Boats Washed, need advise.

[Richard R.]

I need some advise.
Man wants me to spray, soap, rinse and wipe boats for $10.00 a boat. and $20.00 a boat if one needs vacuumed. There may be three boats one time, 10 boats the next time, so on and so on.
There is aboat 50 boats in all that needs cleaning from time to time for boat shows etc... The man says the young guy that did it before could wash about 2 or three boats an hour.
It's my understanding that when they called him to do this again this year, he said he really didn't won't to mess with it. Wonder why?
Does any one think I should do it for this price using a cold water unit?
The boats have to be sprayed, soaped, washed and and wiped inside and out. I just don't see money in this deal.
What do you think a fair price would be?

Thanks for all your help.

Richard R.

 

[Walt Graner]

No money in it for that price. I would check your local car wash place for prices, all of them do detailing on boats, this should get you a good bench mark to go by.

PS
You should do a basic cost break down( gas, chemicals, insurance etc.) so you know your basic over head, that way you know what you need to get per hour.

 

[Clean County]

Try to figure how many an hour you can do so to see if it is worth it. It sounds like you might not be able to do much more then the the last guy did and for $20-$30/hr it just is not worth it. Like Walt said you have to add up the materials etc. to see if it is worth it and for that kind of money that is being offered I would say run and not walk from this one.

John

 

[Richard R.]

Sounds so far like we are on the same page.
Walt, do you know any car washes I could call?
I don't know of any car washes around here that do boats.

Thanks

Richard R.

 

[Jon]

Richard,

Look in the yellow pages under auto and boat detailing.

Also try other ways to word it and be careful how you ask them, they catch on they just might bid it too.

 

[Richard R.]

Jon,
The Yellow pages is a good idea. I just don't think there is any carwash detailers in my area. I patroled here for about 15 years and never heard or seen one. I'm not real sure they consider a boat wash as detailing at this boat house.
I've washed boats before and you really can't wash a boat without detailing.
These people can't really want their boats washed real bad.
I just think $10.00 a boat is a joke.
I still say there is no wonder why the last washer didn't want to mess with it this year.

Take Care
Richard R.

 

[ron]

the young guy

told his DAD[the guy that wants you to wash for $10] that he couldnt do it anymore because 8th grade was getting to hard for him to do both.

 

[Steven Rowlet]

Richard, I would charge a minium of $25.00 per boat, $35.00 with vacuming and a $100.00 minium charge when I came out. That way you don't go for just 1 or 2 boats.

 

[Michael T]

Richard, I agree with Steven. You need a minimum service charge.Say, $100.00 to show up or $35.00 per unit which ever is greater. This way it is worth your while to showup. Isnt your equipment and your expertise worth $75.00- $100.00 per hr? And for a first time customer it is COD. No exceptions. My experience , these guys want something for nothing.

Speaking of BOATS anyone of you TX guys going to the boat shows? Im headed off to Houston to shop for a new Bay Boat. Just sold my 21' Cajun Center Console and am looking for something new. Got $$ to put down and good financing oout there.

Michael T

 

[Richard R.]

$25 wash - $35 w/Vac sounds closer to what I felt made more sense. I guess the $100 minimum would be good to deter them from sending me on a wild goose chase all over the county for merely $25 or $35 dollars. I've heard that the power washer never knows where the boat will be until the call comes in. It could be either on the lot or at some trade show 20 miles away.
I've been considering making a $4.00 per foot offer for spray wash and wipe, $5.00 per foot for spray, wash, wipe and Vac to $6.00 a foot for complete detail.
According to a pricing survey sheet I found, Boat detailing calls for $6.00 to $8.00 per foot for Hull and $7.00 to $9.00 per foot on decks.
My problem with the $25-$35-$100min flat rate is that one time you would make $25.00 for a 12ft bass and ski and the rest of the time, you may be doing 15ft to 16ft bass and ski or even big deck style boats for that same price.

Hey, if nothing else, I guess I could sale them my small hot water machine for half of what I bought it for and go buy me a hot box. That way, they could do it themselves and I could move on to bigger and better things.

What do you think?
Richard R.

 

[Steven Rowlet]

Richard, I would give them a price list accordinsg to size and type of boat. The sugestions I made were for minium charge per boat. House boats would be around $100.00 depending on size and would not dry off for that price. A rinse aid in your water might keep you from drying off . The per foot charge might be the best way for you to calculate rates. Just remember you need to make about the same per hour as you do on any other job. Your time is of the same value no matter what you are doing. I used to be a cabinet maker my time was worth the same no matter what aspect or stage of the job I was in.

 

[Richard R.]

Steve,
I totally agree about my time worth.
My only problem here is what you mentioned early. Everybody wants something for nothing. I think my only fear is that recently I have discovered more people in my area that are doing this business too and since this is a big boat company, I'm afraid they may put out the word that I'm to high and folks will start using the kids. This will definitely make it much harder to get the business here.

I recently I discovered that (B.E.Young) is in my area. If everyone here was like him and Rick, we could do really well.
B.E. Young is a team player and we watch each others back, but there are still those young college kids that come in and work for coke money or date money who have no desire to make this their living.
These guys can really hurt an area.

Take Care
Richard R.

