# How much does detailing cost



## wn5 (Sep 14, 2009)

sorry if this as already been posted but am new to this

1 how much does detailing cost to have done

2 what does the detailing consist of


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

1) Detailing can cost anything from say £50 to £50,000. 

2) Detailing is just a generic term for basically being really anal about cleaning your car and can extend from a thorough wash through to spending a week cleaning every last inch of the car.


----------



## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

The answer my friend is .............. how long is a piece of string!


----------



## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

Lots


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

and lots


----------



## 03OKH (May 2, 2009)

Are you asking about how much for a pro to detail your car?


----------



## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Scotty Pro said:


> The answer my friend is .............. how long is a piece of string!


Twice as long as half a piece of string.


----------



## Guest (Oct 11, 2009)

cheaper than buying all the stuff yourself :lol:


----------



## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

What car do you own OP?

What level of "detailing" would you require?

Have a look at some of the pro's websites and see for yourself :thumb:


----------



## Simon01 (Jan 14, 2008)

As some of the above lots are taken into account, 

The level of detailing your after, how much you actual want to spend, looking for the right detailer/valeter i know alot of valeters who offer a detailing service, its a big and long decision 

where you from WN5 your name coulnt be a postcode ref could it  and what you looking to have detailed.


----------



## Chris_4536 (Sep 20, 2006)

Not really posted in the right section.


----------



## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

it always seems a bit taboo this question on here.suppose it depends what you want all i can say is go by word of mouth or contact a valeter/detailer on here.telling them what you have though would help.


----------



## wn5 (Sep 14, 2009)

thanks for the sensible reply's, 


i was just intrested what exactly it entailed and was curious of how much it would be to have the bodywork done to get rid of swirls and top layer scratches


----------



## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

a pro would charge you anywhere between £250 to 400 for what your looking for some do charge more but that seems the average price of course depands on how bad your car is 

i would say the average person seems to spend around the same on detailing gear pc buckets clay pads polish wax etc until they become really addicted then money seems no object as i have learnt


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

You'll find some pros charge way more than that mate. Anywhere from 200 to up and over a grand is more realistic...


----------



## Select Detailing (Feb 19, 2009)

GoodFella33 said:


> a pro would charge you anywhere between £250 to 400 for what your looking for some do charge more but that seems the average price of course depands on how bad your car is
> 
> i would say the average person seems to spend around the same on detailing gear pc buckets clay pads polish wax etc until they become really addicted then money seems no object as i have learnt


What I would say on this, most Pro Detailers on here have set rates, and then if the vehicle is in poor condition it will be extra.
You then go in to the wax and extra's area where if you want better gear used you pay more.

I would say if your new to detailing you have 2 ways forward on your car.

1. If you feel happy and confident about having a go at detailing your car, then buy some basic gear, read a few of the guides that can be found on the forum.

Few good place to buy gear depending on your budget our these 3 Companies, I use them and there service is always FIRST CLASS.

http://monzacarcare.com/

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

There are many good companies on the DW site with good deals to be had.

On the Polished Bliss Site they have a very informative site about vehicle cleaning and cleaning your vehicle in the right way.

If your looking to machine your vehicle I would be cautious till you have read the guides, or better still Dave KG and a few other Detailers run Training.

This Guy i think is at the Top Of The Tree along with Clarke for detailing.

Matt @ http://www.offyourmarks.com/

I did my training with Matt and he really is a first class guy and the experience he comes with is second to none.

2. You could take your Vehicle to be detailed by one of the Pro's that are on DW. Depending on your location i would look at the pro section in the Studio and look at the work that the detailers submit and look at there websites.

Having it done by a Pro will give you the ultimate results as there games is to get the best results.

All i can say is DW is VAST with all the help info and guides and even for me I still learn daily from the site, and the endless reading will never cease.
Enjoy and have fun.

All The Best

Gareth:thumb:


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Wow alot of people are pretty deluded about what proper detailing costs and the time and effort put in, not many detailers will have set prices, "from" prices are not set, 200 pounds wont get you a decent company to do correction.

Proper correction work your looking at 2 days work minimum, and most pros running a proper business will charge minimum of 250 per day once taking in to account, costs of insurance, vans, products, workshops and all the other things that go along with it.

It will also vary from area to area depending on where you are in the UK. 

Realistically your looking for some one good 500-1000 for a proper job.


----------



## AutoshineSV (Feb 21, 2008)

All i will say is dont be fooled by people charging over £300 to perform a full correction detail, this does not indicate that they are a pro detailer, make sure you go by a recommendation:thumb:


----------



## wn5 (Sep 14, 2009)

thanks for all your reply's


----------



## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

go to forum page and see ad for need a detailer by wizzer i think. then ring and ask they are all verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry helpful:thumb:


----------



## Simon01 (Jan 14, 2008)

wn5 said:


> thanks for all your reply's


Where you from? is your username your postcode


----------



## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

AutoshineSV said:


> All i will say is dont be fooled by people charging over £300 to perform a full correction detail, this does not indicate that they are a pro detailer, make sure you go by a recommendation:thumb:


my point exactley why i put price i did and also say condtion of car ive spoke to a few of the detailers on here and you would be surpised what they do charge polished bliss and few other do seem that bit higher but have that boutique factor to them

there is some dam good detailers on here who sponser the forum show there work and dont charge a grand unless your after complete perfection there ultimate detail as you say


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Depends what your after.

I offer a 1 day 'best endovours' correction detail, that will get you 7.5 hours of our time claying,machine ploishing, refining and sealant/wax application. We will do our best to correct the paintwork to the highest standard the time allows. No interior/engine/wheels on this one. 

