Dealership Car Washing

jtpowerwash

New member
How many of you guys have car dealership accounts? How many of you have cold winter months? If so what do you do during those months? Do you still wash(when it is warm enough) or just stop for a few months? Also about how much you charging for a car?
 
is this gonig to be a one man band or 2. Where I am at it never stops and the equipment used is very cheap so if it breaks just get another one.

2 gpm at 1500 psi is perfect for that job. Uses little water but enough pressure to push all dirt off the car. RO or DI water is needed of course unless your going to mit them then chamois them.

Pricing starts around 1.25 here for weekly service up to 2.00 for bi-weekly service. Too much work for a little bit of money
 
Most guys in GA are able to work year round. Chris is right about the pricing. $1.25 per car is reasonable. Around here that only includes a rinse and dry. No chems. Most lot wash guys have a small trailer with a 3 - 4 gpm machine and a 250 gal or so tank. I used to work in the used car dept and the guys used to come around about once a week or so. They did every other week in the winter cause there wasn't as much dirt being spread around.

The key to making money in that line of work is to get larger lots with more cars. Less travel time and set up going on. Usually the crews are 2 - 3 guys. Typically one washing and one wiping on 2 man crews. There might be one driving the truck also or 2 guys wiping if the crew is 3 men. I have rarely seen a one man lot wash crew.

Most of the detail work is done "in-house" although you might want to let some of the smaller lots know that you offer that as well.
 
In vegas its horrible, Ive seen anywhere from .20 to .50.
 
They get $2 tops here. Need DI water and just spray and go is all I've seen. We looked at it but could never make the numbers work. I've heard some dealers try to pin dings and dents on you. Saying your hoses scratched a car etc. to try to beat you down on your money. I'm sure somebody has it figured out and makes some money but not us.
 
I have 6 dealerships and im getting 1.00 per car 2.00 per truck,Suvs,vans twice a week.2.75 per car and trucks once a month for an auction we serve. 3 man crew 1 spraying with RO water,2 wipeing. All my lots are small dealerships most of them have 80+ vehicals and if they ever go under 40 vehicals I require a 50.00 minimum. Most larger dealerships here only want to pay between .50 to .70. Were pretty much year around here mostly doing our work at nights in the summer and early mornings in the winter.
 
I get 1.25 per car. I have been doing dealership work for about 5 years. We work year round but there is a few days here and there that it's to cold or raining. Don't bother with anything under 4gpm. It's just to slow to make money. I use 8gpm at 2500 psi. Ro water and at times di water. 150'-250' hoses. 2 man crew. We can do 100 cars per hour. The big dealerships are best but even the small ones can pay off later. Car salsemen move around a lot. That sales maneger at the little pot lot that you have made friends with might end up at the biggest dealership
 
Funny pricing hasn't changed in 15 years...except in Vegas! We always used DI water so we would have no spotting and would wash on a regular schedule down to about 28 degrees otherwise we ended up creating too much ice which was a safety issue more than anything.
 
I have a customer that washes cars. He works six days a week, has a three man crew and always has a balance over 90 days. The hardest working broke guy I know. The problem with car washing everyone can do the work. I would recommend getting more into heavy equipment and industrial cleaning. Car lots used to pay more when they took their cars to get washed. .20 to wash a car. I would rather work at Mcdonalds. How can you afford insurance, taxes etc... If you only get .20 uncle sam gets half thats .10 a car to pay all of your expenses. Leave that for the Home Depot guys.
 
I have a car lot that has about 60 cars they want soaped, rinsed, and chamoised three times a week. I am the only local guy around doing pressure washing and was wondering if someone could give me a idea what to charge. I've never done car lots before so any help is helpful. thanks
 
I'm thinking like $2.50-$3.00? With insurance and all. Plus I don't do no crappy work; im real particular and they know that.

Even if you dont do crappy work they still want to pay you sh*t for it.

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So 3 times a week. That is soap, rinse and dry. Here we charge $5 for that service but we only do it once a month for a couple lots. 3 times a week sound excessive, but that is my opinion. SInce you will be doing it 3 times a week i would drop my price from $5 to around $3.5. The 1st one will be the hardest the rest will be gravy. At the pricing you will be around $630.00 a week give take a few dollars. Don't let them try and talk you down. You are still doing each step everytime. Don't shortcut it at that price, becuz they will know. Be firm and confindent in your pricing. Your in it to make money mnot work your a** off for change.

I would do it like an assembly line. One person soap/rinse, one person washing and one drying. If you dont have to move the cars it should take you no longer then 4 mins a car. But your are hauling a**. Stay positive you can make it work.

Please go to the top of the page where it says USER CP and please fill out your signture. You will get alot more help once we know who you are. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me anytime.

Bryan
 
$2.25 a car once a week here now they tell me. We don't do them but that the going rate. Blown off with DI water and NO chamois. I can't imagine why they'd need soap and chamois etc unless there is major construction on the road in front of the place. Or how you could make money doing all that for even $3.50. Dealers are famous for being slow or no pay. Good luck.

Fill out your signature or Nick's cousin Guido will stop by to remind you.
 
Reverse Osmosis and Deionized water. It is to remove salts and metals in the water (soften) that will leave deposits on the car. This is typically a necessity in car washing!

Andy, are you still around? Did you ever land this account?
 
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