Car Wash Learning Center

Carwashes of all models are often touted as being a viable business type to own as an arms-length or absentee owner. The self-serve carwash model is most of all regarded and often referred to as being the most natural for passive income. Before you enter the industry with the goal of being a passive part-time owner - be sure to understand what carwash ownership truly entails. Read more...

Are you considering building a car wash and looking to understand exactly how much it costs? If so, you are in the right place. This short but definitive guide will quickly walk through how much money it costs to build and construct a carwash. Some of the costs associated with building a car wash are highly variable, such as land costs. However, many are highly predictable Read more...

External capital and institutional investors continue to pour into the carwash industry. Large investor involvement is at all time highs even with the evergreen car wash developments being done in record numbers nationwide. Recent monumental external investor and acquiror related transactions warrant a revisiting of the largest players involved Read more...

Acquisitions continued its acceleration path as the relative attractiveness of the car wash industry to outside capital sources and current operators alike was nothing but heightened throughout this year of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Visually see and dive into the M&A activity of the largest and top car wash companies throughout 2020 and the last three years. Read more...

Nearly all car washes stand to benefit from the launch and proper implementation of some form of membership, loyalty, or unlimited program. The key word here is 'proper'. Truth is, like most things, if done incorrectly, memberships programs don’t work. Either way, it's very important to understand the impact a membership program has on valuations. Read more...

The most frequented question from carwash owners considering selling their washes is what information should be shared with the buyer (or buyers). The underlying concern that is the root to this question is well warranted, but this is arguably the wrong question to be asking. The key to protecting everything you have built is not so much what information you share. Read more...

With these transaction types being more common than ever before in the car wash industry, it's important to understand what selling only the real estate actually does from the perspective of a carwash owner. Learn everything there is about these transactions and why and when car wash owners and operators do and should consider selling just the real estate. Read more...

Car Wash financing is simpler to obtain and more readily available than one may think. Despite Car Washes being true specialty businesses, there is always financiers and lenders spanning the spectrum of financing solutions ready and looking to provide capital for your carwash needs. This definitive guide explains all you want to know about the world of financing a car wash Read more...

If you're looking to quickly understand valuation levels and multiples of car washes, this quick definitive guide is for you. Understand the relative multiples of different car wash types and for different operating levels and volumes. Whether flex-serve, full-service, self-serve, express exterior, or in-bay automatic - understand the revenue multiples that these washes transact for Read more...

We continue to receive an alarming quantity of inquiries and messages about the availability of financing today (during COVID). We felt it important to put something out immediately. This short and informal piece covers this topic for those that are looking for information on financing of car washes right now. The short answer is that financing is just as available now as ever before. Read more...

Are you considering selling your car wash and unsure of where to start? Or maybe you've already started the process and your not confident you took the best approach. Regardless of what stage of selling your currently at, whether just contemplating or a month in and stagnant, this piece is worth a read. Let's layout the options and the pros and cons of each. Read more...

You’re thinking of selling your car wash, you’ve spent time exploring the different options, and you’re now considering the broker approach. Although you may be feeling a momentary win in the way of decisiveness and completion, there is still another decision fork ahead; what broker to go with. There are actually two main choices a seller must make when deciding on a broker Read more...

With all this "new" and "big" money coming into the car wash space in recent times, it's about time we break down what this all actually means. What is all this external investment money doing here? Why are are they here? And most importantly, what does this mean for you as a current or future car wash owner and / or operator. Read more...

If you are considering buying car wash real estate as a passive owner - this is the piece specifically and entirely written for you. Carwashes are incredible businesses and investments, but buying only the land as a passive investment is an entirely different investment, game, and profile than buying a car wash business. Read more...

Let’s imagine you own a car wash that currently does $1MM in EBITDA. You have it in your head that you want $10MM for the wash. Let’s assume you were approached by three different buyers, each with their own offer...This is a continuation in our series exploring rollover equity acquisition deals in the car wash industry. Read more...

Terminology should never keep anyone from taking action or learning. It’s an unfortunate truth that most industries have an internal vernacular that can often be confusing and overwhelming. The car wash industry is no exception. To make matters more convoluted, many of the terms are not mutually exclusive and therefore often overlap with each other. Read more...

Should I only buy a car wash if the real estate is included? How much more or less should I pay for a car wash depending on whether the dirt is owned and included? How is owning a car wash without real estate going to impact me as the new owner, both now and later on down the road? These questions are asked quite often. Let's dive in and get to the answers. Read more...

Is it even worth getting involved as a first time owner, given all the “big” money coming in? Doesn’t private equity already own the whole industry? Who are these people calling me every day asking me if I will sell my wash? These are questions I get asked all the time when speaking to current and prospective wash owners. Read more...

Take a glimpse into the history of the largest car wash operating company in the world. With over 900 locations in 14 countries and with a roster of various historical financial sponsors and owners. Private equity doesn’t always “work”. Private equitys’ involvement in the car wash sector is no exception. Let's take a look. Read more...

With the increase of private equity and external investment activity in the car wash sector, the topic of equity rollovers as a component of deal structures needs to be addressed. This article will explore what an equity rollover is, motivations behind it, and the true implications of this deal structure as it relates to sellers. Read more...

Valuation Multiple Disparity And How to Profit From

Car wash valuations in the current environment are interesting to say the least. They are not uniform across the board due to many factors including type, location, operator, etc. Many valuation differences are warranted. However, many are not. In this article we will explore absolute and relative valuation disparities. Coming Soon...

Carwash Unit Economics Deep Dive By Wash Type

It all boils down to profit in the end. But what's the "correct" way to measure profitability? Although exploring this question and analysis exercise on a per car unit economic basis seems like the logical route, it may not be the correct approach. Let's take a deep dive into profitability by car wash type Coming soon...