I prefer the car for at least two days for a complete correction or 3 days for a big SUV. Then we can offer the full works with wheels, engine and interior protections.

But it is a competative world and I compete against the others here as they do against me.

My web prices are as a guide only, but I am swamped out on my new car details.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

^^ i think thats not a bad way to offer correction to be fair, not every one want or needs to spend the money to get every last mark out altho we will only call a detail a correction detail if its done to the best it can, main reason is we dot want some one having a car done to a half decent standard but with a few marks left in and them telling there mates at the car club it was corrected by auto finesse as it will damage our brand and not refect well on the standards we work to. 

Enhancement, altho we drpoped it a few months ago, has seen its return to our line up as its all alot of people need/want. 

I see very little point getting a car used daily to perfection, its not possible to keep it that way for long realistically.


----------



## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

cost. its a lobour of love i think


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

james b said:


> Wow alot of people are pretty deluded about what proper detailing costs and the time and effort put in, not many detailers will have set prices, "from" prices are not set, 200 pounds wont get you a decent company to do correction.
> 
> Proper correction work your looking at 2 days work minimum, and most pros running a proper business will charge minimum of 250 per day once taking in to account, costs of insurance, vans, products, workshops and all the other things that go along with it.
> 
> ...


Yikes!!! :doublesho

I had better hope the guys who do mine don't double or quadrupple their prices and take twice as long in order to become decent.


----------



## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

im sure dave wont start charging a grand for his services, though maybe he should charge more than he does going by your post.


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

Emerald Detailing said:


> im sure dave wont start charging a grand for his services, though maybe he should charge more than he does going by your post.


Hmmm. Not really sure I follow the logic there tho.
Is your point that someone should charge more because some other comparable people charge more? Or charge more because they are better/more experienced/rated higher than others who charge more? Or should take longer and therefor charge more because some others take longer?

Admittedly I am on a different side of the fence to most folk here in that I am more of a detailing customer than a detailer, so "what does detailing cost?" is a fairly significant question to me and sometimes the answer is "too much". On the other hand Dave has done a few cars for me and a couple of mates including two Ferrari 360 Spiders, three Ferrari F355 Berlinettas, an Aston Martin Vantage, Porsche 993 Carrera S, Merc CLK Cabrio and a couple of Lotus Elises. None have cost some of the figures mentioned here, none have taken two days and most folk would agree that Dave was at least "decent". I also know that the price wouldn't have to be much higher before these owners would perhaps decide not to go ahead, or do it once rather than a regular thing.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Renmure said:


> Yikes!!! :doublesho
> 
> I had better hope the guys who do mine don't double or quadrupple their prices and take twice as long in order to become decent.


Do you know what i was not going to even bother giving a narrow minded comment like that a answer but you can have one any way just so you may be enlightened. No offence to dave and his pals but your having a bunch of guys who it it for the love of it do your car in between other things they do in there life (Uni or what ever) its not anything like dealing with a proper company.

A car takes what it takes to detail, if your car is in fairly good order then its not likely to take as long as one in poor condition and there for not take as much time and thats what your paying for at the end of the day, we do correction to one standard ONLY as good as it gets, if you want the car corrected thats it, if you want it improved upon we have services that do that and offer at a much lower price but they are not tagged as "correction" as its not.

You get what you pay for as with every thing, our prices are not to "make us look good" we are good, its a fact, iv never once had some one disappointed with a detail, i run a professional business with insurances, employees, a workshop and work vehicles, all this costs and at the end of the day a business has to make its money, we offer lots of other services going right down to as little as £35 but if we are going to be tied up on a car for 3 days then im afraid at the end of the day it has to be paid for.

Thats why it costs what it costs, if you want quality, service peace of mind and all the rest that goes along with it theres many who can give you it but it dont come for free.


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

james b said:


> Do you know what i was not going to even bother giving a narrow minded comment like that a answer but you can have one any way just so you may be enlightened.


I didn't particularly think it was narrow minded.
So as not to clog up the thread I shall accept your apology by PM.
Other than that, thanks for your interesting input.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Your basically saying a car should be done in a day and people charging more are dragging jobs out to charge extra and i just set you straight, id not hold your breath for the apology if i where you.

Its physically impossible to detail and paint correct a car with moderate paint defects in one day by your self or even with a helping hand, i talk from experience.

Dont quote me if you dont want me to answer.


----------



## DE 1981 (Aug 17, 2007)

Not wishing to get involved in anyones argument but on my full correction jobs i basically require 3 full days at least, the first day of which is spent washing,claying and drying oh and taping up ready for correction work.

I just dont know how anyone working on there own can do a full correction detail in a day.

Gav

PS not having a dig at anyone just my thoughts.


----------



## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Well lets me put the record straight
As you all know I work along side Dave. But for those that don't. I can see, where they might feel mislead. Yes we do cars in a day. But we increase the man power to cover this. In short we all do between 12 to 15 hrs each. Sometimes longer. As you see this equates to 36 to 45 hours work on any said vehicle.
So where the client or customer is without his car for 24Hrs. The work is carried out to correct and protect the car, with great care and attention at every step.
Now this might not be the norm in other parts of the country. It is the way we work and pride ourselves on the finished article.
I to get concerned when I see posts of correction in one day, considering only one person is doing the detail. As it take far more man hours and dedication to correct a car, than this.
Gordon.


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

james b said:


> Your basically saying a car should be done in a day and people charging more are dragging jobs out to charge extra and i just set you straight,


Go have another read of my post.
If you are going to paraphrase then at least do it acurately. I "basically" said nothing of the sort. I queried the logic of stating that someone would charge more because other people charged more.



> id not your breath for the apology if i where you.


