The car wash business is becoming an increasingly profitable activity. Every day new cars appear on the roads all over the world, the owners of which strive to maintain the cleanliness of their iron friend.

A car wash can generate income all year round. With the right approach, the business will pay off in the shortest possible time. What you need to know before opening a car wash.

Choosing the right location for a car wash

How profitable a car wash will be depends on its location. It is best to locate a car wash where there is heavy traffic. A large number of visitors is also guaranteed for those who decide to locate a car wash in a residential area of ​​the city, not far from service stations, gas stations and parking lots. Pay attention to the road leading to the car wash and the immediate access to it. If, for example, the establishment specializes in trucks, then the entrance to the car wash should be appropriate.

Suitable premises for a car wash

At the initial stage of business development, there will be enough space that can simultaneously accommodate 2-3 cars. Over time, the number of boxes can be increased. The main condition for the normal functioning of a car wash is a constant supply of water. When choosing a room, think about how expensive it will be to connect water and sewerage. After dry cleaning is completed, the car interior should be dried in a warm room. Take care of the heating system, especially since this will also be important for employees working in the cold winter months.

Choosing staff for a car wash

Every client appreciates good attitude to themselves and the quality of the services received, so the staff should be as polite and qualified as possible. Direct control over the work of employees will not be superfluous. Saving on staff salaries is not recommended, because it has a direct impact on the quality of work. The price of services will be justified by their quality, and as numerous surveys show, most drivers are reluctant to save on car care, not regretting paying a decent amount of money for a quality service provided.

Equipment for opening a car wash

To start a business, you will need a washing vacuum cleaner or dust extractor (costing about $500), a heated high-pressure apparatus (about $1,500), and a compressor (about $300). A cleaning system, which will cost about $5,000, would also be a good idea. This is not the most important element, but rather an investment that will allow you to save in the future by reusing purified water.

Car wash services

The average car wash provides services such as dry cleaning of the interior, washing the outside of the car, engine washing, body polishing, dry and wet cleaning. Be sure to think about how to turn a casual client into a regular one. A good idea is to sell subscriptions for 10-20 washes, so that the cost of one wash is less. In addition to the basic services, you can provide some additional ones, for example, tire fitting, car service or a cafe. Please your customers with pleasant little things that will make them come back and use the services of the establishment again. After washing, you can, for example, fill the windshield washer reservoir with water (in summer) and frost-resistant liquid (in winter) for free. Such an interesting service as car washing by sexy girls in swimsuits will also attract new customers.

Advertising and promotion of car wash

It is very important to demonstrate to potential customers all the advantages of your car wash. It would be nice to come up with non-standard advertising, for example, with the participation of celebrities. The main options for advertising are traditional - media, Internet, billboards, signs, flyers, business cards, etc.

Income

Business profitability depends on the season. According to statistics, the most people who want to wash their cars appear in the spring and autumn. If the winter is warm and the summer is rainy, then income will be ensured during these high seasons. Approximately 30 percent of revenue is spent on staff salaries, and the same amount on Consumables and payment of premises rent, taxes, etc. Net profit is approximately 40% of revenue. Speaking about the number of customers depending on the time of day, it should be noted that most often they stop by the car wash at 8-10 am. Typically, the peak subsides by lunchtime to reach a maximum after 4 p.m., when many drivers stop at the car wash on their way home from work. Rarely does anyone visit the car wash at night. Weekends are characterized by a smaller influx of customers.

Not every new business must be innovative to be successful. For a novice entrepreneur, it is better to choose a proven business idea that has already proven its viability and commercial viability in practice. This idea could be opening a car wash.

Despite the fact that the number of car washes is increasing every year, the market has still not reached the saturation point. So you have every chance to take your place in this business.

All car washes can be divided according to the following criteria:

• Contact or non-contact
• Manual or automatic

Hand wash
Manual contact	This is a traditional type of car washing, which is done manually using a hose with water, car shampoo, sponges and rags. Capacity 1-2 cars per hour. Pros: the best way to wash heavy and deep stains, does not require special equipment. Cons: there is a risk of damaging the paintwork, low speed maintenance, high cost.
Manual non-contact	This type of washing is also performed by people using a high-pressure apparatus (HPR) and a special cleaning solution. First, the main dirt is washed off from the machine with a stream of water under pressure, then active detergent components are applied, which dissolve the remaining dirt, and are thoroughly washed off. After this, the car body is dried. During this process there is no mechanical friction of the car body and therefore it is called non-contact. This is the most popular type of sink today. Capacity 3-4 cars per hour. Pros: when using high-quality chemicals, the least damage is caused to paintwork, high speed of work, low cost. Cons: Cheap, harsh detergents can damage the paintwork and cause chrome parts to tarnish.
Eco-wash (steam)	An eco-wash also refers to a non-contact cleaning method, but uses high-pressure steam instead of water. Capacity 1-2 cars per hour. Pros: minimal risk of scratches and microcracks, savings on chemicals and water consumption, can be placed almost anywhere, mobility, relatively low cost of equipment. Cons: low speed of service, difficult to wash tall cars, cannot be used at temperatures below +5 degrees, difficult to clean off heavy dirt.

