I have been detailing for a long while now. I have done work for a few friends cars, but now I have people wanting me to work on their vehicles for them.

Now I know that some of the pricing has to do with how bad the paint is. But what should I use as a base line?

I live in Goldsboro, NC and the price around here for a paint correction job STARTS at $300 and only goes up from there...

I am working a buddies VW tomorrow and I told him that I would do it for $100 plus $25 for the interior. Now he is a friend so I cut him a deal, especially since it is his first time with me.

So what should I do? I have a full line of detailing products, basically all of the Adam's stuff along with some poorboy's stuff and other random items. I do really good work, get compliment all the time on how clean and well kept my truck is, and anyone I have ever done work for has been amazed...

And dont forget, the detailing stuff (polishes, towels, waxes, sprays, glazes, etc) aint cheap...

 

If you are going to "play with the big boys" and charge $300+, you need to make this a legal business, paying taxes, and with insurance - especially if you are going to be doing work for people you don't personally know.

 

Well glc, I dont see having to go that far. I have a full time job already, and this is really just a hobby on the side that earns me a little cash. Not really going into going into a full blown business.

I am just curious if I should charge what local shops charge, or what? I dont know. I have never charged more than $225 for a job, and that was a full sized Chevy truck.

Really, just looking for what you guys would pay to have my services done I guess.

 

I wouldn't try to charge what the local shops charge. You don't have the overhead that they do, and if you charge the same and something happens, you will have some major liability problems.

 

fear prevents success.

 

I think I will just stick with what I have done in the past. Look over the vehicle, ask what they want done and give them a price.

 

Doing this for pay, even on a part time, on the side basis without proper insurance is stupid.

Too easy to make a mistake, or run into an issue caused by someone else that was covered up.

Pricing things is difficult. It depends on your ability, the quality of work you are turning out, and the market you are working in.

 

exactly !!

 

I don't do auto detailing, but whenever I do side work, I never charge less per hour than I would make working my full time job.