Says more about you than me. Don't think either of us will loose sleep over it, mind you, I am not on here presenting myself as a professional businessman.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Asking for an apology says enough i think, as dose having to fix someone's grammar, because its not written in perfect english. 

Im not going to get dragged in to a silly argument about nothing any way, nor am i really that worried about how i come off on here. i say what i see  

Have fun winging about it.


----------



## badly_dubbed (Dec 11, 2008)

echoing Gordons post above, yes, the 3 of us turn cars out in one day but as said there is usually 3 of us doing a 15hr+ stretch solid.

most know we charge a lower amount for full correction, does this mean our correction is bad? no, we dont have overheads etc so we have no real need to warrant 500+ for correction 

ive seen myself working with Dave and Gordon through the night to correct a car - because that is what the car required and would not in a million years leave our hands substandard.

having seen Dave and Gordon working in a close environment, the only thing they care about when doing detailing work is the car itself - not how much money their palms will be crossed with when the client picks up the car.

so does a higher price mean better work? - 100% untrue.

all imo of course


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> Do you know what i was not going to even bother giving a narrow minded comment like that a answer but you can have one any way just so you may be enlightened. No offence to dave and his pals but your having a bunch of guys who it it for the love of it do your car in between other things they do in there life (Uni or what ever) its not anything like dealing with a proper company.
> 
> A car takes what it takes to detail, if your car is in fairly good order then its not likely to take as long as one in poor condition and there for not take as much time and thats what your paying for at the end of the day, we do correction to one standard ONLY as good as it gets, if you want the car corrected thats it, if you want it improved upon we have services that do that and offer at a much lower price but they are not tagged as "correction" as its not.
> 
> ...


I'm interested here James.

Are you saying that because I "dont run a proper detailing company" (define, please) that the quality of my work is somehow below that of someone detailing full time? Personally I find this assertion quite offensive, for obvious reasons, perhaps you would like to clarify your stance here?

Is it a case of because I dont wish to charge £500 plus for a correction detail on a car that my work is somehow substandard to those who do? You get what you pay for... so does this mean than because I dont charge huge amounts, which I will openly say I dont, I take £250 for a correction detail and £150 for a tuition detail, that the quality of my and my team's work is below par?

Naturally, I think this is complete nonesense... I am proud of the work I, and those I work with turn out and simply because we are not "full time" or charging larger sums does not in any way reflect on the work that we produce - the suggestion that it does is, in my opinion, rather ridiculous. I too have to pay for insurance, overheads of a unit and other business expenses - but I am quite happy with the prices I charge, and I will continue to charge them. Yes, I do other things - I run a busy life myself (you do too, dont you - DJing? so you are not just detailing, rather like me, you are doing other things) working towards a PhD and working in education as well. But none of this will impact on the quality of my detailing work, and quite simply I find it offensive to suggest that simply because I dont detail full time that I dont run a "proper business" or that my results may not be up to those of someone running full time and charging more.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Detail Ecosse said:


> Not wishing to get involved in anyones argument but on my full correction jobs i basically require 3 full days at least, the first day of which is spent washing,claying and drying oh and taping up ready for correction work.
> 
> I just dont know how anyone working on there own can do a full correction detail in a day.
> 
> ...


I think Gordon has pretty much covered how we achieve it in the posts above - having 3 people working, and when we start we start at 8am and finish after midnight... On my own, it would take me two days working flat out, three days at a push - but I dont work on my own, we work as part of a team which does go a long way to allowing us to complete the details in a day - if you can call 15hours+ a single day


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Here we go, Dave im not rowing with you (AGAIN!) all we do is go round in circles, i have not once commented or put down the quality of your's or any one else's work, i said you guys do it for the love of it, and along side other things in your life.

Im not getting in to a them and us. do what you do, i do however find it funny how all three of you (one needing *BOLD* text) have to jump on such a defensive. . .


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> Here we go, Dave im not rowing with you (AGAIN!) all we do is go round in circles, i have not once commented or put down the quality of your's or any one else's work, i said you guys do it for the love of it, and along side other things in your life.
> 
> Im not getting in to a them and us. do what you do, i do however find it funny how all three of you (one needing *BOLD* text) have to jump on such a defensive. . .


James it is nor rowing... it is simply a case of a statement you made in your post that personally I find rather offensive for the reasons given in my above post - it would seem sometimes, or at least this is the impression I get not just from this post, that there is a snobbery by where if you are not charging >£X, then you are now doing a good job which is, of course, total rubbish.

You'll find, James, that when one reads something that offends, it is likely that one will respond as I have done here in my post - nothing funny about it, simply I would like to clarify my stance and my opinions when I read things which I personally do not agree with.


----------



## badly_dubbed (Dec 11, 2008)

Well us 3 as a working team will naturally stick together and defend each other, hence when dave and pals(we do have names btw ) was mentioned, all 3 of us replied


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

No Snobbery, i dont really care how much you personally charge. 

My comments if you read them dont put you or any one else down. 

I stated 500-1000, as IMO a business will charge around 250 a day, and it is likely to take anything from two days to four days. there is where my price comes from. 

You guys do as you will, but if you are trying to run as a business id go do some sums as what you charge for a detail given time spent works out little more than minimum wage each PH. and thats before you take any thing like product, fuel, Tax and NI, or any other business expense out. dont want to tell you how to do what your doing. . . . but if you are running as a proper business, i think you need to look at profit margins.

I do business, i like my work and take pride in it but id not do it unless it paid a living, at the end of the day id not clean any one else but my own motor if i did not do this for a living. as i personally have other hobbies.