Automatic washing
Conveyor (tunnel)	The car is fixed on a special platform and transported through a tunnel, where it gradually goes through all stages of cleaning. Several machines can go through the conveyor at the same time, which speeds up the process. Both contact washing (various brushes and rollers) and non-contact washing (high pressure cleaning) can be used here. To accommodate the equipment, 200 sq. m. is required. meters. Average throughput is 25-40 cars per hour. Pros: Highest operating speed, high productivity. Cons: High cost of equipment, high power consumption, large area required, possible difficulties with repairs.
Portal	With this kind of washing, the car stands still, and the washing arch moves relative to it. Both contact and non-contact car cleaning technology can also be used here. Requires 60-70 sq. meters for placement. Capacity from 5 to 18 cars per hour. Pros: the average cost of equipment is lower than that of a conveyor system, low energy and water costs, can be operated by one person, compactness. Disadvantages: can accept fewer machines compared to a conveyor belt, possible difficulties with repairs.

Market research

Before opening a car wash, you need to conduct a competitor analysis. There is no need to spend money on professional research, as it is very easy to do it yourself.

First you need to write a list of all the car washes that are in your city or area, if we're talking about about the metropolis. Find out what services they provide, their costs and level of service. Analyze whether there are enough manual or automatic car washes, whether all types of services are provided, whether there are enough car washes for trucks and so on. This way you can decide which niche is not yet occupied and invest money in a profitable project.

How much is it?

The amount of investment depends on a large number of factors: the cost of the site, the distance of communications, the price of construction work, salaries in the region, etc. As a result, the final investment for launching two completely identical car washes in different cities may differ by 1.5-2 times.

Car wash is a very profitable and not very difficult type of business to organize.

This article tells you how to open a car wash from scratch, what is required for this and how to organize a business so that profits flow into your hands like a deep river.

Relevance

Car washes are needed in absolutely any city and at any time of the year. In winter, sand, reagents and salt are washed off at sinks. In the spring, motorists wash their cars every 2-3 days due to dirt and puddles on the roads. In the summer, car owners polish their “iron horses” until they shine. In autumn - wash away dirt and leaves.

Profitability

According to professionals, a car wash is a profitable enterprise. Its profitability is 30-40%. Full payback occurs after 12-16 months, and with more expensive portal options - after 1-2 years.

Business plan for opening a car wash

Before you open your own car wash, you should develop a business plan. It is necessary to calculate in detail the income, costs, payback and profitability of the enterprise. Analyze possible prospects for the development of this commercial enterprise.

• strategy;
• business;
• specifics of marketing;
• car wash market.

The financial and accounting part of your business plan depends on the location of the car wash and consists of the following points:

• erection;
• preparation of necessary documents;
• land expenses;
• consumables, equipment costs;
• repair costs;
• operation of equipment.

It is necessary to think through all the points very carefully.

List of required documents

What documents are needed to open a car wash?

The full package of documents required to obtain a SEZ (sanitary and epidemiological report) is defined in the order of Rospotrebnadzor No. 776 of November 21, 2005 (clause 19).

So, in order to open a car wash, you will need:

1. conclude a land lease agreement with the Moscow Land Committee;
2. obtain permission from the district administration in which the car wash is located, as well as conclusions from Moskompriroda, the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision Authority, the Fire Service, and the Mosvodostok MP;
3. approve construction plan with Moscomarchitecture.

Also, in accordance with the order of the Moscow government, the following must be provided:

• document on registration of cash register equipment;
• an agreement for cleaning the area adjacent to the car wash and removing solid household waste from it;
• land lease agreement;
• situational plan indicating the boundaries of the land plot.

Because no general requirements Based on these documents for all enterprises, Rospotrebnadzor independently determines the need for their presence when it goes to the site for the purpose of inspection.

The Moscow Government Department of Communications and Transport must be notified of the construction or start of work on a car wash. In order to obtain a SEZ and approve the project, you need to call the territorial department of Rospotrebnadzor.

