Automatic Car Wash Project

[saadniaz38]

Hi everyone, I recently came across the idea of building an Automatic Car Wash + possibly Self Serve, it is still a cold project at the moment. But I've noticed growing demand for touchless automatic car washes, and there is none in a 10-15 mile radius to me. Even though I live in a very crowded suburban area. Right now, Im just trying to get as much info as I can when it comes to the cost of owning one, if I were to go with a more moderate build I would probably do 2 auto bays + 8-10, or I could go with a high end build and do 2 auto bays + 2 self serve bays with 12-16 vaccums. I know some high profile invidividuals who im confident will be interested in partnering up, as I myself am a broke 18 y/o college student LOL, but partnerships, share distribution yadayadaya would be a conversation for another time.

Some questions I have :

Is it better to lease land or buy a property? I thought of buying an existing car wash and then rebuilding it, but they all seem to be in the multi million dollar range for a basic one in the area I live in, which is crazy.

I know its very hard to estimate the cost to build a car wash from the ground up, but im trying to at least figure out what expense I can expect, rather than how much, this is what ive accumulated so far, feel free to add expenses to the list for starting out

• Ground lease / land purchase
• Surveys, environmental reports, permits, zoning/variance fees
• Demolition/clearing, grading, paving, stormwater/drainage, landscaping
• Water/sewer connections & fees
• Electrical service (3-phase, transformers)
• Gas lines (if heaters/dryers use gas)
• Communications/security wiring
• Bay structures (automatic + self-serve)
• Foundations, slabs, roofing, walls, doors
• Equipment room, kiosk/office (if needed)
• Lighting (lot + bays), signage, fencing
• Automatic touchless machines (2)
• Self-serve wash equipment (2 bays)
• Vacuum plaza (12 stations with canopy)
• Water reclaim/filtration & spot-free rinse system
• Payment kiosks, dryers, chemical pumps
• Architecture, engineering, project management
• Permit fees (building, environmental, signage)
• Legal & consultant fees
• Marketing & grand opening
• Chemicals & initial supplies
• Insurance (property, liability, workers comp)
• Staff training / uniforms (if staffed)
• Business licenses

How much does a razor automatic wash machine cost, and how much can I expect installation to cost?
How much does a lot-style vaccum station cost? You can give me a per-vaccum cost or a full 8, 12, or 16 lot cost.
If there is any other expenses that you guys can help putting a number to that would greatly appreciated.

I would love to hear any general advice you guys have as experienced car wash owners, I think this is a great business with a lot of potential for success, feel free to ask any clarifying questions that might help me with my idea. Thank you all so much for your help.

 

[aussiewash]

Sorry to be the first response and negative, but you need to get a bit more clarity about what you want to do.

The pricing for existing sites might give you some indication of what a site costs to build.

A razor will run you $200k or thereabouts, depending on options.

Would budget at least $1-1.5m for a ground - up build, and be aware that finance is often difficult for a first-time operator if you will need to get financing.

You need to find out traffic count for your proposed site and work on a capture rate of perhaps 0.5% - how many vehicles will you need to wash a day at what price point to break even? Does the site have the traffic and access to support it?

This is obviously very basic, but do some more research. This business is not a money-printing machine like the YouTubers show!