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

I will make a couple of observations:

a) i don't think James was directly questioning the quality of your work Dave. What he says is correct - you do get what you pay for and people charging £250 and doing a "full correction detail"in one day can't be providing a quality job. However as has been stated there is always an exception to any rule and the fact that you have three people working on the vehicle and adding up to 45 man hours, is one of those exceptions.

b) i don't think anyone would question the quality of Dave's work so far as i know he was doing quality correction details before half the now full time and real pros on DW knew what detailing was. (even if he does get too caught up in the science)


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

james b said:


> Asking for an apology says enough i think, as dose having to fix someone's grammar, because its not written in perfect english.


Like I said in my PM, I did not fix your grammar nor change your spelling nor highlight or refer to any mistakes. That would be rude. You appear, yet again, to be mistaken.



> Im not going to get dragged in to a silly argument about nothing any way, nor am i really that worried about how i come off on here. i say what i see
> 
> Have fun winging about it.


It is hardly a "silly argument". The topic is in the form of a simple question and has in excess of 1700 views. Unless you work in a vacuum then the cost matters. A few folk have given input in relation to costs. Figures mentioned range from £200 to £1000. I guess that reflects quite a broad range and folk can be free to charge whatever they want. However, you are the only one who appears to be differentiating between what may be a good finish and a less good one purely on the basis of what it costs. You also appear to be indicating that folk who charge lower amounts are either less good, less able, less professional or somehow less worthy. It makes you look foolish.



rmorgan84 said:


> I will make a couple of observations:
> 
> a) i don't think James was directly questioning the quality of your work Dave. What he says is correct - you do get what you pay for


I actually thought that we had established that was not true. The price doesn't reflect the quality of the work, either that or James is at least twice, perhaps four times as good at detailing as Dave.


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Renmure said:


> Like I said in my PM, I did not fix your grammar nor change your spelling nor highlight or refer to any mistakes. That would be rude. You appear, yet again, to be mistaken.
> 
> It is hardly a "silly argument". The topic is in the form of a simple question and has in excess of 1700 views. Unless you work in a vacuum then the cost matters. A few folk have given input in relation to costs. Figures mentioned range from £200 to £1000. I guess that reflects quite a broad range and folk can be free to charge whatever they want. However, you are the only one who appears to be differentiating between what may be a good finish and a less good one purely on the basis of what it costs. You also appear to be indicating that folk who charge lower amounts are either less good, less able, less professional or somehow less worthy. It makes you look foolish.
> 
> I actually thought that we had established that was not true. The price doesn't reflect the quality of the work, either that or James is at least twice, perhaps four times as good at detailing as Dave.


If you're going to quote me, kindly quote the whole of what i say as not to take my posts out of their original context.


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

Apologies: Didn't mean to make it look out of context, however whether there are 1,2,3 or 99 folk working on it, the price is the same therefor the point stands surely?


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

How many companies do you know who will do any kind of work on your car for £5.90-£6.90 per hour all inclusive of goods and products used?

Your lucky Dave and crew are near you and they do a good job cheap, but if they ran as a propper business and relied on it to keep a roof over there heads and food on the table im pretty sure you would be paying 2-3, more likely 4X that easy.



Renmure said:


> Like I said in my PM.
> 
> However, you are the only one who appears to be differentiating between what may be a good finish and a less good one purely on the basis of what it costs. You also appear to be indicating that folk who charge lower amounts are either less good, less able, less professional or somehow less worthy. It makes you look foolish.
> .


Seeing as your a dab hand with that "Quote" button, would you care to go back and show me where i am doing/saying this ?????

And in the same way i did not reply to your PM im not going to apologise, as i have nothing to do so for and im sertainly not going to when you PM me asking me to :lol:


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Renmure said:


> Apologies: Didn't mean to make it look out of context, however whether there are 1,2,3 or 99 folk working on it, the price is the same therefor the point stands surely?


In a sense yes, but that's why i clarified the point about being an exception to each rule.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Rgearding whether a business is "proper" or not - the suggestion that one is not running a "proper" business could be construed as offensive when a lot of effort is ploughed into said business...

Regarding what I am willing to work for - I'll be perfectly straight and honest... detailing for me is not a primary income, it is a complimentary one. So I have got a business plan to reflect this, and reflect my desires to offer detailing servies at a price that I hope many will find affordable... my aim is to try and make what I offer as broadly accessible as possible, and yes I imagine the fact that it is a complimentary income for me rather than a sole income can help me with this. But I have most certainly done the required maths, planned what I want to achieve money wise and taken into account all of my costs and then what I personally will see back at the end of the day after I have paid my tax and my NI. The result of what I see back is simply enough to treat myself, theatre tickets, nice meals, things I'm rather partial too - nothing more, nothing less. Partly why I detail is for the sheer enjoyment, and that I can use a little money earned from it to treat myself is all to the good. _However_, I also take pride not only in my work but in the fact I am able to run a small business which is self-sufficent - it does not turn a loss, it turns out of it what I want it too. Personally I dont want to charge any more for detailing, as I am happy with what is charged - I'm happy, my customers are happy, jobs' a good 'un 

A "proper business" (and we are getting into semantics a little here, but then one has to be careful as the written word can be taken many ways which is why offence can be seen and taken by some when it is not always intended, ambiguity is always best avoided) is not one, in my eyes, which is a "sole income". You can run a "proper business" that turns a complimentary income if that is indeed your aim, as it is mine. It is not yours clearly, but our aims and thus our business plans are different. But complimentary income and proper business and not mutually exclusive.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> Do you know what i was not going to even bother giving a narrow minded comment like that a answer but you can have one any way just so you may be enlightened. No offence to dave and his pals but your having a bunch of guys who it it for the love of it do your car in between other things they do in there life (Uni or what ever) its *not anything like dealing with a proper company.*


James, just to be clear, this I imagine is one of the things that is being commented on regarding what may be construed as offensive. Whether or not it was meant in such a fashion, what you have written here suggest that what I do is not run a proper business which has the then further implication of what one will get from a proper business is a differing in some way. Just to be clear here, what I have highlighted can be taken in a way that is rather offensive to another person who runs a business they are proud of and put a lot of effort into...


