Crusher

A friend of mine just detailed a 2001 Corvette Vert with 10K miles. This guy is super meticulous and doesn't cut corners. Here is what he did.
Dawn
Clay bar
Z-7 car wash
Z-5
Z-6
Z-5
Z-6
Z-2
Z-8

He also cleaned and polished the wheels and exhaust tips. Did the tires and wheel wells. Cleaned and polished the door jams. Cleaned and conditioned the seats, dash etc. Vacuumed the car. Did the black trim with Z-16. Cleaned all windows. Cleaned and detailed the engine compartment. He spent about 6.5 hours on the job.

If you were to do this job what would you charge? If you were to have this done what would you expect to pay?

hcvone

For 6 1/2 hours worth of work you would have to charge $200 - $250 at least, that would be $30 - $40 an hour without supplies.

ZaneO

Around here, it would be about $150-$175, but that is going to vary by region. I think it's worth $200.

0TH0001@properautocare.com

6 1/2 hours of work, about 250-325 depending on what I'm doing exactly.

WhiteDiamond

If I do Zaino for a customer, the price is at least $250.00 and I ask for 8 hours to get at 2 layers on the final polish. Depending on the condition of the paint when it arrives, the price increases as the prep level increases.

Todd

picus

I think the only issue is he isn't doing any actual polishing. I'm not trying to play devils advocate or anything but that kind of job would probably take an experienced detailer half the time since (aside from the interior and clay) it's almost all LSP application. With a PC and ZFX you can apply and buff off three layers of Zaino in under an hour. And yes, that is without cutting corners.

I'm just sayin'.

Crusher

It would be my guess that you have not done this type of work, I'm just sayin'. And with your response, you did cut corners. You cut out the clay and the interior work and then also used a PC. I'm just sayin'.

If a detailer did the amount of work my friend did in just over three hours, then it is a detailer that I would not use.....He couldn't possibly have do the quailty of work done, and the amount of work done by my friend that took 6.5 hours......I'm just sayin'.

FIDOauto

Crusher he did mention the clay bar....... and if you see the work he does (go to his website) then you would probably eat your words.

what he is saying is that since there is no Polishing involved its going to take half the time...(he is right)....

anyhow... for a job like you described I would charge about

$250

ZaneO

I will vouch for Picus' work - it is top notch.

Crusher

Fido.....Am I misinterpreting what he said above?

I listed and described the work that was done. All I'm asking is what would you pay or what would you charge. He did what he did in the time I mentioned. We can throw in all kinds of variables but that won't answer my question. Since he is in the Detailing Biz it would have been helpful to just post what he would have charged to do all the steps I had listed.

I guess I got a little annoyed because I asked a simple question and picus instead of giving a simple answer throws in stuff that didn't help me at all.

Sorry picus.......

picus

I'm sorry if I offended you or your friend in any way. What would I recommend he charge for this service? If he is in a metropolitan area ~$200.

FWIW, You did misinterpret what I said - I will be more clear. Aside from the clay and interior work most of what your friend did was LSP application and removal, which in terms of a full detail is usually a very quick process. Even by hand most experienced detailers can apply and buff off 3 layers of zaino in under an hour. With a PC that time doesn't change a lot due to the need to let Zaino dry, the difference is you will have more time to do other things while the Zaino currently applied is hazing.

Lastly, I have done this kind of work and I do not cut corners. With experience comes efficiency.

Cheers.

JJU

I don't do this type of work but if I did, $200.

agentf1

Probably around 200 to 250 bucks. I am surprised he was able to clay the car and not need to polish any areas. I am guessing the car was not black. The time it took seems about right to me.

Crusher

I also apologize to you. I'm a little touchy today.

In reference to above. That would be assuming that it dried almost instantly and doesn't include the Z-6 between coats and the Z-8 after the final coat. Is this correct? I watched him do most of this job and although he is very meticulous he works fairly fast. With your best guess given the steps I outlined, how long do you think it would take you to do this same job?

