How To Set Up Pricing Structure

[steve1578]

So I'm currently in the start-up phases of beginning my part-time detailing business.
I'm following the advice of Mike & doing 4 packages to start with.

I was wondering how most people set up their pricing structure.
For example, if you have 4 packages, what would you include in each?
I've asked a lot of people I know about the prices & they feel that's very fair.
I'm just looking for some tips at what should be standard and what should be an upsell, things like that.
I'm a newbie so any and all info is much appreciated. Thanks guys!

Here's what I have so far :

Car Care Packages
• Hand Wash - $30
o Foam Gun Soap Bath
o Hand Wash/Dry
 Clary Bar + $10
 Machine Cleaner/Wax sealant + $20
o Wheel & Tire Cleaning
 Tire Dressing + $10


• Interior Detail - $50
o Entire Interior Vacuum
o Leather/Cloth Cleaning
o Vents Dusted
o UV Protectant On Dash
 Stain Remover- $15
 Leather Specific Protectant - $10


• Exterior Detail - $100
o Includes all steps in the Hand Wash package + all additional options
o Machine polish to remove light scratches & swirls
o Machine Wax/Sealant


• Interior & Exterior Detail - $150
o Includes all steps in the Interior & Exterior Detail packages + all additional options


• Premium Exterior Detail - $400
o Includes all steps in the Exterior Detail
o Personalized Approach Based On Condition
o Machine Heavy Polishing Compound to Remove Heavier Scratches & Swirls
o Machine Finishing Polish to Smooth Paint & Enhance Shine
o Machine Wax


• Premium Show Car Exterior & Interior Detail - $450
o Includes all steps in Premium Exterior & Interior Detail + all additional options

[LSNAutoDetailing]

While I never comment on peoples prices, nor mine, I would suggest keeping things simple.
Even as a detailer I think you've itemized too many things (i.e. Leather cleaning / conditioning...)

Make packages simple for the folks that know nothing about detailing or what's involved.
Regarding pricing, I don't know your location, but AGO is a world wide web forum, so pricing in each location will be different.
Packages in or around (w/in 50 miles) of Boston MA, will be different than Conrad Montana.... (just an example.....)

Do a google search for other well established detailers in your geo area that are offering like/kind packages, to include paint correction etc...
See what they are charging for their packages and price yours accordingly. Competition is good, but do not undercut your peers.

I have two packages, one for the non-dicerning (Starting price) and another for the dicerning that want full correction & paint coatings. (starting price).
99% are quote driven based upon condition and expectations and options.

[TTQ B4U]

I offer four packages:

• New Car Prep
• Basic Clean up with complete decontamination and application of an AIO with a buffer but no real correction.
• Premium Service which is essencially an AIO with a goal of 75%+ correction goal though depending on the condition I often get out far more than that.
• Enhanced Service which is a two stage system aiming for 90-100% very often yielding 100% but again, depends on what people bring me.
• Signature Service which is multi-step compound and polish to remove any scratches that can be removed from the paint. Target is 100% full correction
• Routine Maint. Package for regular customers

I also break my vehicles down into 4 Categories based on size and type listing examples so it's clear up-front where their vehicles resides.

I don't itemize price-wise many of the items you do as my packages are what they are and I know the results from what they include. My ultimate goal is $50/hr or better if I can. Most of that is up to me in terms of my time savings, and focusing on each step and task to maximize the efficiencies around them. I'm always looking for ways to get better and make more.

[OCDetails]

Personally I don't like detail shop prices that look like a mexican restaurant menu. I wouldn't break everything down quite so much. Especially if you are mobile and this is just a side gig. I've got some experience with this... I tried breaking things down into their pieces and charging for each stage of the job, but that just gets complicated and really nobody is going to call you to come out and just detail their engine. Well, someone might, but it is going to be because the engine is such a greaseball that no mechanic will work on it until they can see it or something. That is exactly the situation I got in with someone wanting only an engine detail.

Your time is what you should consider. By the time you pack it all up and get to the client and get the job done and pack it all up again, you aren't going to really be making any money if it is a $30 car wash. You've just spent two hours of your day doing something that nets you probably less than you make in your day job. If I'm going to have to put everything in the car and go somewhere, then I need to make at least $120 out of the deal. That makes it worth my time. I value my free time more than $15 bucks an hour. Around here $120 is a pretty respectable price for an exterior cleaning (not counting polishing). I hate waxing a car that hasn't been clayed and polished, so I won't even offer it. The bottom of the bucket for me is going to include a wash, clay, polish, and wax/sealant. For that on a small car I'll go $120. Throw in the interior and it goes up to $180 which is totally doable in my area. Make it a truck or small SUV and it goes to $220. Larger SUVs or trucks can go up to $300. This is basing it on an hourly rate of between $40 and $60 per hour. You have to work fast when you are getting paid by the job, so what I would suggest is figuring out how much your time is worth to you and then calculating how long it takes to do a job.

Don't charge extra for things that should be included. Things like tire dressing and window cleaning should just be part of the service. You wouldn't expect to charge extra for a napkin and fork at a restaurant, would you? As someone just starting out you need to realize that referrals are life. You need people to be impressed with your work and for them to ask your clients who detailed their car. If you are selling services that leave the car looking half done, then that is what people will think you do. Sell them something that is up to your standards and something you can be proud to call your work and it will go a lot better for you.

