Fair but competitive price for a wash, and or exterior wash/wax for a Ford F-150 that is black

[Paul A.]

If a customer simply wants a wash and wax I have to first look at the vehicle. That gives me a chance to both inspect the work AND talk to the customer about their expectations. Many times I can upsell them and do more for them however I have had those that simply want a wash and "wax". When that's the case and the inspection is done and it's relatively "trouble free" (no road paint splatter, tar deposits, trashed wheels or wells etc.) I target and quote about 2 hours work for a mid sized sedan at $50/hour. I would put a Ford F-150 in the mid sized sedan category as I consider pickups pretty straight forward.

If I am able to upsell them to a wash, decon and wax, I target 2.5-3 hours depending on condition. If that's the case it's a hand wash, Iron remover, Nanoskin rub, dry, blow dry and machine applied wax or sealant.

[Mike Phillips]

so for this .. I wouldnt do less than 100. The wash and dry on a truck could take an hour alone.

Not to mention dressing everything, door jambs and the windows in and out.

Maybe 125 to 150 depending on your market area.

I just did 2 different 2014 Grand Cherokees here in Upstate NY and I charged $75 each for wash, spray wax dry and wipe down interior.

however I have had those that simply want a wash and "wax".

When that's the case and the inspection is done and it's relatively "trouble free" (no road paint splatter, tar deposits, trashed wheels or wells etc.) I target and quote about 2 hours work for a mid sized sedan at $50/hour.

I would put a Ford F-150 in the mid sized sedan category as I consider pickups pretty straight forward.

Thanks guys, that's really great input and shows you guys know what you're doing and know what you're worth.

[Mike Phillips]

More....

Come on guys....

Chime in and share where you're at with pricing to wash a car, truck or suv...


Even motorhomes....

[Joe@NextLevelDetail]

Fair but competitive price for a wash, and or exterior wash/wax for a Ford F-150 that is black



Anytime I get questions via e-mail, a PM or a FB message I prefer to invest my typing time where

A: It's easier for me to share links, pictures and videos.

B: More people can read and thus benefit from the information. (no just one set of eyeballs


So I get an e-mail asking,



Good afternoon from San Diego.

Hey Mr. Phillips,

I wanted to ask you a question and some guidance as well. First let me ask what would be a fair but competitive price for a wash, and or exterior wash/wax for a Ford F-150. And it's black.

I'm trying to start my own mobile detailing business and I am really willing to go thru what it takes.

Thank you in advance,

Julius




Great questions Julius,

My frist recommendation would be join this forum and ask your questions to this forum. This forum will be your most powefull tool for being succesfful in your business. More powerful than any buffer you will ever buy.

Click here to join the AGO forum


I don't answer quetiosn via e-mail or any form of messaging for all the reasons I listed above and in this article I wrote here,


Please post your questions to our discussion forum - Don't send them to me in a PM or E-mail...


I love to help people but typing out in-depth answers that often include pictures, videos and links to even MORE information doesn't work well via e-mail or any form of messaging but worst of all, only one set of eyeballs see and benefit from the information.

Most people that e-mail me have the abitlity to type so they have the ability to join the forum and post their questions here. If they won't do this then I'll do it for them because I simply don't have the time to answer questions for one set of eyeballs now day.

Make sense?


Now on to your questions...




What I think would be fair for the average detailer to drive to someone's house and then ONLY wash their vehicle would be in the $60.00 range and that's on the low side once you factor in your gas and time to drive to their location.

Washing any average size car and doing a professional job, (professional means thorough), will take you at least an hour from set-up to finished. I've documented myself washing my wife's SL 500 in under 30 minutes but I regularly maintain this car with frequent washings and it always has a paint coating on the paint, glass, plastic and wheels. (this means it stays clean, washes fast and dries fast otherwise it would take me an hour).

A large truck will take longer when you consider you'll need a Werner Work Platform, stepstool, step ladder or ladder to get into the truck bed so you can wash the roof and also wash out the bed.