Most detailers, I don't think, charge by the hour but by the job. So I guess the time think isn't to relevant. I personally hate paying anything by the hour. As you said and truthfully so, is that with experience comes efficiency.

Crusher

The car was a 2001 Navy Blue Vert. Low miles and in decent shape paint wise. Z-5 did wonders for the swirl marks that it did have. I'm sure a ZPC treatment would have resulted in a better finish but this one is pretty good.

Although this car wasn't abused it also wasn't keep up very well detail wise. At least not the way most of us on the detail forum keep our cars.

picus

With ZFX (which is "required" for multiple coats in the same day) Z5/Z2 are ready to buff off within probably 10 minutes. So assuming you do it via PC, apply Z5, seal/dress a couple wheels for 10 min, buff off with Z6 and apply Z5, seal/dress a couple more wheels for 10 min, buff off Z5 with Z6, apply Z2, dress some of the trim/polish some chrome for 10 min, buff off Z2 with Z8. If buffing the car with z6/z8 takes 5 min and applying each coat takes 5 min you've just three coats in 60 minutes. Obviously you would be working like a machine to get this done, so realistically let's say it takes an additional 10-15 minutes so 75 min or so for 3 coats and you've sealed/dressed your wheels and wells and your trim. By hand I guess 1 hour might be optimistic, it's been awhile since I applied a sealant by hand. Let's say 1.5 hours.

I'm not saying he is slow at all - I think most people would be hard pressed to do what he did in an entire day, it's just that most of us guys who do this for cash are *so* used to it, dialed in so to speak, that it's like automation.

I'll tell you what, if you really are interested (actually I am now too); I have a new car prep on an M5 tomorrow. The guy asked for Zaino anyway, so I will do a similar process and see how long the whole thing takes me. The steps for my new car prep are similar to what he did except I add AIO or Prime before the first Zaino step.

As for rates; you're right - almost no one charges by hour but we almost all base or packages prices on an expected hourly rate. For example, when someone on Autopia says "what should I charge?" most people say something like "figure out how much you want to make per hour, figure out how many hours each process takes, then multiply", my prices are based on a rate of about ~$60/hr, so $200 for this process means I expect it'll take a little over 3 hours (which it should in my case). If your friend does good work he will do fine (bottom line is good work = more clients), but if he continues to take over 6 hours for a non-polish job his profit will be rather low, and a polish job might be a two day thing.

Cheers.

Crusher

He did not and I don't think Zaino recommends that you remove the polish with Z-6. Rather, remove the polish, then apply and remove Z-6 a section at a time.
This adds three additional go arounds and thus additional time.

agentf1

To wash/prep a car right for a detail including wheel well's etc it is over an hour. Same goes to properly clay a car. To do an engine compartment properly it is atleast an hour. Interior, I have spent up to 3 hours pending on condition. It is usually 20 minute a coat maybe 30 if you include the Z6. Point being, to do a car "correct" it is very time consuming, this is why I do not like to touch a car for less than 200. Of course everybodies idea of "correct" is different. There are plenty of places blowing cars out in 2 to 3 hours and charging 75 bucks but you basically get what you paid for.

ZaneO

I usually guesstimate the time it will take to complete a job and price based on that time. I don't know a way that will work better for me. I think that's the way many detailers do it.

I would estimate 4 hours for that job:

- 30 min. wheels/tires/wells
- 1 hr. for wash, clay, and dry
- 1 - 1.5 hrs. for 3 coats
- 1 hr. for interior and motor
- 30 min. for "details"

and thus $150-175.

picus

Exactly. My initial estimate would probably have been 3.5-4 hours. The condition of the interior would have determined if the job took closer to 3 or closer to 4.

Regarding the time = quality thing; I agree but again some people work faster than others. It doesn't mean they aren't doing it right. Cheers.

Edit: Crusher - the buffing off with Z6 thing; I don't know if Sal mentions this anywhere or not but it is not an uncommon practice and achieves the same results. If you feel like it's a bad idea then definitely skip it and use Z6 as normal.