Pricing?

LastDetail

LastDetail

Whose yer DADDY!??!?!?!?!
Do any of you guys charge different prices for SUVs versus regular sized cars?
What kind of cost breakdown do you have for different services?
What do you charge for a full detail, including claying, polishing, glazing interior etc?
 
My business partner and I try to average $25.00 an hour. That way, if the vehicle is larger or is more dirty, we get an appropriate amount for our services.
 
$25 an hour is pretty cheap. I go at least $40 an hour by myself. An SUV is usually something that will be $120 - $150 depending on the condition and what they want to have done. It works well for me because it typically takes 3+ hours to do a truck like that. I've got my process of breaking down prices here on OCDetails.com. I don't do a whole lot of detailing these days, so I don't mind making my pricing public. Usually you don't want your customers to know what you are charging per hour. Just give them a rate for the job and let them do the math. Since you have to quote the price before you do the work you can't really give them an hourly rate. Just be good at estimating how long it will take to do the job so you don't eat too much. If you quote an hour and it takes 3 then you can't go back and change your price.
 
If I had more overhead like rent or insurance or something like that then I would probably charge more too. I think its also relative to what the market can bear. For what I do the price I charge is competitive in the area. People around here just don't pay more than that for a detail. The people with the high end cars might, but there are more Civics in town than Enzos, so I focus on the majority.
 
SA Detailer said:
Even $40 is cheap, we average about $65 an hour.
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I bill at appx $65-75 an hour. I won't touch an SUV (MB G55, Escalade) for less than $180. Most average $200. There are a lot of other detailers in my area who charge a lot more. Detailing is a profession. Don't sell yourselves short guys!

But most certainly it also depends on what prices the neighborhood will support. Southern Fla has a cost of living that is one of the cheapest in the country. Southern CA has one of the highest.
 
Hey we are both in the OC!
I think that means we are competitors. Hahahaha.
But seriously people will pay extraordinary amounts of money for their cars. I mean I know I have a sickness but some of these people are downright ridiculous. It's great though, keeps us all in business.
 
$40 bucks an hour isn't selling myself short. Its what the market will bear in my area for a mobile detailer who works out of his client's garages. Like I said, with more overhead I would probably charge more, but I would also probably have to start focusing on a different income level. If 75% of my wage is going to get ate up with taxes and overhead then I'd have to stop working on low dollar jobs.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
$40 bucks an hour isn't selling myself short. Its what the market will bear in my area for a mobile detailer who works out of his client's garages. Like I said, with more overhead I would probably charge more, but I would also probably have to start focusing on a different income level. If 75% of my wage is going to get ate up with taxes and overhead then I'd have to stop working on low dollar jobs.
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No doubt J man !

I charge 150 for cars , 175 for trucks and 200 for full size anything..Its about average in Hawaii for Mobile . Using their power and water. It would be a little low for a storefront op though. Being mobile is very low overhead. I highly recommend it .
 
Secret Chimp said:
Don't sell yourselves short guys!
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$25 an hour is about the most expensive that I can charge and still get customers. Showering hasn't caught on in Arkansas yet, so you can only imagine where detailed automobiles is on their priority list.


Disclaimer: I am not from Arkansas. I got stationed here as part of what I like to think was a sick joke.
 
audiboy said:
$25 an hour is about the most expensive that I can charge and still get customers. Showering hasn't caught on in Arkansas yet, so you can only imagine where detailed automobiles is on their priority list.


Disclaimer: I am not from Arkansas. I got stationed here as part of what I like to think was a sick joke.
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Not everyone in AR keeps a dirty car or won't pay for a quality detail. The closer you get to Little Rock, the better chance I think you would have of charging more.
There are even a few exotic cars around.
How are you finding clients?

I was not born here either but find it a nice place to live.
 
pt91 said:
Not everyone in AR keeps a dirty car or won't pay for a quality detail. The closer you get to Little Rock, the better chance I think you would have of charging more.
There are even a few exotic cars around.
How are you finding clients?

I was not born here either but find it a nice place to live.
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All of our clients are either from the base, Jacksonville, or Cabot. Yes, I too have seen the few exotic cars but they are few and far between.
 
Remember this keep your quality high and begin to work your prices up and always when you do a menu always put what you want to charge say 50 per hour then put what you are charging now so they feel they are getting a good deal and it is not what you will be charging later on.Hope this helps.You would be surprised who has money sitting in the bank.
 
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