An important aspect when opening is a well-chosen location for a new car wash.

Place and room for car wash

As mentioned above, the speed of payback and profitability of the enterprise will directly depend on the location. It is known that car washes are ideally located on the sides of large city avenues and busy highways. Many car washes are located at the entrances to the city, border and customs posts. However, near major transport hubs, car washes may suffer from excessive vehicular traffic. As a result, potential clients often refuse to maneuver between cars scurrying back and forth. Practice shows that it is most profitable to locate car washes at gas stations, car parks and service stations.

Read also: How to make money selling goods from China, where to start and how much you can earn in %am_current_year%

Those who do not have enough money to build their own building for a car wash can rent a suitable room at the ATP. And there is less hassle with paperwork. And the location of almost all motor transport enterprises is familiar to motorists.

Please note that certain area will need to be allocated for storing consumables.

Cleaning for car washes

Global ecological problems establish requirements that you will have to comply with when organizing a wash. For example, opening a car wash will not be allowed without a water purification system. Water purification filters are used to remove oil products, fats and other chemical substances that are found in wastewater.

This equipment is a compact, transportable unit. The water purification operation occurs in several stages. Due to the circulation tank, it becomes possible to use a reverse water purification cycle. As a result, the water circulates through the circuit several times and is purified, this makes it possible to ensure that the water does not contain impurities. It is best to place the cleaning equipment in a heated room, since it is operated at temperatures above +5.

How to choose the right staff

After overcoming all the bureaucratic obstacles, you will need to start recruiting your staff.

The main requirements for potential employees are:

• availability of knowledge about cars (determined based on the specifics of the enterprise);
• responsibility and friendliness (necessary for acquiring and growing a list of regular customers).

24-hour operation is the optimal operating schedule for a car wash. For the successful operation of the enterprise, you will need to hire 1 foreman and 5-6 washers.

Employees with higher education are not the main goal of the enterprise, so you can also hire students. Magnitude wages will be proportional to the amount of work performed. The motivational side is also important, which is provided by material incentives for employees. Branded overalls with a logo will serve as a way to create a positive image of the car wash.

To open a small car wash you will need 5-6 washers

To determine how much it costs to open a car wash, calculate the rental costs (this data needs to be clarified depending on the specific location) and add the cost of the equipment:

• high-pressure apparatus with heated water (from $1800 to 3000),
• high-pressure apparatus for supplying water to 1 station (from $500 to 1300),
• compressor ($200-250),
• washing vacuum cleaner or vacuum cleaner ($400-550),
• used water purification systems ($4800-6600).

Car washing companies have long become popular among car enthusiasts, and this is not surprising: few people wash their cars themselves, knowing that specialists will do it faster and better. That is why an entrepreneur intending to open a car wash can always count on an influx of customers, regardless of the season and situation.

What is needed to organize a “clean business”?

Motorists strive to keep their cars clean not only in spring and autumn, when the streets are especially dirty, but also in winter and summer - washing off dust, knocking off ice, removing traces of salt that is sprinkled on the streets is always good for the car. Therefore, the main thing you need to open a car wash is a carefully selected premises that will be equally accessible in both winter and summer. It is better not to build such a business in the open air.

It is best to place the car wash near roads (high-intensity routes are especially good). You can also open a car wash in the residential area where you live a large number of people, not far from a large service station (you can even agree with its owners so that before repairing the car they always send it to a car wash), near a large parking lot or at a gas station. There should be convenient access to the car wash, and the space around it should be clean - if the driver ends up in the mud when leaving, he is unlikely to want to return to such an enterprise.

Another important aspect- equipment. It should be powerful enough to deal with dirt in a matter of minutes, but without damaging the car body. The most popular option is a tunnel wash, in which the car moves through a tunnel, undergoing sequential treatment with various brushes. However, in this case, the brushes can scratch the body, and not all drivers come to such enterprises often. Moreover, tunnel equipment is not cheap, and if a businessman is faced with the pressing question of how much it costs to open a budget-type car wash, it is better to choose conventional equipment with high-pressure apparatus - it can be used manually. In fact, these are ordinary hoses that provide strong water pressure and at the same time are gentle on the body.

Is it profitable to open a car wash for a beginner?

Absolutely yes! If, of course, he has a clear work plan. A new entrepreneur should:

1. Decide how many cars he could service at the same time (you can start with 1-2 cars)
2. Select the target audience - you can wash cars, or you can target minibuses or trucks (the size of the room and the specifics of the equipment will depend on this)
3. Where and how will he get water for washing (the premises must have an uninterrupted water supply and sewerage system)
4. What services will he offer? You can simply wash the car body, or you can also offer customers engine washing, interior treatment, dry cleaning, etc.

