the weekend. I figure take a fellow detailer I'm friends with and use it as a vacation.

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You see, I kind of disagree with you (a bit). Where you see the perks I don't, at least not really.

On a job like this I would price it as I would an RV at $12/ft for a wash and wax, and then I would add for travel expense (which is $0.56/mile in 2014). I would also factor in the cost of at least an overnight stay in a hotel and meals.... and that would be his price. I would then deduct his cost of the hotel stay (if he allows me to stay on his houseboat) and I would discount the "joy ride" IF I decided to extend my stay (for a little vacation). While you are there working the cost is his. If you are hanging around on his houseboat after a hard days work and are allowed to stay overnight, I still don't consider it a perk since he would otherwise have to spring for the cost of a hotel. While on the boat you can fish to your heart's content. Where you and I may have a deeper conversation is in the liability of joyriding his pontoon. That is a liability I would not take on, especially if you run into a problem. Will he be responsible if you hit a pilling or another boat? Will you try and file under your insurance (which will be denied since you were joy riding)? The guy may be the friendliest now but let's see how friendly he will be when you put $5k+ worth of damage and your insurance tells you that you are responsible since it won't cover the recreational use of a vehicle under the business policy (and that is if you are insured). Another question (if you are insured), will your insurance cover you that far away from your base?