It's much more impressive to someone shopping around to see that you do A,B,C,D,E,F,G when they hire you than to see that you do A for this price, B for this price, C for this price, etc. Don't make it confusing. Choose whether you are a car washer or a detailer and then just price it based on what you want to make per hour and how long it takes you do to three size classes of vehicles. That makes it easy and attractive for clients. Take it from someone who has spent a lot of years experimenting with what works best. After nearly 20 years of doing this, the best I have come up with is to detail every vehicle as if it were my own car. If they want a half assed job, then they need to hire a half assed detailer. My clients respect that and the people they refer to me appreciate it. It works well. Good luck!

[zmcgovern45]

For cookie cutter services... meaning services where you will follow the exact same process on every single car... decide what hourly rate you want to target, then figure out how long each service should take, multiply your hourly rate by length of service and out comes a price

Example: Wash & Wax, Mid Size Sedan - $30/hr x 2 Hours = $60


For higher end services where your processes and time may vary drastically, I recommend requiring an in-person inspection. We specialize in paint correction and nano coating work, and while I do have starting prices posted on my site using the same logic mentioned above, we do require an in-person consultation before scheduling an appointment. It gives us an opportunity to inspect the vehicle and more importantly understand what the customer wants. If they are looking for near perfect, then you can see the vehicle and determine what it needs to get it to the level they want it to be at.

Don't undervalue yourself in an attempt to get more business... it rarely works out. Charge what you're worth, do a better job than anyone else in town, and you will have customers. We average over $1,100 per job throughout the year and are WAY more expensive than any other "detail shop" around town, but we are always booked in advance. We continue to raise prices each year... if your services aren't selling, price is rarely the issue

Good luck!

[Brandon Wetch]

As for any machine polishing, you have to take your time to tape and prep. I would charge at least $250 for an all in one polish, use a few medium polishing pads for the job. (Think of the price of high end polishers, you should be able to build a collection fairly quickly) That should only be exterior work. Probably at least $450-$600 for multi step special polishing jobs. Clay before you polish to avoid ruining your pads. I would either include clay bar job with any machine polishing job or factor in the price automatically. As for washing I include wheel cleaning and dressing. You can do whatever you want but I would either include it, or add the price to it. It might be a good idea to have a wash service in the beginning stage of your career, but you will probably want to drop that service eventually. Imagine you either have a day where three people want a car wash or one person wants a full detail. Your time will get clogged with a basic wash when you could be getting paid what you are worth instead.


-Mr. Slick.

[GSKR]

Carwashing is grunt work.we have or most of us started on that platform to get your name out there quickly.Keep your menu card simple like hand wash and wax 95.00 exterior only 125.00 full detail 175.00 and interior by estimate only.I have 4 packages on my my card with starting prices and by estimate next to the starting price.Never give prices over the phone,I'd rather drive to a estimate to seal the deal.People call and say I got a brandnew car and just need it waxed.you get there and the new car has paint overspray on it.Learn how to do coating jobs.Its a major upsell if you can explain the benefits versus wax or sealers.I try to aim at that right off the bat.sometimes you can get it sometimes you can't just don't be pushy about it.well good luck on your new adventure .

[GSKR]

Hear is a big plus,hand your card out to painting companies.They always get overspray on people car all the time.you may get that phone call one day with 5 or,six cars with paint on them.

[GSKR]

As for any machine polishing, you have to take your time to tape and prep. I would charge at least $250 for an all in one polish, use a few medium polishing pads for the job. (Think of the price of high end polishers, you should be able to build a collection fairly quickly) That should only be exterior work. Probably at least $450-$600 for multi step special polishing jobs. Clay before you polish to avoid ruining your pads. I would either include clay bar job with any machine polishing job or factor in the price automatically. As for washing I include wheel cleaning and dressing. You can do whatever you want but I would either include it, or add the price to it. It might be a good idea to have a wash service in the beginning stage of your career, but you will probably want to drop that service eventually. Imagine you either have a day where three people want a car wash or one person wants a full detail. Your time will get clogged with a basic wash when you could be getting paid what you are worth instead.


-Mr. Slick.

Can't agree more.im now down to 2 car washes at 60.00 a pop.Here the promblem with car washes #1 no money in it.If you promise 3 customers on wensday that you will be there and late Tuesday night you get a call for a 600.00 job that needs to be done on Wednesday what are you gonna do? If you call the wash people and say you can't make it some will have no promblem,but a majority will be jerks.Get on the carwash route for a year then wean off of it.focus on what is gonna pay the bills,most importantly do a outstanding job as your career will build solid with word of mouth.

[TTQ B4U]

most importantly do a outstanding job as your career will build solid with word of mouth.

^^ this. I've been doing this on the side since early in the year and started out with 1-2 jobs per week. Now I'm up to 3-4 and it's all word of mouth and not my full time gig. I just received a HUGE and very humbling thank you and kind word reference on another forum that I am a part of and get a lot of business from and as a result have gotten two more deals.

Treat every car like it's your own, go the extra mile and most often that mile will come back and then some. I'm not sure what I like more, see the transformations of the vehicles I work on or see the faces and hearing the responses of the owners Both are great. These customers in many cases are friends before but now most all are definitely afterwards.