----------



## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

rmorgan84 said:


> If you're going to quote me, quote what i say out of context.


Fair enough, Rhys, whatever you say mate, but you're making a rod for your own back :lol:

 Sorry, gents - as you were....:thumb:


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Im not saying you running a "dodgy" business (if i was saying that you know full well it would be spelt as as such i dont mess about with what im trying to say) However im fed up answering questions that are pretty self explanatory.

How ever id love to know what would happen if one of you damaged a car, are you all under one insurance? in this case im pretty sure you would all need to be employs of the company undertaking the work as it dont cover subbies, but then if you where all employs, what you charge would not add up after base bills and tax NI alone. or all have your own? I just cant see how you worked this out. maybe im missing something.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> Im not saying you running a "dodgy" business (if i was saying that you know full well it would be spelt as as such i dont mess about with what im trying to say) However im fed up answering questions that are pretty self explanatory.
> 
> How ever id love to know what would happen if one of you damaged a car, are you all under one insurance? in this case im pretty sure you would all need to be employs of the company undertaking the work as it dont cover subbies, but then if you where all employs, what you charge would not add up after base bills and tax NI alone. or all have your own? I just cant see how you worked this out. maybe im missing something.


If you are interested I shall send you the info by PM, James  ... As the full ins and outs of my business, like anyone's business are not really for public discussion... suffice to say we are fully insured in the event of damage to someone's car over and above public liability insurance, we have our own insurances as we are all separate businesses (for the time being ). If any of us damage a car, our insurances (relevant to the person who did the damage) are in place to cover it - as a business, to detail without insurance is in my opinion the equivalent of detailing suicide


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

I dont want to now the ins and outs, but i know what it costs to run a detailing business and at the rate you guys charge it would not float.

Any way im boared of this convo now, when any of you guys find where i said any of the things i was accused of, do enlighten me and il come back then. 

Please dont PM me asking for me to say sorry LOL,


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> I dont want to now the ins and outs, but i know what it costs to run a detailing business and at the rate you guys charge it would not float.
> 
> Any way im boared of this convo now, when any of you guys find where i said any of the things i was accused of, do enlighten me and il come back then.
> 
> Please dont PM me asking for me to say sorry LOL,


You have a PM anyway James, as I am very honest about my own detailing, and my business - it is all above board, fully insured, and turns for me a small profit... You know what it costs to run _your detailing business_, James and while a lot of it is transferrable, not all of it is.

All I can say is that either I am very lucky that I am able to offer details at the price I do, while being fully insured and above board, or that I have worked my business differently to yours such that I am able to offer my detailing at a smaller price... What I take away after tax and NI is very small, but it keeps me happy. 

However, I will never lower my quality of work as I am very proud of it, and I will never put myself in a position where I was working on a vehicle uninsured. Part of the reason I dont take wheels off a car, my insurance doesn't cover it


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> You have a PM anyway James, as I am very honest about my own detailing, and my business - it is all above board, fully insured, and turns for me a small profit... You know what it costs to run _your detailing business_, James and while a lot of it is transferrable, not all of it is.
> 
> All I can say is that either I am very lucky that I am able to offer details at the price I do, while being fully insured and above board, or that I have worked my business differently to yours such that I am able to offer my detailing at a smaller price... What I take away after tax and NI is very small, but it keeps me happy.
> 
> However, I will never lower my quality of work as I am very proud of it, and I will never put myself in a position where I was working on a vehicle uninsured. Part of the reason I dont take wheels off a car, my insurance doesn't cover it


That's a bit silly, you can take a fast spinning rotary to the car which requires skill not to damage the car, but you can't undo the wheels

How much would it cost to cover the removal of the wheels?


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

rmorgan84 said:


> That's a bit silly, you can take a fast spinning rotary to the car which requires skill not to damage the car, but you can't undo the wheels
> 
> How much would it cost to cover the removal of the wheels?


To remove the wheels I am told (info I have from my insurance company) you have to have a different type of insurance (mechanic), rather than the insurance I carr to cover damage to vehicles worked upon... This insurance was a lot more expensive when I was getting quotes.


----------



## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

James you know as well as I do. That running to successfully businesses works.
Two separate companies with two separate books and not forgetting separate tax relief.
I am fully insured as far as for pubic liability and public indemnity insurance, on both of my venture. pay my dews as far as tax & NI and cover any costs. Now whether these cost amount to anything viable is my concern. I have the tax relief at the end of the finical year to cover this and its an added bonus also.
Detailing has many ways to be rewarding and not all financial. The look of joy on a clients face. Cant be bought, this is one of the rewards I get from detailing as well as working with like minded individuals. When this leaves you and it becomes a chore then. In my experience standards drop. Which for me is totally unacceptable and if this happens. I will gladly sell my polisher.
I am not having a go here just stating my case and offer a different view.
Gordon.


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

^^^^My insurance excludes removal of any mechanical components. And that does include wheels. Would have cost an extra £500 for this.

Most wheels I can do from the front, but as I seem to do SUV's all the time I crawl underneeth.


----------



## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> To remove the wheels I am told (info I have from my insurance company) you have to have a different type of insurance (mechanic), rather than the insurance I carr to cover damage to vehicles worked upon... This insurance was a lot more expensive when I was getting quotes.


I guess this is an example of a discrepancy between two detailers overheads that can make a contribution to pricing differences.

