Setting Your Car Wrap Prices
Car wrapping is one of the ways car owners can personalize and customize their vehicles. Since a lot of the work is custom and comes down to the specific preferences of your customer, the pricing can vary greatly. So, how much does it cost to wrap a car? The car wrap prices you set is up to you.
The average cost to wrap a car can range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000. But for car wrapping that’s more specialized, you can expect to charge upwards of $10,000. And, for wrapping one part of the vehicle, such as the hood, you’re looking at around $300.
In other words, there is a huge range of car wrap prices, dependent on a number of variables. But for detailers who do car wrapping well, there’s a lot of opportunity to make big money.
If you’re a detailer considering offering this service, you might be wondering: how much should I charge to wrap a car? Below, we’ve outlined how to set your car wrap prices so you make the biggest impact to your bottom line.
The Challenge with Setting Your Car Wrap Prices
Setting prices for detailing work is one of the biggest challenges facing business owners in the industry. When it comes to your car wrap prices, it can be even more difficult. That’s because there are so many variables to consider with every job.
For this reason, most detailers will come up with estimates on a case-by-case basis. While variable-based pricing is the best way of charging what your time is worth, setting those parameters can be challenging.
But the last thing you want to do is make up your car wrap prices off the top of your head. Chances are, you’re going to underestimate the work involved and leave dollars on the table.
Some detailers base their car wrap prices on a cost-per-foot method, but that doesn’t account for all the variables either.
That’s why you want a strategy for creating consistent high-value estimates, every time.
Create a Pricing Strategy to Come Up with Your Car Wrap Prices
A variable-based pricing strategy is the best way of keeping your car wrap prices high. But in order to charge the right amount and avoid customer objections on price, you’re going to want to think about all the variables ahead of time. Then you can price them accordingly.
Here are a few variables to consider when setting your car wrap prices:
- Size of the vehicle: Typically, the larger the vehicle, the higher your car wrap prices will be. So a truck or an SUV will cost more than a sedan.
- Type of vehicle: In addition to the size of the vehicle, the type of vehicle will affect the cost. A flat-surfaced vehicle, like a trailer, is easier and cheaper to wrap than a curved vehicle like a truck or car.
- Wrap coverage: The level of coverage the customer is looking for will help determine your price. So a full wrap will be more expensive than a partial wrap on the door, trunk, or hood, for example.
- The vehicle’s condition: If a vehicle’s exterior is badly scratched or oxidized, the wrap will not adhere as easily to the paint. And that means more of your time to complete the job, so you should factor it into your car wrap price.
- The type and quality of the wrap: There are many different types and brands of car wrap. The more expensive options will have a better finish and last longer than cheaper versions.
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Set Your Hourly Labor Rate
Considering all the variables above, car wrapping can take anywhere from one to five days to complete—or sometimes even longer. It’s for this reason that setting an hourly rate for yourself can be a very useful pricing tactic. It helps you address the many variables by charging them out by the time they will take you to complete.
Think about your location, your competition, and your level of experience when setting your hourly labor rate. And once you have it, you should stick to it. Then use your hourly rate to help set your car wrap prices and any other prices for services you offer.
Take Advantage of Technology
As we’ve mentioned already, a variable-based pricing strategy only works if you’ve thought through all the variables first. You want to make sure that the car wrap prices you set are consistent. One way of ensuring accurate and consistent estimates every time is by taking advantage of technology. Mobile Tech RX is an estimating app designed specifically for auto recon professionals.
Using the app, you build estimates on the spot and work through the variables as you go. You can set the prices for your variables at a flat rate or by the hour. These prices are then pre-programmed into the app by you so that they’re ready when it comes to building an estimate.
Using an app like Mobile Tech RX helps you validate your car wrap prices. By providing legitimacy to your quotes and estimates using technology, you can cut out negotiations with your customers. And that means you save your valuable time and get the highest price for every job.
Earn More Money
Mobile Tech RX is the country’s number one management software for auto recon professionals. To learn how it can help you make more money and grow your detailing business, try it now for free. You can also schedule a walk-through to become an expert.