How to price a detailing menu
A quote is a number you say after looking at the car. A menu price is a number you posted months ago, before you knew anything about the car. They are priced differently. The quote can be exact; the menu has to be right on average, and the average includes the customer who books "interior refresh" for a minivan full of cereal.
1. Start from what a package costs on a sedan
Every package has three costs: hands-on hours, chemicals, and the drive. Hours and chemicals are for a sedan in normal condition, which is your base unit. The drive is added once per job, averaged across your usual patch, because a menu cannot know where the next customer lives.
Your true cost per hour is your wage with burden, the van, the equipment and your overhead, all per billable hour. The job pricing calculator explains the build-up; for most solo operators it lands between $45 and $60.
2. Use a higher margin than you would on a quote
Forty percent looks greedy next to a quote at thirty-five. It is not. A quote adjusts for the exact car. A posted price has to absorb the heavier condition, the farther drive, and the add-on the customer forgot to mention. Forty is the buffer that keeps the bad bookings from being losses.
3. One price for every vehicle is a discount for big ones
A large SUV takes 40% more time and product than a sedan. If your menu says "$325 full interior" with no size line, the sedan customers subsidize the SUV customers, and the SUV customers are the ones who book the most. Multiply hours and chemicals by a size factor, price each size, and print the difference as an upcharge.
| Vehicle | Size factor | Full interior price | Upcharge to print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan or coupe | 1.00 | $325 | – |
| Crossover or small SUV | 1.15 | $365 | +$40 |
| Pickup truck | 1.25 | $390 | +$65 |
| Minivan or van | 1.30 | $405 | +$80 |
| Large SUV or three-row | 1.40 | $430 | +$105 |
Customers accept "+$65 for trucks" without argument. They argue with a $390 price they were not expecting.
4. Check the menu you already have
Type your current sedan price into the calculator. If your full interior is posted at $250, the margin on these costs is 23%, not the 40% a menu needs. That does not mean raise it tomorrow. It means you know which lines are carrying the business and which are being carried.
5. Round to numbers that look chosen
$321.50 looks calculated. $325 looks decided. Round up to the nearest $5 on packages under $200 and $10 or $25 above. Never round down; the rounding is part of the buffer.
Common mistakes
- Copying a competitor's menu. Their van, their drive, their wage. None of it is yours.
- Pricing the drive at zero. Six-tenths of an hour per job, at $49 an hour, is $30 on every package. Left out, that is the whole margin on the cheapest line.
- Menu margin equal to quote margin. Posted prices get the bad cases. They need the buffer.
- Reprinting the menu once a year. Fuel, product and your own wage move. Recalculate quarterly; reprint when a line moves more than $10.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for a detailing package?
Price it from cost: (hours + average drive) × true cost per hour + chemicals + water, divided by 0.60 for a 40% menu margin. A three-hour full interior lands around $325 on typical solo costs.
How much extra for an SUV?
Crossover +15%, pickup +25%, minivan +30%, large SUV +40% in hours and product. On a $325 package that is +$40 to +$105. Print the upcharge next to the package.
Why 40% on the menu when quotes use 35%?
A posted price cannot adjust after you see the car. The extra five points absorb the heavier condition, the longer drive and the unmentioned dog.
Should my cheapest package be a loss leader?
No. An express wash at a loss brings customers who want express washes. Price every line above your minimum margin; win the upsell with quality, not with a subsidized bottom line.
Every default in the calculator is a placeholder. Hours, chemical costs and drive times vary by operator and by market. Replace them with your own numbers. This tool does not provide legal, tax, insurance or accounting advice.