For example james might consider being able to take the wheels off as being essential to properly clean the arches where as you feel you can save money and work around this limitation and maybe accept a 99% clean arch.

Get a few similar examples and they will soon add up. (for example a trade policy to drive customers cars on the public roads vs the customer bringing them to you.)


----------



## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

I've had a quick skip though this thread to get the jist of it, and now I'm going to jump in and give a view just for the hell of it. Whenever this topic comes up on DW there is always strong views expressed. Also because it's easy to loose the context when words are not spoken face to face, these threads tend to get heated and run out of control till locked. This is a shame because the topic of "how much" is one which rarely gets straight answers.
I've often felt that one or two pros seem to produce outstanding work in one day and I'm prepared to name Ian of Finerdetails as the one I have in mind. The work he can get through in a day leaves me in awe. I have though wondered just how close I could get to achieving what he can in the same time. Like others have said, a full detail normally takes me at least a full 24 hrs work or more. This can take the form of three days 8 till 5 with a few wee tea breaks thrown in. It's bdy hard work. However I can now appreciate a bit better, after reading through some of the posts on here, that maybe 24hrs is nearer the norm for a full correction but possibly not as many as some would spend on a typical medium sized car. It's fair to say that each car will have it's own time requirements.

On the subject of payment, and this is where people tend to clam up for whatever reason, I can fully understand someone charging 500-1000 pounds on a detail. Yes your ordinary man in the street will grimace if you gave him a quote like that, but some of the more finanially well to do will see that as value for money when bringing their Aston for some pampering. Detailing pros have a specific clientelle. They must have to be able to survive. Dave and the boys produce work of equal quality, there is no doubting that. They also have the luxury of taking things a bit slower if they want to and can charge what they feel is adequate, bringing detailing to the "ordinary" man. Nothing wrong with that, it's a free country after all.
I guess what I'm trying to say is be respectful of each others requirements when thinking of balance sheets and see that detailing can be offered to most people at a price bracket that suits the individual customer, *with the quality of work remaining constant*. Pros and hobbiests (maybe not the right word) can coexist.:thumb:


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

rmorgan84 said:


> I guess this is an example of a discrepancy between two detailers overheads that can make a contribution to pricing differences.
> 
> For example james might consider being able to take the wheels off as being essential to properly clean the arches where as you feel you can save money and work around this limitation and maybe accept a 99% clean arch.
> 
> Get a few similar examples and they will soon add up. (for example a trade policy to drive customers cars on the public roads vs the customer bringing them to you.)


In a sense, it is about _managing costs_ and the way I manage mine will be different to the way in which James manages his, hence the reason he cannot understand why I am able to make a small profit from my business - this is simple mathematics...

You can very effectively clean the arches of a vehicle without removing the wheels, I ensured I could clean and dress and protect arches to a very high standard before deciding on whether or not the relevant insurance was a viable business option. My size is a big help to arch cleaning, I'm (no laughter please) very small with a very slight build so can get in nearly everywhere with effort  Now what you cannot do for example is effectively paint callipers and hubs, so this is not a service I offer but its not a service I currently want to offer and if it becomes one then the relevant maths will be run again... Perhaps this is in the pipeline 

James may be able to comment (though I would be surprised if anyone fully divulges all of their business details and insurances) about what his costs are, but he's bored of this thread now I read.


----------



## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

Renmure said:


> Hmmm. Not really sure I follow the logic there tho.
> Is your point that someone should charge more because some other comparable people charge more? Or charge more because they are better/more experienced/rated higher than others who charge more? Or should take longer and therefor charge more because some others take longer?QUOTE]
> 
> What i was saying was that judging by your post, it would seem that dave and co dont charge very much and knowing the quality of their work and the hours they put in, you an others that have cars detailed by them are getting a very good deal. When you break it down, i imagine that they dont make much from it, but if they are happy with what they charge, that thats up to them.
> ...


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I am not going to divulge costs here but as I can use a friends unit as well as my own garage or customers garages I can tailor my costs accordingly.

All businesses have a core cost to run, I will not have a unit at the moment as I do not want to have to face extra bills of £1k a month extra and have to charge more. Times are tough as they are. Plus most of my customers use me because I am mobile.

I don't think any business profile is right for everyone but I feel this thread is dragging detailing into the gutter.


----------



## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

so wn5 looks like a newcomer asks a serious question instead gets a massive debate.and people basicly slagging other people off.no wonder hes not been back on for last three days.


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

^^^Your right chrisc the por guy never got his question answered did he?


----------



## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

nope bet he thought to much hassle i will wash it myself.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Another two pages and no ones come up with where i said or indicated towards any thing i was accused of.......... as i said before Dave im not interested in the nitty gritty of your business, it to me just dont make sense to run a business and charge minimum wage per hour. Im pretty sure if it was paying your mortgages and all the rest of it you would not beable to do so. 

I think im pi$$ing in the wind with you guys trying to show you the logic (or lack of) a business WONT be busy every single trading hour, some months it will be down on others and i dont think what your charging in the high times is going to be able to compensate for the low times, maybe its different up there, but down here on that doe you would find it hard to live let alone run a business on.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

chrisc said:


> so wn5 looks like a newcomer asks a serious question instead gets a massive debate.and people basicly slagging other people off.no wonder hes not been back on for last three days.


Whos slagging who off? 

Hes question has been answered, any thing from 250-1000.


----------



## somouk (Jun 14, 2006)

A lot of debating going on here...

How about one of the pro's posts the monthly out goings of their business to give people a real idea of what it costs.

People will then be able to make their own assumptions.