And, of course, when thinking about how to open a car wash, you must first take care of registering the enterprise - without the appropriate documents and checks (sanitation station, environmental service and local authorities will check the operation of the sewerage and water purification system at the car wash, the safety of its location for the environment and the local population, features of wastewater disposal, etc.) will not work. Moreover, before opening a car wash, you also need to invite employees of the fire inspection and traffic police - they sign acts stating that the enterprise will operate in accordance with all standards.

What investments will be needed?

Washing is a rather expensive type of business. One of the largest expenses is the cost of premises, which can cost from 400 thousand to 1 million rubles. It all depends on the area where the enterprise is located, its size and the characteristics of the sewage system. This amount will also include the full paperwork for it, as well as the costs of coordinating the work of the car wash with all services.

Other expenses will also be considerable. Here's what you need to open a car wash:

You can save on water by installing a recycling system: it allows you to purify and reuse wastewater. However, whether it is profitable to open a car wash under such conditions must be decided individually, because the cleaning equipment itself can be quite expensive.

As for the income part, simply washing one car can cost about 200 rubles, and you can earn at least 4 thousand a day (if there are 20 clients). After rain, their number will increase. Thus, monthly revenue will be at least 120 thousand rubles, but on average it reaches 200-300 thousand or more. Depending on how much it costs to open a car wash in a given area, you can recoup the initial costs in just 1.5-2 years. Sometimes this period is a little longer, but by increasing the number of services, you can achieve excellent results much faster than expected in advance.

A business like a car wash does not need any special introduction. Many books and articles have been written about it, because this is a very promising and profitable area of ​​small business, with low competition in the regions and constantly growing demand. High demand for washing services is ensured by changes weather conditions and the ever-growing number of cars in use by the population.

In this article we will talk about the most important thing - how much it costs to open a car wash and how much it costs to build a car wash from scratch, and we will also give approximate prices for the required equipment.

What do you need to open a car wash or where to start?

First of all, you will need to collect a huge amount of all kinds of documentation, which may take several months!

First you need to get a resolution from the city administration, in which they will say that they have nothing against opening your enterprise in a certain area of ​​the city.

If you decide to build a car wash from scratch, you will also need to submit a petition to the same city administration to allocate a plot of land for the construction of a car wash. OKVED code for car wash: 50.20.3. And in order for the administration to give its consent, you need to provide a sketch of your construction project and coordinate it with municipal services: firefighters, architects and the sanitary and epidemiological station.

Having received a positive response from the mayor, you can move on to developing a building project. You send the resulting project for examination to the sanitary and epidemiological station and coordinate it with the environmental and labor protection services. And only at the end, after all these actions, will the state be carried out. An examination of your project and, in case of a positive decision, you will be given a construction certificate and instead of the question “what is needed to open a car wash,” you can devote yourself entirely to the question of whether it is profitable to open a car wash at all.

How much does it cost to build a car wash from scratch?

Construction of a car wash for 2-3 bays will cost at least 2-3 million rubles. It all depends on the city in which you are building and on the materials chosen, from metal structures and corrugated sheets to expanded clay concrete and foam blocks. See examples of costs for car wash construction here. If you do not have such a high starting capital, then you should forget about building a car wash from scratch and how much it costs and look towards renting a box or buying a mobile mobile complex, which will cost several times less.

By the way, there is a third option - a business plan for a self-service car wash, but read more about this in a separate article.

How much does it cost to open a mobile and modular car wash from scratch?

The good thing about a mobile car wash is that it can be placed in any convenient, and most importantly, profitable place. Moreover, its price is several times less than building from scratch, which makes it very attractive to many entrepreneurs.

And one more very important detail– manufacturers of mobile car washes can provide you with a package of documents, which includes most permits and certificates for equipment. This will significantly reduce paperwork time. If suddenly the prospect of paperwork and huge financial costs has tired you a little, then it’s better to try your luck in raising laying hens in the country and other agriculture.

As an example, we will give 3 options for mobile car wash complexes and consider how much it costs to open a car wash to calculate possible investments and decide whether it is profitable to open a car wash in your city.

1. KIT set of car washes AMAR-1. The average price of a KIT kit, characterized by a huge range of possible equipment, for 1 post and with full equipment is 700 thousand rubles.
2. Mobile car wash with inflatable tray. This type of car wash is ideal for those who just want to try and evaluate the profitability of the business in practice. The range of complexes of this company is distinguished by the so-called seasonality; their simplest car washes are designed to work only in summer (not suitable for low temperatures) and cost from 200 thou. rub.

