Building a car/truck wash

Joined
Dec 10, 2023
Messages
814
Location
Canada
Does anybody know about building a touchless car wash, or a hand high pressure truck wash?
I would like to build both.

Any information about it would be helpful.
Thanks
 
OP edited, so I edited.

Seriously, I'd look into population density vis number of vehicle wash sites.
Also, how far can they be off a main road? If they're out of sight, they might be out of mind.
 
Last edited:
There's gotta be a webpage somewhere devoted to this. Surely there's some association that you could join.

They're popping up everywhere. I don't get it.

I always think it's some sort of money laundering scheme.
Tax loss harvesting? or avoiding that? Someone sells some stock, then reinvests into this venture, holds onto for a year or two, then sells, maybe for a profit, maybe for a loss--but ultimately somehow getting ahead no matter what? wild stab in the dark. People are always trying to figure out how to make a buck.
 
The line ups get ludicrously long for car and truck washes around here, and the wife wants to open a McDonald's. I have found a great piece of property, more than large enough for both, and to also put a fuel cardlock on. The cardlock is easy, the McDonald's is up to my wife, but the car wash, and truck wash I don't know much about building.
 
The line ups get ludicrously long for car and truck washes around here, and the wife wants to open a McDonald's. I have found a great piece of property, more than large enough for both, and to also put a fuel cardlock on. The cardlock is easy, the McDonald's is up to my wife, but the car wash, and truck wash I don't know much about building.
Is it possible to open a McDonald’s today or is it purchased from a current franchisee? I mean when I was 18 a Burger King was $800k, and I was 18 a long time ago. At that time McDonald’s was not available.

Instead of a McDonald’s why not shoot fish in a barrel 😂
 
Is it possible to open a McDonald’s today or is it purchased from a current franchisee? I mean when I was 18 a Burger King was $800k, and I was 18 a long time ago. At that time McDonald’s was not available.

Instead of a McDonald’s why not shoot fish in a barrel 😂
I think its higher than that for McDonalds. They also want to see a track record of success running a business, although they also like for long time employees to own. In most cases, they also dictate where the restaurant will be located and own the property.
 
Does anybody know about building a touchless car wash, or a hand high pressure truck wash?
I would like to build both.

Any information about it would be helpful.
Thanks
The following assumes you have a site purchased.

1.) Get an architect to draw up plans, or get plans from an architect who already has done one.
2.) Get drawings and site location approved
3.) Hire a general contractor, who has built one before

They can be fairly complicated, and the equipment typically can come in packages, depending on what you are want to do. Very detail specific, and expensive, on the building and domestic plumbing side, per sq ft. Domestic plumbing requires sand, grease interceptors and various other filtering devices as per your state.

Good luck.
 
Does anybody know about building a touchless car wash, or a hand high pressure truck wash?
I would like to build both.

Any information about it would be helpful.
Thanks

There are going to be waste water issues (rules) at play as well. Check your local requirements/codes.
 
There's gotta be a webpage somewhere devoted to this. Surely there's some association that you could join.


Tax loss harvesting? or avoiding that? Someone sells some stock, then reinvests into this venture, holds onto for a year or two, then sells, maybe for a profit, maybe for a loss--but ultimately somehow getting ahead no matter what? wild stab in the dark. People are always trying to figure out how to make a buck.
We had yet another one pop up in our small town. 95% of the vehicles in town would disintegrate (including two of mine) if they were driven through a car wash.

There's some sort of weirdness going on with them.
 
Does anybody know about building a touchless car wash, or a hand high pressure truck wash?
I would like to build both.

Any information about it would be helpful.
Thanks
There are several trade magazines that deal specifically with this topic and are distributed to owners of car washes. There seem to be a few "Franchiseable? " car washes around. One has touch and touchless options the other that has become everywhere is Cobblestone.
 
Zoning could come into play.

Land is already zoned commercial, and allows restaurants, car washes, card locks etc.
Wife has been talking with McDonald's people for 5 months, and they are happy to have her build on. The cardlock isn't that hard, and I already own several of them.
But the area really needs a car and truck wash.
 
There are 3 or 4 actual makers of the car washes. Not sure exactly how they sell. Autec is one. Sun Coast is another - or I think they still are.

Most of the ones going up are franchises I think.

The land under them is likely the most expensive part.
 
There are several trade magazines that deal specifically with this topic and are distributed to owners of car washes. There seem to be a few "Franchiseable? " car washes around. One has touch and touchless options the other that has become everywhere is Cobblestone.

The actual machine I want is a Laserwash 360, its like the place that I wash my pickup in now. On a nice day the line up is so long its 50 minutes plus to get a wash. The place I take my semi trucks to when praying them off in winter is always a line up of trucks. I can pressure wash them at home in the summer, but in winter my yard is a sheet of ice from it.
This side (west) of town really needs a truck cardlock to.
 
I had to maintain one at work. WAY more trouble than you can imagine. Especially if you want to apply acid to aluminum tankers! The water discharge permits alone would discourage me from that idea. Of course, if you are building in a state that doesn't require permitting, good on ya.
 
I had to maintain one at work. WAY more trouble than you can imagine. Especially if you want to apply acid to aluminum tankers! The water discharge permits alone would discourage me from that idea. Of course, if you are building in a state that doesn't require permitting, good on ya.


No acid washing.
Just a pressure washer to get some of the dirt off.
Even my own trucks are never spotless, just getting the thick of it off.
This is a logging, and industrial region, most aren't worried about pristine, just somewhat clean.
 
There is an actual semi detail shop in town, they really clean and polish them up.
They have a 5 month long wait list to get a detailing done.
 
Back
Top