One thing that I think is playing a major part in this thread and many others on DW at the moment is the fact that the 'Weekend Warriors' are lowering the price of an average detail due to their lack of 'need' for the money.

In a competitive market this was always going to happen, I know that in my area there are 3 or 4 detailers who would detail a car for me and the prices they charge vary greatly. A £100 enhancement for Gaz W/Detail my ride would see a lot of profit as he has no insurance or unit to worry about where as one of the mobile detailers such as emerald will have all of the costs involved with being mobile to add on to the job.

This is where the professional detailers need to look at their business model and honestly think about whether they can compete in this sort of environment.


----------



## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

james b said:


> Whos slagging who off?
> 
> Hes question has been answered, any thing from 250-1000.


im not getting involved ill keep my views to myself.you have your opinion i have myn.


----------



## ade33 (Jun 4, 2008)

james b said:


> it to me just dont make sense to run a business and charge minimum wage per hour. Im pretty sure if it was paying your mortgages and all the rest of it you would not beable to do so.


And having read the whole thread this seems to be the point of your debate. If Dave were a full-time detailer then I guess he would be forced to charge more - but since he isn't, he can afford to take more time and charge less than you would, because he isn't under any financial pressure to get the job out. Your circumstances are different, that's all. It doesn't make you right and him wrong.

We have a similar discussion in this office. There's a whole two of us in this company (nothing to do with detailing), we have premises, equipment, insurance, etc, etc. We charge x per hour. There's another local fella that does what we do, he has no premises, less equipment, etc, etc. His hourly rate is half ours. The guy I work with cannot understand why he charges less than us. Simple. Our competition has less overheads than us therefore he can make a living and still charge less.

Whoever said it was simple maths was right. 

(to the op - sorry mate, looks like you hit a bit of a nerve - not all threads go this way!)


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Getting the job out as you say is not what we do, we allow plenty of time to do any car properly, but if I was to charge that amount per hour I'm pretty sure we would not beable to operate at all


----------



## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Alright, whilst I don't know whether the OP's got anything from this thread or not, or if he's found it interesting reading, I think it's time to move on from this now, as all the main protagonsists have said their piece and it now seems to be going around in circles. 

I'm not going to lock it, as some others who haven't done so already might want to express an opinion, or offer up something in reply to the OP's original question, but I am saying enough's enough regarding what's been debated in the last few pages - if any of you want to continue it, please do it by PM :thumb:


----------



## Renmure (Jan 18, 2007)

ade33 said:


> ... said sensible stuff


Which goes back to the point that someone can be "good" and do a "proper job" without having to charge £500 - £1000, it won't neccessarily take "two days minimum" at "£250 per day" and that you can get someone "decent" and in a "proper business" to do the job without paying much more than £200.

Guess the moral for the OP is to shop around since it appears that prices for a similar standard of product can vary by mega lots.


----------



## Herby (Oct 2, 2009)

rmorgan84 said:


> That's a bit silly, you can take a fast spinning rotary to the car which requires skill not to damage the car, but you can't undo the wheels
> 
> How much would it cost to cover the removal of the wheels?


Guessing here but...
It would surely have something to do with safety. By messing with someone wheels you could potentially forgot to tighten them enough and hence cause an accident. You couldn't cause an accident from burning someone's paint.


----------



## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Herby said:


> Guessing here but...
> It would surely have something to do with safety. By messing with someone wheels you could potentially forgot to tighten them enough and hence cause an accident. You couldn't cause an accident from burning someone's paint.


Exactly, yes; messing up with any part of the car that's classed as 'mechanical' which a wheel obviously is, could have very serious safety implications, where as something that's 'cosmetic', regardless of how badly it goes wrong, isn't.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Based on Viper's post I am going to say little else on what was being discussed last night, suffice to answer your question James - if you look back up the thread, you will see a post where I discussed what I construed as offensive ("proper business") and other as well - try to see things away from a simple black and white playground style of he said X, so I said Y, and rather try to realise the _implications and meanings_ of what is written beyond the simple words.

Now returning to the OP's original question, perhaps I can answer it from my own perspective, based on my own business (which is part time for me)... For exterior details including paint correction (and that indeed is full _correction_) I ask for in the region of £250 - sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more depending on car (size) and condition. This would appear to be at the "very cheap" end of the market, but as outlined above my overheads and my business' dependants are somewhat different to many, and the above price is what I am happy charging. It should be noted that to add interior detailing to this costs more. Naturally prices will vary across the board, it is the same in any business, as different businesses are run in different ways 

So there's an idea of what I charge, but do bear in mind that this is being offered by a part time business... so full time businesses may charge more due to different overheads...

As to what detailing involves, best to have a look in The Studio and see in writeups of the detailers, and see what work is put in... there are a few professional detailers who do very detailed well written writeups that detail the processes in depth which are well worth reading, and that should give you an idea as to what is fully involved in the detailing process


----------



## ade33 (Jun 4, 2008)

james b said:


> Getting the job out as you say is not what we do, we allow plenty of time to do any car properly


Of course you do, I didn't mean it like that, sorry if it read wrong. 



james b said:


> but if I was to charge that amount per hour I'm pretty sure we would not be able to operate at all


Agree though on the hourly rate, we couldn't either!


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Dave i never once hinted at or made any type of comment that was offensive to any one..... but now im going to, i suggest you go read it properly before you and your detailing squad jumped on a defensive, i answered the question, realistically i dont know any other business (by that i mean trading above board with a van or a work shop, insurances, knowledge and experiance) that works for much less than 200 a day the going rate is around 250-300 per day and given the hours you state (and by doing this for a living) it takes 2-3 working days to complete a full correction some times more, i gave the OP a realistic price, not the price us as a company would charge (never once have i said "we would charge XXX) as im not that desperate to self promote as others seem to be, take it as you like, but im still waiting seeing as you guys are great at "quoting" posts why have you not showen me exactly where i am offensive, degrading to your service, mention the quality of yours or any one else work or sonobbery as im being accused of ? i dont need long PMs about how you run a business, iv managed for the last 10 years i think i got the hang of it  


You all know me well enough if i wanted to say some thing it would be said exactly how its ment to be, i dont sugar coat it for any one.


