$$$$ Detail charge $$$$

DropTopPony

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Whats the going rate now for a full detail...

use my car as example...

Vert with leather and light swirl marks on paint.

I'm just curious as i haven't paid anyone to do this in years and last time i paid was over 15 years ago and i paid $150 for a nice job.
 

ripper

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I had my wifes 95gt done last yr when i bought it and for full detailing inside and out it was like $180.00. Shop right here in town did it and it came out perfect. Looked like a different car.
 

Red96GT

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Depends A LOT on your area and who does it. I'd say with light swirls and a generally well kept up car between $200-$300 for someone who knows what they're doing.
 

bigjohnson4.6gt

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my buddy does detailing himself and he charges $250, a company next to me charges around $300-400
 

wytstang

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Around $250+ for a detailer with indepth product knowledge and who is actually removeing the swirls and not just hide them.
 
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DropTopPony

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I figured it should be atleast @ $250-300 for a good 2 or 3 stage polish/wax detail considering the time it takes to do it right.
How long do you guys normally take? i'd est 4-5 hours :dunno:
 

Red96GT

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DropTopPony said:
I figured it should be atleast @ $250-300 for a good 2 or 3 stage polish/wax detail considering the time it takes to do it right.
How long do you guys normally take? i'd est 4-5 hours :dunno:

Depends on how bad the car is and how in depth you want it done. With light swirls, fairly clean interior, and a little bit of motor cleaning I'd say it would take 6-8 hours to do a good job.
 

Dalamar

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Yep, where there's polishing, 6-8 hrs is about right.

the deeper the scratches, the hours just stack up.
 

ju015dd

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i charge 125 for cars our size and 150 for trucks and suv's. but i am really just starting off and trying to get my name and work out there. i am doing a yukon middle of the week for 125. but this is just for the exterior. i dont have to mess with tthe inside or engine bay.
 

ALITL8

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ju015dd said:
i charge 125 for cars our size and 150 for trucks and suv's. but i am really just starting off and trying to get my name and work out there. i am doing a yukon middle of the week for 125. but this is just for the exterior. i dont have to mess with tthe inside or engine bay.

raise your prices!!! i try to make $50-$100 per hour depending on the level of detailing.

DTP, around $250-$300 (a well cared for car in the OKC, OK area) mild/moderate swirl removal, interior detail w/shampoo, engine bay (degreased, washed down, pw'ed off and dried), wheels and wheel wells, etc.

est time: 4-5 hours




p.s. sorry i havent been around, my mom passed away
 

ALITL8

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ju015dd said:
damn it man, 50 to 100 bucks an hour. im no doctor

never sell yourself short... if you do "real" detailing youre worth that and more. i dont offer "car washing", my "mini detail" (everything but wax and shampoo) on a small car starts at $100. compounding, polishing, waxing, etc. are add ons.
 

ju015dd

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cool, i will have to take that into consideration. i fig 25 bucks an hour was good. i by no mean shortcut my detail jobs. usually takes me 5 to 9 hours depending on size and condition
 
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DropTopPony

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You have to factor in product and materials and equipment and electricity and water etc etc so $25 doesn't sound like much unless you like busting your ass for $12 an hour.
 

ju015dd

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oh, well like i said. i am doing this just as a side thing and going to these peoples houses and using there water and electricity.
 
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DropTopPony

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That helps some, i think i would still charge atleast $200 for a full detail and more if it had swirls and scratches...but i can understand if your just starting out and just trying to get some business and get your name out there.
 

Red96GT

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I'm kind of in the same boat as JU015dd. I'm just starting out and am advertising by word of mouth. I'm not charging much for two reasons: One because I want to impress people when their car is finished and two because most people don't want to pay a 17 year old $300 and trust them to polish using a minor abrasive on their cars.
 

ALITL8

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ju015dd said:
oh, well like i said. i am doing this just as a side thing and going to these peoples houses and using there water and electricity.

Red96GT said:
I'm not charging much for two reasons: One because I want to impress people when their car is finished and two because most people don't want to pay a 17 year old $300 and trust them to polish using a minor abrasive on their cars.

hey guys, we (me and my son) started out with 3 buckets, a LONG ASS water hose, hand sprayer, sponges, soap, wax, etc, using our customers water and electric. to this day we use our customer's water to fill the 100 gal tank unless they dont have access to water and the same goes for the electric... who wants to listen to the generator all afternoon?

one thing that will help you in selling your jobs at a higher price is not using words like "abrasive", whether it be minor or not!!

"a medium "cut" compound to remove light to moderate scratches, swirls and imperfections, followed by etc., etc, bla, bla, bla" sounds much better... doesnt it? "know" what youre doing, speak with confidence, do quality work and people will pay your price.

for you guys using word of mouth, its a great way to get going but the best money i ever spent was getting in the phone book... do it ASAP :thumb:
 

White_5.0_GT

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one of my buddy's works at carmax as a detailer...they charge $180.00 and they do a lot of shit....
 

drifts14x

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When I worked at a detail shop, we did a full job for $195, no tax, that included swirl removal and all that jazz. The materials cost for each car may kill you man, so keep an eye on it. We used all Meguiar's products and the shop spent a righteous fortune on those in bulk. We never used the word abrasive either, we had a "deep polishing" compound though, lol.
 

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