How much do you charge for a one-step exterior detail?

[Paul A.]

Thanks for replying with "real" answers guys.


Paul - You're a really good detailer, seems like your customers are getting a GREAT deal. Do you get a lot of referrals and repeat business?

Thanks, Mike, for the compliment. I do get a lot of both referrals and repeats but quite honestly cater to those who are more interested in "clean and shiny" vs. show car level work. Quite a few soccer mom types who want the inside cleaned and a quick wash and "wax".

I will add that I have been doing a lot more cleaner sealant jobs because of that local market. With the improvements in that category of products they are getting better results too!

[Eric@CherryOnTop]

$400 for "average" sized cars using HD Speed. I'm in the 6-8 hour range depending on if I choose to chase down any RIDS that bother me :-p.

[sudsmobile]

I get you but I did say one-step cleaner/wax, here's me quoting me





So for anyone that might not know... (that's okay if you're new), a one-step cleaner wax also called an AIO is a product that will do 3 things in ONE STEP

1. Clean or correct
2. Polish
3. Seal the paint - usually with some form of wax or some form of synthetic polymers or combination of wax and synthetic polymers.

There are compounds that are called or considered one-step products because they will cut like a compound but finish out like a polish BUT they DON'T leave behind any water insoluble protection ingredients THUS you must follow them with at least one more step to seal the paint. This makes a one-step compound process 2 steps and that's not what I'm asking.

The question is,

What are you charging for ONE STEP.

Step means the thing or things you do to the paint AFTER the normal washing, drying and mechanical decontamination. Anyone that's ever attended any of my classes here, on the road or at Mobile Tech Expo has seen my Power Point Presentation slides that explain all this as we cover MULTIPLE STEP OR SHOW CAR DETAILING AND ONE-STEP OR PRODUCTION DETAILING.

Here's a pitch for my classes not only are they intensely HANDS-ON but you also get a TON of HEAD KNOWLEDGE. Keep that in mind and if one of our roadshow classes is in driving range of your hometown - sign-up.

It's not that I didn't understand the question. My implication is that others didn't understand the question because of the wide variance in prices. And thank you for your offer, but if I'm going to classes, I'm probably going to Valencia which is somewhat close to my home. I will say that I should probably add a slightly lower priced one step service because the product I'm using now is a diminishing abrasive product that requires much more work than a few quick passes although technically it is a one step product. Maybe I'll add something like an HD Speed to my arsenal and include a slightly lower priced service that is more in line with some of the pricing I see here.

[LEDetailing]

Most of my AIO polishing jobs have been free. Or they are so heavily discounted that they might as well have been free.

The interesting thing about the huge variation in prices posted, is that the quality of work is probably varied as well. I doubt anyone on this forum is turning out poor polishing results. However, some of us just have too many anal retentive tendencies. The guys who put food on the table doing this everyday know when to stop. The guys like me who do this as a hobby, sometimes making a couple hundred bucks, suck at knowing when to stop. Oh and I’ve never been able to leave my one and only AIO polish (HD Speed) as a stand alone LSP. Always have to put a sealant or wax on top of Speed. It only takes 30-45 extra minutes

If I had to come up with a set price I’d be happy at $50 per hour. Average 4 door car would take me 5-7 hrs. And I’d feel guilty charging $300. So I’d probably do it for $200.

[sudsmobile]

Here's a pitch for my classes not only are they intensely HANDS-ON but you also get a TON of HEAD KNOWLEDGE. Keep that in mind and if one of our roadshow classes is in driving range of your hometown - sign-up.

I'll be honest with you, I've been eyeballing that Friday class at 3D. It's a lot of money though and Friday is a busy day, so it's like a double loss. Money wise, not knowledge wise.

[rcoops77]

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Very interesting....

Keep them coming guys....


I should have asked...

How many hours do you average for your one-step package?

3-4 hours


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

[Dr Oldz]

Interesting thread!!!

Before I even answer I will say that as of recently, I have been charging more then I ever have for a one step. This is due to the AIO products improving and really giving some fantastic results. I feel The AIO type products have really improved over the past 10 years rather drastically.

Typical car about $275 ....5 hours
Typical suv about $350 ...6 hours

I honestly don’t get a lot of request for these type details but I do offer them. Some people just want a clean, shiny vehicle that beads and looks much better than it did...... and one steppers fit the bill for these certain clients.

[Dan Tran]

The Buffing Moose Detailing

One-Step Polishing
Starting at $299

PREP TIME 1 hour and 30 minutes +/-
ACTUAL DETAILING TIME 4-6 hours +/-

:: yes I just quoted myself ::

* Not that I feel anyone is asking, but here is a breakdown of what my price covers on the backend. I just wanted to KINDLY share this. That’s all. So...

When I mention prep time, I imply the process of prepping the paint for an AIO.

There is soft cost and hard cost.

Soft cost: I want to make sure the time I take to educate my clients about my services are factored in. Additionally, the cost of preparation for the detail since I am mobile after all.

Hard cost: The Prep Time + Actual Detailing Time + The Cost of Material + Self-Employment Tax + Travel Time = Maintaining Profitability


Dan Tran
Car Care Specialist
The Buffing Moose Detailing: High-Quality Car Detailing

[FrankS]

I'm about at the 5-7 hour range and about $400-500, depending on the size and condition of vehicle.

I normally like to top the AIO with a sealant for longer lasting protection.

[parttimer]

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Very interesting....

Keep them coming guys....


I should have asked...

How many hours do you average for your one-step package?

I'm at about 4-5 hours depending on wheel conditions. First 2-3 hours is prep, washing, cleaning wheels, wells, jambs iron and decon. Polishing is quick going through 4-5 pads, I don't clean them on the fly, just swap out.