----------



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

james b said:


> Dave i never once hinted at or made any type of comment that was offensive to any one..... but now im going to, i suggest you go read it properly before you and your detailing squad jumped on a defensive, i answered the question, realistically i dont know any other business (by that i mean trading above board with a van or a work shop, insurances, knowledge and experiance) that works for much less than 200 a day the going rate is around 250-300 per day and given the hours you state (and by doing this for a living) it takes 2-3 working days to complete a full correction some times more, i gave the OP a realistic price, not the price us as a company would charge (never once have i said "we would charge XXX) as im not that desperate to self promote as others seem to be, take it as you like, but im still waiting seeing as you guys are great at "quoting" posts why have you not showen me exactly where i am offensive, degrading to your service, mention the quality of yours or any one else work or sonobbery as im being accused of ? i dont need long PMs about how you run a business, iv managed for the last 10 years i think i got the hang of it
> 
> You all know me well enough if i wanted to say some thing it would be said exactly how its ment to be, i dont sugar coat it for any one.


And this, I think, says it all.

Refer to post #50 where I have told you what I found offensive and very clearly outlined why in fairly plain text.

As I have said, do try to bear in mind that things are not "black and white", especially when written, and what you said regarding "proper buisness" was offensive, perhaps you didn't mean it.

I see we are going round in circles, quel suprise, I've said my piece, what I personally took exception too and yu can do with this information what you like as you already have done which was to come back in with an aggressive post.


----------



## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Am I talking to myself here?

Equally, James, people also know I don't mess about with what I say on this forum, but the difference is on here what I say goes . So when I ask politely for this to come to end I expect it to do so! 

If I come back to this thread again it'll be to close it.


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Right so Dave is ok to reply after you say not to go on any more and i defend my self (as im more than entitled to) and im made an example of, f**k it do what you want ban me if you like but id like to see your reasoning behind it......... this place is getting silly now days.

I simply replied as im fed up of being accused of things for no reason by idiots.


----------



## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Who said anything about banning you? Although people had better be careful about how they speak to me on here, and that's ANYBODY or I will be hitting the ban button! Chill out a bit!

The reason I didn't make reference to Dave, is that he made a reference initially in his post and acknowledged what I'd asked for and said that he wouldn't be taking it any further, whereas your post just carried on as if what I'd written asking for this to come to an end didn't exist.


----------



## tim (May 2, 2006)

I don't post alot on here anymore, but felt I had to say something here.

You're never going to win an 'arguement' or what ever you may wish to call this.. When its 4 vs 1. So when its clear you're in a pissing match, its best to just walk away.

Though, What *I* will say is,

James is clearly running a very professional and sucessful business, therefore he is capable of charging the levels that he does.

No one is doubting Dave's work, as your passion really comes out in your writeups and the way you approach each detail.

But no one other than James or myself seems to be able to recognise the difference in running a Fulltime Business (which is likely to be their main source of income) and doing it Parttime or 'On Demand'.

A Passionate Hobbiest earning some money on the side of his main 'calling/career/path' in life is *COMPLETELY* different to trying to make a Professional Business sucessful and profitable! i.e. *Worthwhile!*

[/rant]


----------



## david_h (Sep 19, 2006)

From reading people's location, one of the major points people have missed is the fact Dave is based in Dundee and James is down south.

Wages are significantly higher in the south of England, especially in London. This is largely a result of significantly higher living costs.

I would expect to pay a lot less for a detailer up North compared to down south. Land space is much cheaper up there than down here. Labour rates are also cheaper up north.

I've had 2 different cars detailed by 2 different detailers down south. They both charged in the region of £40/hour, I think this is fair. I was happy with the results both times.


----------



## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

david_h said:


> From reading people's location, one of the major points people have missed is the fact Dave is based in Dundee and James is down south.
> 
> Wages are significantly higher in the south of England, especially in London. This is largely a result of significantly higher living costs.
> 
> ...


ALthough a weekend warrior so not in need of a pro to detail my car down south I would be expecting to be paying the detailer £30-40 per hour just for his wages bearing in mind the job he is doing is very very specialised.

If you want a cheap job done badly then by all means pay a lot less* but expect to have to fork out for a Proper Pro Detailer to fix it afterwards!

* To anyone who has read all this Thread you will see that DaveKG and gang are the exception to the rule and my comment was aimed at the likes of the 'hand car washes' that offer paint correction along with the mobile valeters who offer a similar promise for next to no cost.


----------



## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Ok chaps i have had a scan through this thread and can see that sometimes things that are written are not necessarily how the person writing them wants them to come across But that said what people must remember is each to their own.

We all know that some people wish to charge £1k's for work why others might charge hundreds ... 
BUT what we dont want is people arguing about it on DW, this is not the place and when a moderator steps in and try to calm things down I would expect things to diffuse but in this case that doesnt seemed to have happened

Yes people have a different opinion on subjects and thats what a forum is about but lets try and put this across nicely we dont have to fall out with each other

Prices do vary throughtout the country , level of work completed within their parameters , time taken etc etc - What each person needs to make a profit - what overheads they have to cover but Only the person buying that product /service can deem whether it is value for money or not ....

So n that note this is a closed thread as it has gone way off topic 

CHILL


----------

