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Ok, some of you may know that my son started his own Hull Cleaning business last year. He scuba dives and cleans the bottoms and running gear. He has really built out the business...
He has a new angle this year, and a few clients already interested. A couple of his old clients want him to also wash their topsides, and keep everything polished and new looking....
He doesn't really know how much to charge, and how to charge (ie by length, flat hourly rate...?)
One boat is a 29 Hydrosports CC the other is a 33 Hydrosports, and the other is a 31 cabo...
Tbrodes - 5/13/2008 11:46 AM
He has a new angle this year, and a few clients already interested. A couple of his old clients want him to also wash their topsides, and keep everything polished and new looking....
Typically people do it by the foot, but costs vary widely by area. Also, in my opinion, anybody can wash a boat - he has a more unique angle as a diver who is willing to get down there and scrub the hull...
Personally, I think per foot wouldn't be open to as many possible disputes after the fact. For instance, when does the clock start: when he's got the gear on or in the water and how is he pro-rating portions of an hour and customers will always bitch that a job took longer than should have. Essentially the customer doesn't know the price until after the job is done which can always get sticky. By the foot is cut and dry, and customer knows the exact price up front with no surprises, just has to make sure he charges enough for his time/materials/labor. It can always be graduated for larger boats, ie: X amount per foot for boat upto 21ft, with premium per foot for boats 22-30', etc... My .02.
Why not have him do your boat ,figure what he used material wise how long it took ,what his time is worth, divide by the footage. I figure my time is worth 40 bucks an hour cleaning my boat, its smaller and takes about 1 1/2 hours wash and dry.
__________________ NO REGRETS GRADY WHITE 306 BIMINI,with hard top Rupp Radials Smith Carbon Fiber Outrigger 15ft poles-- 2007 SUZUKI 225 4 STROKES 16x18.5 x3 suzuki propps.5750 RPM AT 44 MPH (GPS MEASURED)HDS-10/P79 IN HULL DUCER Bennett tabs..
Guys, he does charge by the foot while diving, that way no arguments, and he always seems to round down a bit. But he has a couple of guys who want him to also keep the boats clean (i.e. scrub the decks and keep the rails polished...). So the consensus is charging by the foot (which is what he thought he should do too as did I)....hwop much should he charge per/foot? $1.50-2.00 for washing and polishing...?and obviously pro-rate the job if it is a regular service....
I think with fair prices he could really do good in this industry. I have a 33 hydrasportand I had a friend compound and wax my hull last week it took him the whole day, it turned out really nice and the best part is he charged me 300$. A few week before that I was washing my hull and there was a pro detail guy doing the hull next to me, just being curious I asked him for a quick quote and he said like 40 something a foot and that turned out to be 1300 bucks I thought that was crazy I asked some of the people on the forum and they said that was about right. I have a good idea what what the marina's charge and outsiders and let me say they are all ripoff's, I think they are high because they guy who owns the 52cabo who is a millionair could care less what it cost as long and his boat is nice and clean and he doesn't have to do it.
I think your son being young and running his own business if he had fair prices that could attract a client that maybe couldn't afford the marina. When my buddy did mine and I saw the great job he did I said you are coming back next week and you ARE going to detail the rest of my boat and you will do it next year also ") . The best advice I could give to your son is to advertise, When I was 19 I bought my own canteen truck and route and I would buy stuff with my business name and phone number on it like pens, calenders, beer koozies was the biggest hit I did they loved it, but I did those rockclimbing clips that everyone has on the keychain it had my name and # engraved on them, I would give those keychains out to construction guys and union guys and they put them on they keys and that means they always had my phone number, so when they moved on to another area they always had my number and even if it wasn't in my towns I would tell the site foreman that I will get a truck there even if it isn't mine, so I would call
other trucks and charge them money for the job I would tip them off to. Another good one is get clients address list and mail out company Christmas cards.
The guy who used to come to come to my house and detail my truck once a year I lost his business card and how I can't find him so I had to get someone else. So to sum it up get a good clientele, keep there info, and make sure they keep your phone #. If your son needs any help or advice feel free to contact me, it is always helpful to have a business mentor.
He's going to take a beating charging by the foot. All boats are different and some require much more detail than others. I think he is going to have to charge on a boat by boat basis. If they hire someone clean their boat for them they can afford to pay for it. This is AMERICA baby. I am all for him getting as much as he can.
__________________ Boston Whaler 240 Outrage Twin 150 Opti's
20' Shamrock CC Indmar 305
16' Boston Whaler Sakonnet 88 Johnson
I am in Galveston they charge by the ft 1.00 per for just a wash and dry that is for CC's normally when the boat has more area the more the per ft charge take my buddies 54 Viking they charge 2.00 per ft but he has a tower and alot of glass
I agree with the last post about all boats being different. A 31' fountain CC will require less cleaning efforts than a 31' Cuddy and will require far less efforts than a 31' cabo. I have a 28' CC and have a young boy clean my boat at the marina for $1 per foot and am glad to pay it!! P.S. He also cleans my fish in return for supper. We usually boil crawfish! I think he's getting the better part of that deal!
I agree with the last post about all boats being different. A 31' fountain CC will require less cleaning efforts than a 31' Cuddy and will require far less efforts than a 31' cabo. I have a 28' CC and have a young boy clean my boat at the marina for $1 per foot and am glad to pay it!! P.S. He also cleans my fish in return for supper. We usually boil crawfish! I think he's getting the better part of that deal!
Yeah, I agree because if you do a good job with the crayfish I would pay you a dollar a foot to clean your boat and
clean the fish. Living in New Mexico now the climate is great here but I sure miss New Orleans seafood.
Price Question 
I figure my time is worth 40 bucks an hour cleaning my boat, its smaller and takes about 1 1/2 hours wash and dry. 
-- 2007 SUZUKI 225 4 STROKES 16x18.5 x3 suzuki propps.5750 RPM AT 44 MPH (GPS MEASURED)
HDS-10/P79 IN HULL DUCER
Bennett tabs.. 
