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TRANSPARENT METHODOLOGY

Every recommendation starts with the cost of doing the job.

DetailerMargin does not guess a national market price. It calculates a sustainable quote from the scope, time, operating costs, and margin you enter.

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CORE FORMULAPrice = costs ÷ (1 − margin − card fee)

The result is rounded into a practical customer quote. Add-ons and condition adjustments change the work before profit is calculated.

STEP 1

Estimate the complete labor requirement.

Start with hands-on service time, then include setup, pack-down, customer handoff, and other time needed to deliver the job. Travel time is tracked separately so a distant booking does not appear more productive than it is.

STEP 2

Add direct and allocated business costs.

Direct costs include chemicals, consumables, fuel, tolls, and job-specific materials. Allocated overhead gives each booking a fair share of insurance, software, phone, equipment replacement, marketing, and other monthly expenses.

STEP 3

Solve for margin and percentage fees.

Card fees and target profit margin are percentages of the final selling price. Adding both percentages directly to cost understates the required quote. The calculator instead divides total cost by one minus those percentages.

Example

$180 total cost · 30% target margin · 3% card fee

$180 ÷ (1 − 0.30 − 0.03) = $268.66A practical quote may be rounded upward. Actual results depend on the final time and costs.

STEP 4

Review profit and effective hourly rate.

Estimated profit is revenue after labor and business costs. Effective hourly rate shows the amount left per total hour after non-labor expenses. Both matter: a positive-margin job may still pay too little for the owner's time.

Limits and responsible use

This is a planning tool, not a market-price guarantee, accounting service, or financial advice. Inspect high-risk work, confirm customer expectations, track estimated versus actual time, and check local tax and consumer requirements.

Methodology last reviewed August 27, 2026.