If the black truck in in NEW or EXCELLENT CONDITION like I list on page 37 of my how-to book, The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine then in order to avoid putting scratches into the perfect paint you will have to be more careful and this will mean more time.

If the truck is a daily driver and all swirled out and the only goal is to simply get the dirt off and make the swirly paint shiny, then at least one hour from start to finish.

If the wheels are SEVERLY neglected, as in the front wheels have baked-on, caked-on road grime and brake dust to the point they are BROWN and the owner expects these to be restored to like new then figure on around 20 to 30 minutes for each wheel and this will also require some very good chemistry in your choice of wheel cleaner and some good brushes.

I've outlined the above scenarios because you didn't describe the current condition of the truck or the expectation of the owner. So don't know if that helps but there's a chunk of information for you to think through.


I'm really good at this kind of stuff and really fast. My artificial leg doesn't make me slower than any person with two legs for this type of work. Here's an example of a Chevy Tahoe I washed THOROUGHLY and it took me one hour.


High quality production detailing by Mike Phillips



The issue you may run into is that living in Southern California you will have a lot of detailing competition where your competitors will drive to someone's house and wash a car or truck for half this price and even less.

Getting a person to pay you a higher price starts with two things,

1: Having a good reputation for doing quality work the first time.

If you do good work your first time customers will become long-time customers. If you don't then you'll never build up a profitable customer base.



2: Educating your customer

If you don't know what your doing (head knowledge), then you cannot explain to your potential customer why paying your $60.00 just to wash their black Ford F150 is a better value than paying anyone else $30.00 to wash their truck.




Join this forum an start reading and more important, start threads asking questions. You will LEARN a lot and it is your education of the craft of car detailing that will separate you from the competition and enable you to be successful.

Here's a saying I have,


A successful detailer starts with the brain not the buffer


Most guys think all they need to do to become a successful detailer is get a buffer and get busy. That is SO FAR from the truth. You need and want head knowledge and then you can work smarter, not harder and make a profit instead of losing mony and becoming frustrated and giving up.


Then next best thing you can do is attend one of my classes. I'm both happy and proud to say I teach the best hands-on detailing class on planet Earth. I would never take anything away from my good friend Renny Doyle or Todd Cooperdier, (the only two other guys that I know that have a good and known reputation for being "instructors". I've never taken their classes but I know what I teach in my classes and I've seen the results over the years and heard a LOT of feedback.

So invest in yourself and attend one of my classes. The class here in Stuart, Florida is $1,795.00 plus you have to travel here and get a hotel room and rent a car plus meals. My classes always sell out and this means most the people that attend these classes are spending around $3000.0 to $4000.00 minimum just to attend this class plus what is purchased in the way off tools and supplies after the class.


When people consistently invest this type of money into the classes we hold here at Autogeek - this is an indicator that the class is what it claims to be.



The other option is sometime in the future I'll have a Roadshow class in California or a nearby state. You need to join the Autogeek Newsletter to hear about this or... be active on this forum.


Here's information about our road show classes, where my credentials are also shared...


Autogeek's 2-Day Roadshow Detailing Classes with Mike Phillips






I hope I've helped you and I hope to see you join the forum and start elevating yourself above the competition.

I love how thorough Mikes responses are. never just a "Yes, Or No" always a Explanation, Picture, and adds links to articles to help. the fact that it says 37,000 Posts under the name is almost a insult, It should say 37,000 quality posts!

[Hoytman]

I love how thorough Mikes responses are... the fact that it says 37,000 Posts under the name is almost a insult, It should say 37,000 quality posts!

I will 2nd the motion to say 37,000 quality posts!!!

I have always been supportive of Mike because 37,000 quality posts commands my support. Free knowledge folks...each one, teach one...right, Mike?

