How Much to Charge for Boat Bottom Cleaning
Bottom cleaning is priced per foot of boat length on a recurring cycle, with the rate depending on your region, water conditions, and how often you're on the boat. Monthly customers pay the lowest per-foot rate; quarterly or one-off cleans carry a heavy-growth surcharge because the work is several times harder.
Price per foot, on a cycle
The unit is dollars per foot per visit, and the cycle sets the number. Monthly service is your cheapest per-foot rate and your best business; a one-time clean should never be priced like a route stop.
| Cycle | Rate effect |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Base per-foot rate |
| Every 6–8 weeks | Modest step up |
| Quarterly | Higher rate + growth surcharge |
| One-off / first clean | Highest, quoted after inspection |
What adds to the base
- Heavy growth — first clean or after a missed cycle
- Zincs / anodes — parts plus install, each
- Running gear — props, shafts, struts
- Hull inspection report with photos
- Travel to a marina outside your normal route
Set a minimum
A 22-foot boat in a marina you’d otherwise skip isn’t worth a wetsuit. A stated job minimum keeps small boats profitable — see minimum job charge.
Bill the route, not the boat
The money in this trade is a marina full of recurring customers on cards on file. Get the billing automatic and the route can grow past what you could invoice by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a monthly rate lower per foot than a one-off?
Because growth compounds. A hull cleaned monthly takes a fraction of the time of one left for a season, so the frequent customer genuinely costs you less and should pay less per visit.
How should heavy growth be handled?
As a stated surcharge on the first clean or after a missed cycle, quoted before you get in the water. Discovering a season's growth and eating it is how divers lose money on new customers.
Should zincs be included?
No — zincs are parts plus installation, priced per anode. Including them invisibly means every anode replacement comes out of your labor rate.
What about running gear and props?
Price prop, shaft, and running gear cleaning as an add-on, or build it into a higher tier. It's detail work that takes real extra bottom time.