Marine detailers price by the foot because a 30-footer is roughly a third more hull than a 22-footer. Multiply the length by your per-foot rate, add the extras a customer opts into, and the quote writes itself.
A 21-foot runabout at $20 a foot is $420; add a $90 oxidation treatment and the ticket is $510.
The example
Three boats, each with a length, a per-foot rate, and any add-on services rolled into one column.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boat | Length | Rate/ft | Add-ons | Total |
| 2 | Runabout | 21 | 20 | 90 | 510 |
| 3 | Cruiser | 28 | 24 | 160 | 832 |
| 4 | Pontoon | 24 | 22 | 120 | 648 |
The formula
The per-foot charge is a multiplication; the add-ons are just added on top:
How it works
Two moving parts:
B2*C2multiplies the boat length by your per-foot rate — the base wash-and-wax price.+D2adds the à-la-carte services: oxidation removal, ceramic coating, interior shampoo, whatever the customer picked.- Keep the add-ons in one column so you can raise a single service price without touching the base rate.
- Round the length up to the next whole foot the way the marina measures it, so your number matches the registration.
Powerboats, sailboats, and pontoons often carry different per-foot rates — keep a rate per hull type and point the formula at the right one.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter the boat length, your per-foot rate, and the total of any add-on services.
Variations
Bottom cleaning by the foot
In-water bottom scrubs price by the foot too, usually at a lower rate — swap the rate column.
Add a fuel or trip charge
Mobile detailers tack a flat trip fee onto the length-based price.
Pitfalls & errors
Do not quote by the manufacturer's model number — a “210” is not 21.0 feet. Measure or use the registered length overall.
Oxidation and heavy staining scale with age, not length. Keep those as their own add-on line rather than baking them into the per-foot rate.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
Why price by the foot instead of a flat rate?
Should power and sail cost the same per foot?
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