Which overhead costs belong in a mobile detailing quote?
By Detailing Costbook · October 26, 2026 · Worked examples, not market-rate advice
Supplies and fuel are easy to see. Shared business expenses are easier to forget. A cost-based quote needs a reasonable allowance for both.
Separate direct costs from shared costs
Direct costs belong to a particular job: the products you consume, a toll, parking, or a disposable item. Overhead supports the business across jobs: insurance, software, equipment wear, storage, and similar operating costs.
Do not count the same expense twice. If travel fuel is already included in a job’s travel expense, it should not also appear in that job’s overhead allowance.
Use a simple allocation as a starting point
For an illustrative month, suppose the shared costs you want to allocate total $360 and you expect 30 completed jobs. Dividing $360 by 30 gives a $12 allowance per job. If only 20 jobs are completed, the same total would be $18 per job.
This method is only an allocation assumption. A short maintenance visit and a long correction job may use very different amounts of time or equipment. Allocating some shared costs by working hour may better reflect your operation.
Review the assumption against actual work
- List the shared expenses you have included.
- Choose a realistic number of completed jobs or working hours.
- Keep owner pay separate from profit.
- Compare your allowance with actual costs periodically.
- Revisit the plan if volume or expenses change substantially.
A calculator can show the consequence of an assumption. It cannot tell you whether customers in your market will accept the resulting price.
Try your own numbers
Use the free calculator to explore your time, pay, expenses and target margin. No email address is required.
Open the free calculator ↗