The peculiarity of the models discussed above is the set of equipment, which includes an inflatable tent. All necessary equipment easily fits into an average truck and, if desired, can be easily transported from place to place. Installing a car wash in a new location takes only a few hours, and considering how much it costs to open a car wash from scratch, at this price, this is an excellent option for profitable business with small investments.

1. Modular car wash for 1 house. Such a car wash is a lightweight metal structure that can be installed very quickly on previously prepared ground (5-7 days). The peculiarity of this design is the ability to work autonomously from sewerage and water supply systems. In addition, if your business takes off, you can further develop your car wash by purchasing additional modules and eventually turning it into a real car service.

How much does car wash equipment cost?

The complete set of equipment at different car washes is slightly different. However, we will show you how much basic car wash equipment costs:

• Washing vacuum cleaner – up to $2000
• Heated pressure washer – up to $6,000
• Unheated high-pressure cleaner – up to $2,300
• Water purification device – up to $7,000

We hope that the answer to the question of how much car wash equipment costs does not shake your determination too much!

2 Comments

1. Car wash as a business. Advantages and disadvantages

So, you're thinking about opening a car wash. I don’t know what exactly prompted you to do this - an old dream, a desire to start your own business, a successful coincidence of circumstances, or a desire to invest money reliably. But whatever it is, you are looking in the right direction. A car wash is a simple, stable and profitable business that you can start regardless of whether you have experience in entrepreneurship or not. And so that you clearly understand what’s what, let’s talk in more detail about all the pros and cons of the car wash business.

Car wash is a guaranteed demand

You yourself have probably seen the queues at car washes, so there is no need to convince you that you will always have customers. One of the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make is that they want to find some magical idea. Such that there are no competitors and so that you can shovel money single-handedly. This is a crazy position. You can immediately come up with a hundred different business ideas where you will have no competitors. Well, for example, open the production of square wheels for cars. I guarantee there will be no competitors. But who will buy them from you?

The most best strategy to open your own business - see what people already willingly buy, and sell them exactly this. Under no circumstances should you reinvent the wheel - it is expensive and futile. Why do so many people spend time searching for the magic business idea? Yes, simply because they are either scared by the word “competition” or they consider themselves smarter than others. Competition is good. This means that people are already accustomed to buying something and you won’t need to explain why they need another incomprehensible crap.

The car wash business is booming right now. There were no commercial car washes in the USSR, because there were few cars. But over the past 15 years of free enterprise, not many car washes have been created. And today the country simply does not have enough car washes to wash everyone.

Take for example my hometown Saint Petersburg. Today, there are about 350 car washes operating in St. Petersburg (this number also includes “garage” car washes). On average, there are three stations per car wash (in garages there is usually one post). In a day, you can pass about 20 cars through one manual washing station (this, by the way, is from 3 to 8 thousand rubles in revenue). At the same time, more than 820 thousand cars are officially registered in the city, which need to be washed at least once a month, and most people want to wash their car much more often.

But even if we take washing a car once a month as a basis for calculations, St. Petersburg car washes can provide only 76% of the required volume of services. This is why there are long lines in front of the car washes. Moreover the number of cars is growing much faster, than the number of washes. And this trend will continue in the next 5 years.

Growth in sales of new passenger cars continues in Russia. Record sales dynamics are recorded annually. For example, in the first 6 months of 2008, about 1 million 400 thousand new passenger cars were sold in Russia. Compared to the same period last year, car sales in the Russian Federation increased by more than a third, and the monthly sales volume exceeded the mark of 250 thousand cars. And, as I already said, much fewer car washes are opening than is necessary with such a powerful increase in the number of cars.

Therefore, a car wash is a business that guarantees a profit stream.

Liquidity and investment attractiveness

These are especially important qualities of a car wash during an economic crisis. Why? Everything is quite simple. You are probably already aware of what is happening in the USA and what turmoil the American financial system is experiencing. The largest companies go bankrupt, banks collapse, and there is panic in the stock market.

And this is just the beginning of the crisis. What will happen when the US defaults on its government bonds is hard to imagine.

The crisis has reached our stock market. Simply because markets are closely interconnected. And everything that you could previously safely invest money in becomes less and less attractive every day. Therefore, the main question that investors now face is: what to invest in? In bonds? It is very doubtful, because there are already cases of defaults on bonds. In promotions? Very big risk. In mutual funds? Also a dubious prospect. To gold? But on the stock exchange they trade “paper” gold, that is, they sell only receipts for gold.

