EXCESSIVE DIRT
Because every car is not created equal, that means dirt, stains, spills, etc... are also not created equal. Excessive dirt build up will absolutely affect the price of the detail. A sedan that has not been cleaned in 6 months versus one that has not been cleaned in 6 years will require very different things in order to get the job done correctly, and therefore will not be quoted at the same rate. There is a difference between what I call "excessive dirt" and "surface dirt." Surface dirt is exactly what it sounds like, it is the simple dust and dirt that has not been allowed to sit for extremely long periods of time that is relatively easy to clean and therefore detail. Excessive dirt is of course the other end of that, dirt that has been allowed to sit and more or less become part of the car. Cars with excessive dirt build up tend to be the cars that I call the "family haulers." For the most part these are mini vans, expeditions, and sedans that are used to cart the kids around. They tend to have excessive crumbs, dirt, staining, etc... Cars with kids, as a rule, are always dirtier, there's really just no way to get around it, it is what it is. It is also important to understand that one person's clean is another person's dirty, so although I take all of my new customers through some pretty extensive questioning over the phone before I ever show up, it is impossible to give an exact quote through the phone because I am not standing in front of the car. With that being said, I always give a ranged quote, for example I would say something like: "From what I am hearing you say it sounds like I am going to need to charge you anywhere from $105 - $125 in order to get the job you want done, does that sound like something that will work for you?"
CLOTH SEATS
For more information on the specifics of cloth seats, visit the "interior" page located under the "information" tab in the top menu. Cloth seats, as a rule, require more time, product, and effort to detail to a level 10 condition (when compared to leather seats for the most part), so I charge an additional rate from the beginning if the car has cloth seats. Now that "additional rate" will vary as well depending on the condition of the seats.
TRAVEL TIME
Because I am a mobile detailer, I am accustomed to driving in order to get to a job, however there are instances when I am traveling too far not to charge. At the end of the day, I am having to pay for gas, as well as simply my time. As a rule, if the job is under 35 minutes away, I do not charge anything extra, however when I start stepping into traveling 45 minutes to an hour, I charge anything from $15 to $50 extra. This is an area where I sometimes tell customers that it may be a better financial decision simply to have someone closer to their area to do the job, of course there is no promising they will bring the same value to the table that I bring, but that is a decision you have to make.
EXTERIOR GRIME BUILD UP
Cars that are not washed, clayed, or waxed regularly will obviously take more time to raise to a level 10 condition, and therefore will cost more. Things like tree sap, bugs, regular tar and grime on the paint and tires, brake dust, etc... will be much more difficult to remove when left to sit for long periods of time. For more information on this visit the "exterior" page under the "information" tab.