How long do you professional guys take to detail a car inside out? I did a chrysler sebring convertible and took me 6 hours (7 hours including my 1 hour lunch). This includes clay, polish, wax and the whole interior (doors, carpets, leather, etc...). This is my first paid detail but not sure if im taking too long. The car was pretty dirty though and the paint was kind of dull.
hours of detailing?
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MS22
New member
All depending on the size of the vehicle and its condidtion I have worked anywhere between 4.5 and 15 hours for a single job. On the low side I have done an entire MINI in acceptable shape in just over four hours. On the other hand I am currently working on a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder with 140K+ bought at an aution for $2800, if that is not an indicator of its condition I do not know what is. The car was never cleaned inside or out and spent over one month with the top down outside in the conditions. This one is probably going to set my record and take 15-18 hours over 3 days.
For an average mid size sedan in decent condition 6 hours is just about the average for total time; I do not take lunch or anything but pack some Tri-O-Plex bars, water, and Red Bull and eat as I go.
I think you made some good time for it being your first paid job. As you go you will find small time savers that add up in the end so expect to knock about 20 minutes off of that once you get rolling. Personally, I would rather take my time and do the job right than rush through any of it hastily. Overall though most jobs take me about 5.5-7.5 hours if I had to make a guess.
For an average mid size sedan in decent condition 6 hours is just about the average for total time; I do not take lunch or anything but pack some Tri-O-Plex bars, water, and Red Bull and eat as I go.
I think you made some good time for it being your first paid job. As you go you will find small time savers that add up in the end so expect to knock about 20 minutes off of that once you get rolling. Personally, I would rather take my time and do the job right than rush through any of it hastily. Overall though most jobs take me about 5.5-7.5 hours if I had to make a guess.
I've detailed my truck (Ford Ranger) more than a couple times since owning it and doing the whole shabang usually takes me about 6-7 hours using a PC. Maybe less with a rotary since I havn't tried mine rotary yet on a vehicle due to mother nature.
If you can detail your average side sedan in about 6 hours time IMO I'd say your doing alright unless you got other people working with you,,,,,,AR
If you can detail your average side sedan in about 6 hours time IMO I'd say your doing alright unless you got other people working with you,,,,,,AR
White95Max
New member
I did a 2000 Jetta today in 7.5 hrs including lunch. I charged $110, and got a $20 tip on top of that.
I did the interior, exterior, and engine bay. I also did such extras as 303 Wiper Treatment and Gummipflege on the weatherstripping.
I have an '88 Buick LeSabre to do (exterior only + windows/dash) on Thursday. I expect the job to take about 4 hrs. Oh and for that one I'm charging $50. It's my friend's mom's car.
I did the interior, exterior, and engine bay. I also did such extras as 303 Wiper Treatment and Gummipflege on the weatherstripping.
I have an '88 Buick LeSabre to do (exterior only + windows/dash) on Thursday. I expect the job to take about 4 hrs. Oh and for that one I'm charging $50. It's my friend's mom's car.
Condition of the car definetely plays a role in the number of hours you are going to do a detail. Another factor i suppose would be the type of LSP. WIth Zaino, its going to take you longer because of the 'curing' period. Normally i advise my customer that using Zaino will add another 2 - 3 hours.
imported_Burlyq
New member
X-Trail said:
Nothing cures faster than Zaino, are you sure you didn't mean something else?
SLiM003 said:
I rarely finsih a car in under 8 hours.
SLiM003 said:
It depends on the market, you should find out what local detailers charge. 120 is kind of light if it's a full detail with polishing IMO. A lot of detailers have a standard price for washing and sealant, but charge hourly for machine polishing. 120 sounds right for washing, sealant, and some interior work, but if the car's paint is in bad shape, I would charge more than double that.
White95Max
New member
BurlyQ - $120 in California is different from $120 in Wisconsin, and different from $120 in Nevada. The going rate for a professional detail is going to vary depending on the area. Some people are able to get $200 for a job that I would maybe get $150 for.
imported_Burlyq
New member
White95Max said:
I thought I had addressed that when I said check your local area detailers, but maybe that wasn't clear. Even saying that, for a total detail with machine polishing I think 120 would be light anywhere US. Figure twenty in products, plus travel and business expenses, and oh yeah taxes, for something that usually takes me personally 10 to 12 hours to do. detailers are skilled labor and should get paid for it where ever they are IMO, 40 or more an hour in CA or NY and 20 an hour in the heartland, and inbetween 40/20 everywhere else. When people charge too little it takes away from the credibilty of the occupation, not that I have any strong opinions about it.
PerfectFinish1
New member
MS22 said:
Was it from a dealer or public auction? That seems like a pretty good deal either way! I just bought a 2000 Blazer from a public auction for $2800, it's in absolutely horrible condition, but it sounds like yours is probalby worse. Yours was caused by weather, where mine apparently was caused by a REALLY sloppy marine, judging by the bill of sale showing the loan through the armed forces credit bureau was defaulted.
MS22
New member
This was a public auction car in the worst condition I have ever seen. The driver floor was worn down to the floor in only two years, mold all over the dash, there are cigarette burns in the top, one side was completely tar, the interior of the car was covered in hay which was actually ground into the carpet, and on and on! The guy who bought it wants to: have it cleaned (me), get a new hood and top, have the engine checked out and fixed becuase something is definately wrong, I think its the valve timing and tranny from when I drove it. He wants to put into it what he paid for it and sell for about 8K. Not a bad turnaround for a total investment of about $5500. It was a decent deal but the car is going to require time and work before he can put it back on his lot and make some money off of it.
danwatt
Doing stuff.
It really depends on the car. For instance, my friend's 1971 Mini Cooper takes more time to detail than my 18 foot long Mercedes. The Mini has a ton of trim, rain gutters, etc. that make it difficult to work with. The Mercedes is pretty smooth, so it's a lot easier to get done. Interior goes the same way. It's a lot easier to work in a nice large car, you can get more done at once instead of changing positions every five seconds.
I'm glad this thread has come about because I was going to start one on a similar theme myself. I'm starting a detailing business and was wondering if I was taking too long to detail a car, but it appears not.
Like the general consensus seems to be, it all depends on the size, shape and condition of the car. I also find that the amount of exterior trim it has a big factor in how it takes!
For example, my 1 Series with minor swirls and no exterior trim took 4/5 hours for a full exterior detail, whereas my Mum's Freelander with trashed paint and heaps of exterior trim and a high SUV roofline took 10/11 hours for a full exterior detail.
As Burlyq says, detailing is a skilled profession and people need to be aware of this. If somebody wants their car was/waxed they can go elsewhere as I'm sure there will be somebody who'll do it in an hour for $10, but I'm more interested in achieving perfection, and it's by doing this that really puts the satisfaction not only in my eyes, but also in the customers.
Ben
Like the general consensus seems to be, it all depends on the size, shape and condition of the car. I also find that the amount of exterior trim it has a big factor in how it takes!
For example, my 1 Series with minor swirls and no exterior trim took 4/5 hours for a full exterior detail, whereas my Mum's Freelander with trashed paint and heaps of exterior trim and a high SUV roofline took 10/11 hours for a full exterior detail.
As Burlyq says, detailing is a skilled profession and people need to be aware of this. If somebody wants their car was/waxed they can go elsewhere as I'm sure there will be somebody who'll do it in an hour for $10, but I'm more interested in achieving perfection, and it's by doing this that really puts the satisfaction not only in my eyes, but also in the customers.
Ben
White95Max
New member
I can wash and dry my car, inluding the wheel/tires in under 30min.