All investments in “virtual” assets are now very risky. “Virtual” assets are those that are in fact not backed by real goods and, in fact, do not provide real income after investment. All income from investments in virtual assets is derived from speculation. I bought a piece of paper cheap and sold it at a higher price. This is possible only as long as the pieces of paper are in demand and valuable, but when a wave of bankruptcies covers the largest companies and their shares are no longer worth anything, there is nothing to speculate on.

Therefore, now, when the crisis is already on the threshold, the most reliable investment of money will be investment in real production. That is, something that is likely to remain liquid no matter what happens. Because “virtual” money that is in the account is much easier to reset than real liquid assets. Like in the 90s: a person had 5,000 rubles in his account, with which he could buy a car, and now it became 5,000 rubles, with which he could buy a couple of loaves of bread. And if a person did buy a car, he would not lose his money. Therefore, money urgently needs to be invested in own business, and one that will have a guaranteed profit regardless of the crisis.

Moreover, this is true both if you have your own savings and if you are looking for an investor. A smart investor always tries to minimize risks and have a guarantee of exiting the project with a profit. By and large, the goal of many investors is to build a business and sell it profitably within two to three years. What is the current situation with the sale of car washes?

It turns out that car washes are one of the most popular businesses for sale in this moment. Here, for example, are statistics on requests for buying and selling businesses from BizZONA.ru:

Buying a business:

Beauty salons – 14%;

Internet – 9.4%;

car washes – 6.5%;

Cafe – 5.0%;

Saunas – 4.2%;

Shops – 3.6%;

Dental clinics – 2.6%;

Flowers – 2.6%;

Recruitment agencies – 1.8%;

Bani – 1.4%. Selling a business:

Beauty salons – 4.96%;

Internet – 3.28%;

car washes – 1.04%;

Cafe – 4.24%;

Saunas – 1.36%;

Shops – 11.6%;

Dental clinics – 1.04%;

Flowers – 0.32%;

Recruitment agencies – 1.04%;

Bani – 0.72%.

Thus, a car wash is an excellent investment. Especially if it is a newly built car wash. And if it’s on your own piece of land, then it’s absolutely great. In company Sonny's I was told the following case: in Ufa, after six months successful work Serious bankers approached the owners of the first washing complex in Bashkiria and offered a large sum for the cession of the washing building to them for a new bank. Land, building - all this is liquid. And a ready-made turnkey car wash business will be doubly liquid.

Transparency and ease of management

A car wash is a simple business. There are no complex technical processes, no strong dependence on suppliers, and no big problems with finding personnel.

My main activity is consulting car service owners, so I have the opportunity to compare the complexity of these two businesses. Washing cars is much easier than repairing them. The technological complexity of washing a car is much less, and there are no such problems with finding personnel and equipment as when opening a car service center. In general, this activity itself is quite simple if you know what and how. You don't need any special technical education, you don't need to understand how machines work, etc. It's like washing dishes in the kitchen, only bigger dishes. I am more than sure that anyone can open a car wash.

High profitability

The minimum profitability of a car wash is 30%. Moreover, you need to try very hard to keep it so low. The normal figure is 50%. The main costs of work are wages and taxes. Sometimes there is also rent and utility bills, but this greatly depends on the specific case and the type of car wash (automated or manual). On different types car washes have different costs.

Cloning capability

Business cloning is a separate big topic, but I’ll say a few words about it.

If you have opened one car wash, “settled down” all business processes and achieved stability, simply limitless opportunities open up for you to dramatically expand your business. What is done and documented once can be easily repeated as many times as necessary. There are several ways: creating a network or selling clones. In the first case, you can continue to open your car washes under a single brand, in the second, you can sell “business in a box” to other entrepreneurs. We don’t yet have car wash networks as such, nor do we have any offers for selling “businesses in a box.” Moreover, the sale of a “business in a box” (in the West this is called business oportunity) brings in order more money than actually washing cars. However, there is one subtlety: there is a very tricky sales process. But if you get it right, it’s a goldmine. By the way, there is another option: creating a franchise. But this is even more difficult, although profitable.

We've talked about the obvious advantages of the car wash business, let's move on to the disadvantages. Otherwise it would be a complete freebie.