 

[Steven Rowlet]

Richard , We try to be higher than everyone else. We have the reputation for quality work and that lets us be a little more expensive. I try to put this company out in front of the rest. A couple of months back I noticed a new pressure washing rig about a mile away from my home. Naturally I stopped by to let him know about our chemicals and sealers. He told me he researched the local market to check out the competition and said he felt we were the only ones to worry about. I thanked him for that. Guess where he is buying chemicals now. Not only did he talk his brother in law out of state into being a customer the guy out of state wants to be a dealer of our products. And yes the cheaper guys cause me to go into greater detail of why we charge more. Most of the time we get the job because of that. We are the Cadillac and the rest are Geo's and plan on keeping it that way.

 

[Flue Steam]

This summer I paid $10.00 per foot for a full detail on my 18' ski boat. The detail included stripping and rewaxing the hull and fiberglass portions of the deck. shampooing the carpet, cleaning all the vinyl seat cushions, all glass cleaned, trailer pressure washed, tires armor all'd etc... Two guys took three hours and did a great job, the boat looked NEW! I set them up for bi-annual cleaning at the beginning and end of each summer.

 

[Richard R.]

Is this a normal procedure on a complete detail everywhere? This sounds like more than what I would want to do unless it's done buy using a spray on chemical.
If I were going to hand wax a boat I would definitely want $10.00 a foot.
Any suggestions on how they strip the old wax in case this comes up later?

Thanks

Richard R.

 

[Flue Steam]

They stripped using a liquid from a can that looked like a retail product, but I didn't note the name. And yes it was a hand wax application followed by a buffer. It would have taken me many more hours and it would not have been worth saving the money for me.

 

[Mike Hughes]

Originally posted by Richard R.
I'm afraid they may put out the word that I'm to high and folks will start using the kids. This will definitely make it much harder to get the business here.

Richard,

Theres an easy way out of this......one that will save your reputation......ease your worries.

Just tell the folks that you dont offer those services, or that you dont wash boats......whatever. Just dont bid the job. Heck, tell them you are too busy to handle it at this time.......something.

You also dont want a reputation for working cheap.........this job sounds like nothing but trouble (opinion).

 

[PressureClean]

Boats Washed, need advice

Richard,

If the guy is telling you the last person powerwashing his boats was doing it for $10, ask him if he felt he was getting his money's worth?

If you are really considering this job, add a travel charge in addition to your minimum. People don't like travel charges, but it also will make them work around your needs a little better. The minimum will have the guy putting more boats in one place for you and the travel charge will keep you within a certain area.

Personally, I wouldn't touch this one. Yes, you want the business, but at the same time if you go in there with these kinds of bottom of the barrel prices it will hurt your future business. You don't want the reputation of doing cheap work.

I know a hugely profitable contractor out here that does roofing, windows, brick laying, decks, etc. We are his main sub for brick and deck cleanings. He chose us because he said I had an attitude about our company and I was ready to walk rather than budge on price. He's a really nice guy, but tough as nails. I found it interesting one time when I was in his office and overheard him farming out business to one of his competitors. I asked why he did that rather than just turn it down. He looked at me and said, "that guy thinks I am the greatest on earth. I get Christmas cards from his family every year, even buys me a beer if he sees me in a bar. A few years ago he used to be a real pain in my a**, kept undercutting me on jobs and starting affecting my profits. So I started giving him every low priced crap job I came across. Now he's so busy making nothing, that he doesn't have time to compete with me anymore."

Be careful before you take those crap jobs. It's really hard to change your reputation after everybody gets to know you can be beat on price. I'd rather do one deck for a $1,000 than do ten decks for $250 each. It's cheaper for me to stay in bed and farm out the other jobs to the low ballers in my area...

 

[Larry L.]

I have given business away like that also to the ones that can afford to do it cheaper than me,I have given 1000's of dallors worth to others,just to keep them where I want them,also drink coffee with alot of the business owners and get deals on alot of things...I look at it as having business in my back pocket if it starts getting alittle empty.

It reads as tho the boats are trade'ins then again it reads as tho they are show boats.

Most boat owner keep their boats clean,I can wash my 19 ft. bassboat faster than I can my wife's car,if need be I can bucket wash it in less then 10 mins.,will it would be close anyway counting the drying.

The only way I'd take it on is if they where atleast 5 boats or more and a day or two of notice,gel coat is easy cleaned if it has been thought care of.A watering hose,bucket of soap,sponge and one big towel is all that is needed,hint keep the soap off the carpet when washing boat only or it will take you longer than 10 mins. just to get the soap out of it.

People don't judge you on price if higher or lower ,they judge you on job done at the price you charge,you can getby with alittle more on the low paying jobs as to your Q'tly.

I got hooked into washing a chicken house once for 250 dallars,I said I'd never wash another one for that but when I look back on it I wasn't doing anything anyway that day plus I had taken all the 250 and bought fishing LURES b/c it was extra money.To me I have enjoyed more than the 250 dallors when trying to decide which lure.Would I wash another chicken house for 250 hmmmmm no not really but you pile 250 dallors worth of lures in my boat and I'd more then likely wash it for free.

 

[WashWagon]

I recently have relocated my mobile car wash/pressure washing business to the coastal area of my state. I hope by the summer that more than 50% of my income will be from boat cleaning. I have never heard of boats being cleaned for such a low price. I am guessing that the boats are fairly clean if they are going to be put in a boat show though. I would go up on the price and have person you are doing work for to guarantee that boats would be easy to clean. In my area, I give an estimate on every boat before I clean it because each one is so different.