[Mattarbenz]

For a express detail, wash, dry, megs xpress wax, vacuum interior and wipe down dress there and exterior trims... I charge 90 for a regular cab, 120 for crew or extended. Painted to match cab or tauneau covers 15 extra. I can usually be done with a crew in 3 to 3.5 hrs. Interiors are always the wild card that slow me down. I usually give a little extra especially anywhere I can sit in drivers seat and look, I don't leave any trace from that vantage point for someone to ever say, he missed a spot.

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[Eldorado2k]

For a express detail, wash, dry, megs xpress wax, vacuum interior and wipe down dress there and exterior trims... I charge 90 for a regular cab, 120 for crew or extended. Painted to match cab or tauneau covers 15 extra. I can usually be done with a crew in 3 to 3.5 hrs. Interiors are always the wild card that slow me down. I usually give a little extra especially anywhere I can sit in drivers seat and look, I don't leave any trace from that vantage point for someone to ever say, he missed a spot.

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What do you dress the interior with? Same question for exterior trim.

[Mantilgh]

I'd be in at $100 for that, that's usually my blind price quote. $100 just outside, $100 in, and usually tell them I'm willing to do $150 in and out if it's not in too bad of conditioning. $200 in and out if it needs it.

Every car is different and I'll adapt my focus depending what I feel will give me the best results for my time. I try to keep Mike's saying in head, "Major on the majors, minor on the minors."

Wheels and tires are generally an hour unless they are kept up with. Then about the same for the paint.

I do a hose rinse, rinseless, then wax as you clay as I work my way around the vehicle.

Usually for a quick wash and wax I don't do much for trim unless I have extra time. If the trim is bad I'll try to upsell a treatment just a little more.

I'll usually wipe down the door and trunk jams too.

Time wise I'd probably shoot for 2 hrs but usually will do what it take to make me happy with it so I'll hit 2 1/2-3 hrs sometimes. Depends on how I read the customer too. If it's someone I'd like to continue to service, then I will try to impress within reason.

I don't mind spending a little extra time and effort if I think I'll gain a good customer or if they've got a great location in a good neighborhood where their neighbors will be stopping and asking for cards.

[Paul A.]

Getting back to the original question I would focus on 2 things... "competitive price" and "black".

Julius, to me competitive pricing is a relative term. Research what everyone is charging in your area, both pro's and "non" pro's but with an eye towards returning to the customer outstanding results. They're going to find higher and lower prices but Geek fees are higher than the midpoint between the two. The important part is imparting to and convincing the customer how you do it RIGHT and there is a slightly adjusted premium for buying that!

Secondly "black" color shouldn't matter but there is particular attention to be drawn towards making sure there isn't anything left that may be hidden on a white or silver color. I do every paint color the same way but my post work inspection is a little more discerning with black.

If this is a potential new customer insure they get something that gets them to call you back!

[Mattarbenz]

What do you dress the interior with? Same question for exterior trim.

Hard plastics usually hyper dressing diluted to a semi gloss.
I have a bottle of hyper mixed with apc that works great on rubber floor mats... leaves them clean, semi shine without the slippery feel under your feet.
It can also be used as a clean and shine on hard plastics like door cards. On the center console that surrounds the radio area and down to gear selector, many times the material is a little better, I like to hit that area with chemical guys black on black and wipe/buff it off with a clean towel, really leaves a great finish.

Outside trims on an express is either hyper dressing or the Xpress wax itself. Megs Xpress wax will make just about everything I've ever put it on look better.
I step up to trim sealants and chrome polishing in more expensive detail packages.
I know your going to get many opinions and guys are going to say this price is too low, that price is too high and so on,
but you've got to consider your market, your geographical economic area, what can they bear. This is a luxury service for disposable income. If your in a area where 200 bucks is no big deal to people then you could start a bit higher.
I'm in a fairly rural area of Ohio, it's pick up truck and minivan country by and large. There's some money moving into my area with gas and oil, and I'm getting some of it by detailing these big F350 quad cabs they use, and they don't blink at the price, but my locals aren't as fortunate, and I have to keep some service available to them.
I'm not cheap compared to some of the competitors, but I have all 5 star reviews and I really strive to make everyone feel they got their money's worth.



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