Pricing formula for mobile service businesses — the math I learned building a quote tool
I built a free quote tool for solo mobile detailers, which meant figuring out how working detailers actually price jobs so the defaults wouldn't be garbage. The math turns out to generalize to almost any mobile service business — lawn care, mobile dog grooming, pressure washing, pool service. Sharing the formula in case it's useful.
The short version: most new operators undercharge because they price against competitors instead of against their own bills. The fix is to build pricing from the bottom up.
Step 1: Your real hourly cost. Add up real monthly expenses — vehicle, insurance, fuel, maintenance, equipment depreciation, consumables, phone/software, self-employment taxes (25–30%), health insurance if you pay it. For a typical solo mobile detailer this lands around $2,800/month. Divide by realistic billable hours — usually 80/month, because the other ~80 are driving, quoting, marketing, restocking. Breakeven ≈ $35/hour. That's the floor. Below it, you're literally paying to do the job.
Step 2: Target take-home. Want to clear $5,000/month? Add $62.50/hr profit ($5k ÷ 80hrs) to your $35 breakeven. Real billable rate: ~$100/hour.
Step 3: Price jobs in hours, not vibes. Working ranges for an average-condition sedan in 2026:
- Basic wash & wax: 1–1.5 hrs ($100–$150)
- Interior detail: 1.5–2.5 hrs ($150–$250)
- Full interior + exterior: 3–4.5 hrs ($300–$450)
- 1-step paint correction: 4–6 hrs ($400–$600)
- Ceramic coating (prep + apply): 8–12 hrs ($800–$1,200)
Step 4: Multiply for vehicle size and condition. Compact / sedan = 1.0×. Midsize SUV or truck = 1.2×. Full-size SUV / 3-row / full-size pickup = 1.4×. Pet hair / smoker car / heavily neglected = +25–50% on top.
Step 5: Itemize mobile-specific fees. Travel beyond 15 miles ($1–2/mile or flat $25–50). Water/power surcharge if the site has neither. Weekend or after-hours premium (+15–25%). Itemize them — customers don't mind when they're labeled, they mind when they feel surprised at the end.
Worked example. Honda Pilot (full-size SUV), full int+ext, has pet hair, 22 miles away, on a Saturday:
- Base: $400 (4 hrs × $100)
- SUV multiplier (1.2×): +$80
- Pet hair add-on: +$50
- 7 miles past your 15-mi zone @ $2/mi: +$15
- Weekend premium (15%): +$82
Total: $625. Itemized, defensible, profitable.
The mistakes that kill new operators are all variations of the same thing: pricing against the cheapest competitor instead of against their actual costs. The person charging $40 for a full detail is going broke, not winning the market. Don't anchor against them.
Wrote up the full version with FAQs on raising prices, ceramic-coating margins, and deposits here if useful: how-to-price-a-mobile-detailing-job-2026. The quote tool I mentioned (free, no signup, no email, no watermark, generates a PDF from your numbers) is at mydetailquote.com.
Happy to answer pricing questions in the comments.