Car wash franchises are businesses with high cash flow that don’t require a lot of skill.
We researched the car wash industry to help you find the best car wash franchises available. From there, we reviewed their websites and financial disclosure documents to establish which are likely to make you the most money with the lowest upfront costs.
We narrowed the options to nine franchises. Continue reading straight through or click any of the links below to learn more:
Is the car wash industry profitable?
Yes. Every year, car washing generates a combined $17.3 billion in revenue with an average profit margin of 16.1%. A mobile car wash franchise tends to be more profitable because car wash equipment is cheaper than buying land and a building.
You can learn more about the car wash industry at UpFlip Academy.
Top Car Wash Franchise Options
The top car washes are forthcoming about their startup costs, marketing support, and comprehensive training. All of them average over $1 million in annual revenue, but the capital requirements vary dramatically.
#1. Fleet Clean
Fleet Clean provides mobile cleaning services for semi-trucks, trailers, and cab interiors. They also provide industrial pressure washing.
• Franchise units: 54
• Initial investment: $173K to $449.4K
• Initial franchise fee: $10K to $150K + additional fees
• Royalties: 11% + $125 per month + additional fees
Franchises average over $1 million in revenue with a 17% profit margin.
#2. Tommy’s Express
Tommy’s Express is one of the top car wash franchises in the world because of its proven business model. Franchisees benefit from car wash marketing, economies of scale, and a large network of franchise business owners.
• Franchise units: 175
• Initial investment: $4.9M to $9.3M
• Initial franchise fee: $50K
• Royalties: 7% + $90 to $200 weekly
Tommy’s Express has average gross sales of $2,092,628 annually.
#3. Prime Car Wash
Prime Car Wash offers single-serve car washes, car detailing, and mobile car wash services. These car wash franchises also offer unlimited prime memberships for people who want their car to be clean at all times.
• Franchise units: 18
• Initial investment: $1.7M to $3.5M
• Initial franchise fee: $50K + additional fees of $500K to $1.6M
• Royalties: 8% + $437.50 monthly
Prime Car Wash franchises have an average annual revenue of $1,864,688 and an average net operating income of $84,978.5. However, three of the eight disclosed franchises were running at a loss primarily due to debt servicing.
Other Franchise Opportunities
The following car wash franchise organizations were listed in other blogs:
- Green Shine
- NanoTek
- Autowash
- Detail Xperts
- DetailXperts
- Spiffy
- Mr. Clean Car Wash
Unfortunately, their franchise disclosure documents weren’t available for review. Without that information, it’s difficult to establish if each car washing franchise is operational and the franchise fees are correct.
If one of these interests you, follow up with our franchise broker for assistance.
#4. Green Shine
Green Shine promotes itself as the most cost-effective franchise. Other sites claim that Green Shine provides everything you need to get started for $10K per zip code. That’s not a lot of money to get a company up and running.
• Franchise units: 12 worldwide
• Initial investment: $22.7K to $49.1K
• Initial franchise fee: $8K to $10
• Royalties: 5%
• Ad royalties: 1%
I’d recommend checking them out first just because of their affordability.
#5. NanoTek
Nanotek has 200 franchises primarily overseas. They were once called EcoWash Mobile.
• Franchise units: 200+
• Initial investment: $180.7K to $290.8K
• Initial franchise fee: $30K
• Royalties: 5%
It doesn’t appear that they have a substantial presence in the U.S, but if you’re looking to own a business overseas, I’d recommend looking into them.
#6. Autowash
Autowash is a turnkey franchise. This means that Autowash provides you with a fully functional business. All you have to do is run it.
• Initial investment: $1.5M to $6M
• Franchise fee: $60K
• Royalties: 20% between royalties + brand, maintenance, and software fees
Autowash is one of the pricier options for starting your own car wash business, but with a fully automated car wash, it’s basically passive income.
#7. DetailXPerts
DetailXPerts offers three primary services: car detailing, fleet cleaning, and industrial cleaning.
• Franchise units: 90+ Worldwide
• Initial investment: $81,000 – $160,000
• Initial franchise fee: $35,000
• Royalties: 6%
• Ad royalties: 2%
Offering various services means the business can still perform well even if the demand for car washes goes down.
#8. Spiffy
Spiffy is a mobile detailing and preventative maintenance franchise. Franchise owners use a proven business model to detail cars, provide oil changes, rotate tires, and complete other services for customers.
• Initial investment: $91.3K to $149.2K
• Franchise fee: $40K
• Royalties: 7%
Spiffy has also taken steps to become more environmentally friendly.
#9. Mr. Clean Car Wash
Mr. Clean is a reputable company. However, they don’t have a dedicated franchising website, and I wasn’t able to find a current franchise disclosure document.
• Initial investment: $2.4M to $3.3M
• Initial franchise fee: $35K
• Royalties: 6%
• Ad royalties: 5%
This leads me to believe they may have stopped franchising. You should check and do your own research if you’re interested in this franchise.
Our Methodology
We ranked these car washes based on the ease of locating their financial disclosure documents and websites. Then we compared the number of franchises, start-up costs, and profit margins compared to the rest of the industry.
Many franchises in the industry appear to have stopped franchising, but we still included them in the previous section. You can look into them more if you’d like.
Car Wash Business FAQs
People have lots of questions about car washes and franchises in general. We’ll answer some of them below.
How much do car wash services make?
According to our business ideas database, the average car wash makes $267,500 per year. Meanwhile, franchises often make over $1M and reach those levels faster because they already have access to marketing materials from the franchisor.
What is a touchless car wash?
A touchless car wash is an automatic car wash that uses high-pressure water and detergents to clean vehicles without physical contact. The car wash uses sensors to guide car wash spray nozzles instead of brushes or scrubbers that can damage vehicles.
Touchless car washes may also be faster, more environmentally friendly, and less likely to scratch cars than traditional car washes.
How much does it cost to build a car wash?
Building a car wash can cost anywhere from $1 million to $6 million. It depends on whether you’re starting a self service, automatic, or touchless car wash. This includes land, construction, and equipment.
Meanwhile, you can often find a car wash business for sale for less than the cost of construction.
Conclusion
We’ve discussed the profitability of car wash franchises, the best car wash franchises, and our methodology. We also reviewed franchises that didn’t have financial disclosure documents or enough up-to-date data to fully recommend. Then we discussed common questions entrepreneurs have about car wash businesses.
Whether you decide to buy a car wash franchise, purchase an existing car wash, or start your own, this industry is a great way to make a living.
Which of the car wash franchise opportunities interests you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
