What is your hourly rate? Or what are hourly rates you have been hearing people charge? I would have done a poll, but I guess I can't.
I'm not sure how many people actual use an hourly rate unless it's for a paint correction. I have packages that people can choose from or they let me know what they are specifically looking for and I give them a price. I would say it also depends on the area of the country you are in. I think your going to find a lot of different answers here. IT also depends on your experience and how much your time is worth to you. I for example typically charge less since I'm a newer detailer (as in I just started doing it for other people this year, always done my own cars though). I would say that in Mass the average hourly rate for a experienced detailer to do a paint correction it would be roughly $25 an hour. But again it will vary depending upon the job (i.e. doing a Hyundai would be cheaper than doing a Ferrari)
Other peoples hourly rates should have zero effect on your hourly rate. 2 main things you need to think about before making an hourly rate. 1st: What is your skill level? If your doing high level correction work (compounding, polishing, finishing) and yielding upwards of 90% correction and feel confident than you can replicate those type of results on just about any car, than your hourly rate should clearly reflect that thus being higher. If your still learning and are not yet confident enough to put out high level work on every car you do than adjust your hourly rate to reflect that as well. There is nothing wrong with learning and experimenting, its just that you cant really charge people top dollar without giving them top notch work. (Some do but for the sake of this discussion lets even go there, lol) 2nd: What price can your area (core market) bare? If you live in a rural area with very few if any luxury cars than you may have a tough time demanding a $50/hr rate. You have to understand the market your going to cater to, find out what their needs are and if your lucky you may be able to introduce your services to them, thus allowing you to create the demand for your service which hopefully can grow by word of mouth (the best way to attain new clients). What type of detailing do you plan on doing, paint correction, wash and wax, volume work? Hope this helps :thumb:
Why do you feel that way? The price of the car should have no effect on your set hourly rate for paint correction. The only way I see this happening is because of the length of time it takes to work on a certain type of car compared to another. Ferrari ceramic paint is harder to polish on than pretty much any Japanese paint finish, plus the contours of the body etc. But a 15hour paint correction on a Ferrari should be the same cost as a 15hour paint correction on a Hyndai, that is if you stick to your set hourly rate.
I was just going to do a friend's car. But I was curious what the industry averages are. I wanted to price accordingly (skill level, etc).
Reason I say this is because I've been told several times in the past (on different forums as well) that usually you charge based on the type of car. If your working on a higher end car you up your rate compared to a lower end car. That's at least what I've been told in the past, but what you say does make sense. I'm new to the paint correction aspect of detailing and have only done about 3 cars so far. So, I guess having an hourly rate and sticking to it make sense.
In the end, you have to ask yourself what your time is worth. Most on this board aren't full time detailers, and do it for fun on the side. If you work hard at your "day job" most of the week, do you want to get out of bed on a Saturday at 7am to polish a car all day long for $25 an hour? Or does it only make it worth your time at $40 or $50 per hour? Combine this with your skill set, and what your market can bear, and you can probably come up with a good number. But $100 for a one step is VERY cheap. A wax and wash normally costs more than that, when doing it right and using high quality products...
It depends on everything that has been said. But for the fact the you want numbers: I charge $40 an hour and live in the second largest city of my country, so there is no lack of high end vehicles and whatnot. I give better deals when I get more work from the same client, I.E.: 3 car contract. Don't go by my prices though, do some local research and see whaty it's worth.
Lot's of good advice here. I charge anywhere from $40-50/hour. That may seem like a lot to some people, but for being mobile and having our detailing process pretty streamlined, I think it's fair. Paint correction prices may vary, but I still use an hourly rate as a benchmark. Everyone has their own way of doing business, this works for me. Good luck.
