Want to get into detailing
Want to get into detailing So recently I've been thinking of getting into detailing cars on the side due to a few suggestions from my wife and a few good neighbors. I wash my own ride about 2-3 times a week and know how to clean a car pretty well. How did you guys get started and what do you charge? I have a pretty decent sized arsenal to start out with even though they're all crap you can get off the shelf at major retailers. I was thinking of charging $100-150 depending on the car. Or even like $25 if its just a simple wash and dry by hand. But I'd love to specialize in luxury and sports cars.
I can start out by doing
Exterior wash and Clay bar
Exterior wax
Rims and wheel wells
all the door jams
dressing on tires and trim
clean and condition upholstery
clean and condition leather (if required)
All glass inside and out
Vacuum and brush interior
spot shampoo interior (if necessary)
Turtle Wax ICE right before delivery
Does this sound reasonable? Of course if I have to bust out the old PC and remove scratches and swirl marks I'll drive the price up. Just really looking for advice on what is a decent and reasonable amount to charge. I already have a few people lined up if I decide to dive in.
I can start out by doing
Exterior wash and Clay bar
Exterior wax
Rims and wheel wells
all the door jams
dressing on tires and trim
clean and condition upholstery
clean and condition leather (if required)
All glass inside and out
Vacuum and brush interior
spot shampoo interior (if necessary)
Turtle Wax ICE right before delivery
Does this sound reasonable? Of course if I have to bust out the old PC and remove scratches and swirl marks I'll drive the price up. Just really looking for advice on what is a decent and reasonable amount to charge. I already have a few people lined up if I decide to dive in.
Last edited by s10blaza; Sep 17, 2007 at 03:54 PM.
I've seen some really good details on f-bodies, including the use of a PC, in the $150-$200 range. They can get on the high side depending on what the customer wants.
I'm the service manager at a dealership and we charge 29 for a Hand Wash and Vac (your good saturday morning wash) and 129 for a Full Detail. The customers eat it up. I hope the prices give you a guideline.
ive charged up to 250 a car. the one car i charged that much for i put about 13 hours of work into because of the previous buff job done by turtle wax. they basically took a dry wool pad to his car and scratched the paint horribly. plus his interior was trashed and i had the seats out and everything to clean every bit out. also i did the engine bay and a polish on the wheels which took time. i charge 25 for a basic wash and vacumm and depending on what else they want i might just throw it in or cut a deal or something. i usually take a couple of days on cars but its only because i get out of work at 6pm and have limited time to work, but all my details come out awesome(not to sound cocky) but i care about my work and rep and put time and effort into each car. i mite be doing a few members cars on here so ill be posting some pics up.
Sounds like you have a good start. Thats how I started years ago. It kinda worked itself into a side business for me. Price all depends on what shape the vehicle is in and the service that you are providing. I detail mostly high end cars now. They are usually in good shape and hardly driven. Good Luck
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Joined: May 2005
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From: The 'Burgh, PA
Your supply costs will get higher if you start working for higher-end customers. Have you priced some of the Zymol waxes? It can get expensive in a hurry. I guess it depends on where you live, and what kind of customer base you will have. Some of the stuff can be bought in bulk to save money, but it can still be a pretty steep initial investment.
Holy ****! 
Please put those MF towels in some ziplock bags! If you are going to start detailing it might be cheaper to buy your supplies in bulk through the internet or at an autoquest paint shop. I think you get more use out of the professional meguiars product or similar products. I've always though that the products available at the autoparts store were just water-down versions of the good stuff. Goodluck!
Please put those MF towels in some ziplock bags! If you are going to start detailing it might be cheaper to buy your supplies in bulk through the internet or at an autoquest paint shop. I think you get more use out of the professional meguiars product or similar products. I've always though that the products available at the autoparts store were just water-down versions of the good stuff. Goodluck! Trending Topics
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You can clean them with mild soap and water, or in a washer by themselves and then let air dry. Just remember to use plain old detergent, nothing with fabric softener and preferably no added smells.
The polishing is the hard part of the detail and where you would/should spend most of your time on a particular method. Just because you have off the shelf products doesn't mean you can't give as good a detail as someone who special orders things. It's all in the time you spend and methodology on the prep and follow through. I use a lot of OTS things (all except for my quality polishes which I don't believe you can find in a pep boys) and all of my customers have been 120% satisfied. In fact, they usually offer to give me more money
The polishing is the hard part of the detail and where you would/should spend most of your time on a particular method. Just because you have off the shelf products doesn't mean you can't give as good a detail as someone who special orders things. It's all in the time you spend and methodology on the prep and follow through. I use a lot of OTS things (all except for my quality polishes which I don't believe you can find in a pep boys) and all of my customers have been 120% satisfied. In fact, they usually offer to give me more money