Bureaucracy. Long construction period from scratch. Obtaining permits

If we talk about building a car wash from scratch, the main problem is getting land for development and agreeing on the location of the car wash. IN big cities This is generally difficult, and you will have to spend a lot of money. For example, in Moscow, renting a plot of land from the city, building a hand wash for four or five stations and putting it into operation can cost from $500 thousand to several million. IN small towns With this, of course, it’s easier, but you’ll also have to run around. In the case of rent, everything is cheaper, there are no such huge expenses. Depending on the region, you can open a car wash in a rented premises with even $20 thousand.

How long does it take to open the sink?

There is no clear answer to this question; it all depends on the specific city and the specific situation.

Sometimes land acquisition alone can take two years, sometimes a newly built car wash can start operating within a year of applying for the land. The biggest time investment will be on:

Land acquisition – up to 24 months;

Project approval – up to 6 months;

Construction and commissioning – up to 3 months.

Again, these are all approximate figures. Very often, especially in small towns, car washes begin to be built without approval, and all permits are obtained along the way. It’s the same with renting – they begin to reconstruct the premises and in the process they receive all the necessary paperwork. IN major cities this will not work, but in small ones sometimes it works if there are connections and acquaintances.

But the trends are such that they are beginning to monitor compliance with standards more and more strictly, and if you don’t want a finished sink to stand dead because someone suddenly didn’t give permission, it’s better to do everything immediately in accordance with the law. On average, the entire process of building a new sink takes one and a half to two years. If you rent a room - up to one year.

What problems should you be prepared for?

If you are planning to build a sink from scratch, First of all, there will be a problem with the land plot. This problem is especially acute in large cities. By and large, this is why so few new car washes are opening. If you do not own a plot of land, the only option to find land is to lease it from the state. But, as you understand, officials will not simply give anything to the first person they meet.

Most often, the sale of lease rights to a piece of land takes place in the form of an auction. That is, at a minimum, serious money will be needed. The right to rent a plot for a small car wash in Moscow can cost several hundred thousand dollars. At the same time, of course, part of this money will go into the pockets of officials. Moreover, it is not a fact that you will get the plot just because you have money. In this matter, personal connections and acquaintance with the right people. In small cities, prices are, of course, lower, but the factor of personal connections also plays a significant role.

The next problem is coordinating the construction of a car wash on the selected plot of land. In Moscow, for example, it is necessary to obtain more than 60 different approvals from many authorities. Moreover, if at least one of them does not approve the project, you will not be able to build a sink. In order for everything to go smoothly, money will also be required for “gifts” to officials. By and large, the costs of obtaining land and approvals exceed the costs of building a car wash itself.

Another problem that can “eat” a huge hole in the budget is connecting to utility networks: water supply and electrical networks. It often happens that the costs of connecting communications exceed the costs of construction.

If you want to rent a room, Here, first of all, the problem will arise with finding suitable premises. In principle, if you try, you can find a room. After this, the main task is to obtain permission to reconstruct the premises for a car wash. Here, again, you will need to coordinate the project and run through numerous authorities.

Prospects for the development of the washing business

I am often asked the question: how to evaluate the profitability of a car wash? By and large, everything is quite simple here. The minimum profitability can be calculated by observing already operating car washes. You can spend several days and see how many cars come to the car washes during the day. This will give you approximate loading figures. Here, of course, there is a dependence on the season and the weather, but it will be real numbers. After that, look at the prices of an existing car wash and calculate the approximate cost of the average bill. Depending on the city and type of car wash, this can be 150–400 rubles. You multiply the number of clients by the average check and get the approximate amount of daily revenue.

Honestly, the results of your research will most often indicate one thing: a car wash is profitable. For example, a car wash for four posts in Moscow with an average bill of 300 rubles. brings in about $30 thousand in profit per month. With the total cost of opening such a car wash being $850 thousand, the payback period will be around 2.5–3 years.

Of course, if you rent a room with a small initial investment, you can recoup the costs in a year. Here again there is a dependence on the city, on the type of car wash, on the clientele, on the number of cars in the city, etc.

Let's take, for example, a two-station hand wash. In a day, 20–30 cars can pass through one post. Total 40–60 per day. With an average bill of 200 rubles.

this turns out to be 8-12 thousand rubles. revenue, of which about 35% will go to staff. Thus, the dirty profit will be 5200–7800 rubles. in a day. The figures, of course, are averages; they do not take into account orders for dry cleaning and polishing, weather and season, but they give an idea. By the way, the problem of the low season can be solved – you just need to build your marketing correctly.

As an example, I will give brief reviews of the car wash business in several cities.

Permian

There are currently about 50 car washes operating in Perm, most of them 24 hours a day. The range of services is standard: complete washing (interior and exterior), cleaning and dry cleaning of the interior, body polishing, engine washing, washing mats, thresholds, wheels, liquid wax, wiping the dashboard and plastic, lubricating locks.

