You will need a budget of $250,000 to build a small-scale touchless car wash. However, it is important to note that building a standard touchless car wash cost about $500,000 to $2,000,000.
This is so because touchless car wash businesses can be standalone facilities, part of a larger car care center, or even mobile units that can be deployed at various locations.
Building a touchless car wash business from scratch requires solid planning and reasonable capital. The fact that most likely you will be required to buy land or sign a long-term lease for your touchless car wash means that it is a business that will cost you money.
The specific equipment and technology used in touchless car washes can vary, but they all share the common principle of cleaning without physical contact.
To get a perspective of how much it will cost you to build a touchless car wash, it is important to know what a touchless car wash is all about.
A touchless car wash business is a type of car wash service that cleans vehicles without physical contact between the cleaning equipment and the vehicle’s surface.
Touchless car washes use high-pressure water, detergents, and sometimes specialized chemicals to clean the vehicle’s exterior without physically touching it.
In this article, we may not be able to give the exact cost of building a touchless car wash facility because there are certain factors that can influence the cost, and that is what we will discuss in this article.
7 Factors That Influence the Cost of Building a Touchless Car Wash
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Your Choice of Location
The cost of the land you want to build the touchless car wash will vary depending on the location. For example, if you choose a prime location with high visibility and traffic like the Houston area, you can expect to pay more for the land.
As a matter of fact, in the first quarter of 2021, the average cost of land in Harris County, Houston, Texas was about $21,000 per acre.
The Gulf Coast region, where Harris County resides, averaged $11,675 per acre of small land sales in 2020. This goes to show that location plays a large role in determining the price of land, more so than type or aesthetic appeal.
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The Size of the Touchless Car Wash
If you choose to build a small-scale touchless car wash, you will spend less than someone who wants to build a medium-sized touchless car wash.
Of course, if you choose to build a large size and standard touchless car wash facility, then you must be ready to spend several millions of dollars. This is so because a larger touchless car wash facility will require more land, equipment, and construction costs.
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The Site Preparation
Once you acquire land to use for your touchless car wash facility, you must be prepared to spend money to get the site ready.
Of course, you know that site preparation costs will vary depending on the condition of the land. If the land needs to be leveled or graded, or if you need to fall some trees, or fill up the land, you will need to factor in the cost of site preparation.
If you are lucky to find a land that was used as a car wash or that requires little or no work as it relates to site preparation, then you may not have to budget for site preparation.
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The Cost of Acquiring Permits and Licenses
If you are looking to build a touchless car wash facility in any city in the United States of America, or in any country of the world, you will be expected to obtain all the needed permits, licenses, and approvals from all the appropriate authorities within your city or state.
Ensure to budget for a business license, zoning permit, building permit, health department permit, fire department permit, entertainment or amusement license, music license, alcohol license (if applicable),
Food service license (if applicable), signage permit, special events permit (if applicable), insurance (liability and property), employee identification number (EIN), state and local permits and noise ordinance permits (if applicable).
You will be required to purchase and install high-pressure washers, water recycling systems, entry and exit control systems, lighting, vacuum and blower systems, security cameras and alarms, detergent and chemical dispensers, high-pressure spray nozzles, plumbing and drainage systems, air compressors, and electrical infrastructure.
You will also need supplies such as detergent and cleaning chemicals, pre-soak chemicals, tire and wheel cleaning solution, tri-foam polish, spot-free rinse solution, wax and sealant, and drying agents. Note that the type of equipment you choose will also affect your cost.
Touchless car wash equipment can be expensive, and it is important to invest in high-quality equipment that will provide your customers with a good clean wash.
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Your Labor Costs, and Consultancy Fee
When you are building a touchless car wash facility, part of what will determine how much it will cost you is the amount you are expected to spend on labor costs and consultancy fees.
You are expected to hire and pay a civil engineer, a surveyor, an architect, and other professionals who will help you with the construction and building of the touchless car wash facility.
Of course, you know that in the United States of America, and in many countries, the cost of labor usually varies depending on your location. For example, in some areas, labor costs may be higher than in others.
It means that if you choose to build your touchless car wash facility in an area that is known to attract expensive labor, then you must be ready to spend more than someone who chooses to build his or her facility in an area where labor cost is cheap.
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Additional Features
If you plan to offer additional features, such as a convenience store, pet wash, rain repellent, tire shine, undercarriage wash, vacuuming station, or detailing service, you will need to factor in the cost of those features. Trust me, this cost can be expensive and will no doubt form a significant portion of your overall budget.