Car washes in the city center have a large flow of customers and high prices, but are not distinguished by good quality. And on the outskirts you can wash your car better for less money. What can you do, demand exceeds supply.

The difference in prices at different car washes is up to 40%. Approximate price range:

Wash + interior cleaning – 200–250 rubles;

Interior cleaning – 80-150 rubles;

Body wash – 100–150 rubles;

Engine washing – from 150 rubles.

In general, the market is in its infancy, there is no competition as such.

Barnaul

There are about 65 car washes in Barnaul. There is no competition as such, demand exceeds supply, and in order to wash their car on the weekend, customers have to stand in line. Most of the existing car washes are located in residential areas. There is one touchless gantry truck wash. One or two new car washes open in the city every year.

Nizhny Novgorod

About 40 people work separately in Nizhny standing car washes, not counting those that are part of gas stations and car services. The number of cars in the city is growing by 15% per year. According to the roughest estimates, the city needs the same number of new car washes, since there are queues everywhere. Most of the washers are manual, with 5-6 automatic ones. The range of services is standard. The average bill is 300 rubles. The monthly profit of a standard car wash is $4–8 thousand.

Generally speaking, all calculations should be reflected in the business plan on paper. If you have specific numbers, you can draw specific conclusions. We’ll talk about how to create a business plan a little later, but for now let’s move on to the topic of starting capital.

Construction of a car wash is a promising business undertaking that allows you to return the invested funds as much as possible. short term. But, in order for the enterprise to be truly profitable, it is necessary to think through everything to the last detail.

The most voluminous items of initial expenses are the construction of premises and the purchase of equipment. Equipment must be reliable, functional and easy to maintain. There are no less requirements for the premises. A car wash simply must be spacious, bright, attractive, and comply with fire, sanitary and environmental safety standards.

5 reasons to build a car wash from sandwich panels

Construction of a car wash from sandwich panels is beneficial for several reasons. Features of the car wash business include the importance of location. “Favorable” places for washing: parking nearby office buildings, shops, shopping and entertainment centers and any others where there is busy road traffic.

It is quite difficult and sometimes even impossible for a future entrepreneur to obtain a plot of land in a suitable location with the right for capital construction. This is where the first advantage of sandwich panels becomes obvious - lightness.

A sandwich car wash is a small architectural form of quickly erected buildings; it does not require a deep and solid foundation. May be classified as a temporary structure.

A car wash is a place where everything and everyone comes into contact with water. Even if the walls are not exposed to direct water, constant high humidity will certainly affect their quality. Sandwich panels are not afraid of moisture! The water absorption rate for a panel with polystyrene foam core is 1% per day by volume. The panel's coating is corrosion-resistant galvanized steel with a polymer coating and also withstands contact with water well.

A place with a busy traffic flow is bound to be noisy. But sandwich panels can easily cope with this problem.

Expanded polystyrene has enough high level noise absorption, reaching, depending on the thickness of the insulation, 24-27 dB.

It is also important for those who decide to build a car wash appearance. The use of colored sandwich panels allows you to choose any of the colors from the RAL catalog: blue, white, red, yellow, original shades. The profiled surface will provide an advantageous play of light and shadow. It is easy to care for the panels: it is necessary to periodically inspect the surface for damage to the integrity of the surface and remove contamination.

The last, and one of the most compelling arguments in favor of panel construction is speed. “Time is money” is a truth that applies to any business. Construction of a car wash using quick installation technology significantly reduces the amount of time spent on construction.

To summarize, the advantages of sandwich panels for car wash construction:

1. Ease;
2. Corrosion resistance;
3. Attractiveness;
4. High level of heat and sound insulation;
5. Construction speed

Construction of a car wash made of sandwich panels, price of materials and work

Structurally, a car wash made of sandwich panels is a metal frame made on the basis of a welded beam, covered with three-layer metal sandwich panels that are completely ready for installation. The area of ​​the building may vary, depending on how many washing stations are included in the project.

The cost of materials depends on which panel you choose as the main building material.

For car washes, it is preferable to use panels filled with polystyrene foam with a thickness of 80-100 mm.

The price of installation work depends on the complexity of the project, the size of the construction site, the availability of access roads, etc.

Read more about the factors that shape the cost of construction in the article:

The NTK company is ready to offer high-quality three-layer metal sandwich panels for the construction of a car wash at the manufacturer’s price, as well as design and construction services. Ask your questions to the company manager!