How to make a car wash profitable. How to open a car wash from scratch, what is needed for this? Capital cost to open a car wash

For 10 years, the number of cars on the roads of Russia has grown by 51%. Mobile and contactless car washes, self-service points are in growing demand. To open a post for mechanical cleaning of a car, less than 350 thousand rubles is enough. The self-service point will require investments of 3.5 million rubles. Car wash business franchises cost from 250 thousand to 7 million rubles.

For 10 years the number cars in Russia grew by 51%. At the end of 2018, the country's passenger car fleet amounted to 42 million cars. Against this background, from 2015 to 2018, the demand for car wash services increased by 25%.

Entrepreneurs strive to find their place in a promising industry and invest in the creation of:

  • contact car washes;
  • contactless sinks;
  • self-service tunnel posts.

If you open a car wash franchise, you can get contacts of equipment suppliers, discounts on appliances and consumables, a promoted brand, and business advice.

The current car wash franchises in 2019 are offers from companies:

  • Mechanical contact washing, which operates in the format of a mobile service and requires an investment of 240 thousand rubles.
  • A network of contactless cleaning establishments with an entrance fee of 250 thousand rubles. and investments from 890 thousand rubles.
  • "Washing!" - self-service points for 2-8 cars with an initial payment of 200 thousand rubles. and starting investments of 5,500 thousand rubles.

How much does it cost to open a mechanical car wash

A mechanical car wash is a variant of a traditional service post where the car is washed by hand. The throughput of contact car washes is low, but the cost of its creation is also low. You can even open a company of this type in a garage.

Important! It is always advisable to draw up in order to estimate how much costs will be required and when they will pay off.

As a business premises, you can use the box of the nearest garage cooperative. A significant amount will be spent on paying for water and electricity. For a car wash, you will need to purchase car shampoo, brushes, and special products.

Equipment for mechanical cleaning of contaminants includes:

  • a device for supplying water under pressure;
  • unit for heating water;
  • washing vacuum cleaner;
  • compressor.

Reference! You can buy equipment from RusTechnika, which specializes in the supply of Italian and German equipment for car washes. Online store "Akvasila" offers devices from Russian manufacturers.

Investments in the opening of a contactless car wash

Touchless car wash allows you to remove dirt from the car body without brushes and rags. Special products are applied to the surface and washed off with a powerful pressure of water. The whole procedure takes only 10-15 minutes. Such sinks are in great demand: the likelihood of scratches and damage is completely excluded here.

Touchless car washes have a high throughput, but require significant equipment costs, which include:

  • powerful device for supplying water under pressure;
  • units for heating water;
  • compressor;
  • foam generator;
  • water filtration system.

At touchless car washes as Supplies special chemical compositions, which are more expensive than car shampoo and are necessary in large quantities. Water consumption exceeds the mechanical version by 25-30%.

Self-service car wash - a promising business idea

The equipment is purchased as a single complex and costs about 2.8-3.5 million rubles.

Equipment for a self-service point includes completed posts, payment terminals, a launch controller.

Tunnel and portal washes most often do not require the participation of hired personnel in their work. Sometimes an administrator works at the car service center to control the work.

Reference! Complex washing installations for self-service points are usually sold in Russian stores on order.

Summary. Car wash is the type of business that can be organized for 300 thousand or 3.5 million rubles. Each option has its own advantages. If a manual car wash requires little investment, then a self-service point does not require participation in its work. Automated car washes have a higher throughput.

According to the traffic police, about forty million cars are registered in our country today. At the same time, there are only about ten thousand car wash points. It turns out that on average there is only one car wash for every four thousand cars. Such facilities are unevenly distributed throughout the cities, and often in many settlements there is simply not enough of them. What can we say about various federal-level highways, when there is not a single car wash next to a busy road for many kilometers. It is known that any car periodically needs this service, otherwise its heavy pollution can lead to serious problems during operation.

Statistics show that most car owners wash their cars about once a week. Therefore, even in a small city with a population of 10 thousand people, you can get a large amount of regular customers.

It is also worth considering that cars are washed not only physical, but also legal entities. Consequently, here it is possible to conclude contracts for the regular provision of services with various organizations of the city.

Criteria for choosing a place to work

In order for the enterprise to be successful and profitable, one should carefully approach the selection of a suitable place to work. First of all, a wide and convenient access to the car wash is required. The absence of a large congestion of cars will attract a large number of customers and ensure good performance. Many non-professional drivers also tend to get to where they can stop their car without complicated maneuvers.

It is desirable that a busy highway be located nearby, along which cars constantly pass - this will allow you to get more visitors. Naturally, in this case, people will also come on the recommendation of acquaintances who will see the car wash by chance, passing by. If the track connects one locality with another, this will be an even bigger plus, since after a long road, many motorists want to wash their car and at the same time take a break from the trip.

The room must be pre-connected to all used communications. It is also recommended to select a room with an additional area under a canopy - it will allow customers to hide from rain and sun. The equipment of the adjacent territory with lighting will allow you to work successfully and attract customers even in the dark.

An additional advantage here will be the location of car services, parking lots or auto parts stores nearby. These companies will attract target audience and help increase customer acquisition.

Documentation

To organize a business, the following documents should be issued:

  • certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur or LLC;
  • approved car wash project;
  • a lease agreement for a land plot and premises for a car wash;
  • contract for connection to the power grid;
  • - contract for the purchase of water or connection to the water supply;
  • contract for the disposal of used water, various waste and other products from the work of a car wash.

It will be necessary to spend 200,000 rubles on paperwork and obtaining permits.

room

For the full operation of the car wash, it is recommended to rent a room with an area of ​​​​approximately 100 square meters. If the approximate rental rate is 500 r. for 1 sq. m., then, therefore, the cost of rent per month will be 50,000 rubles.

If the premises and the territory adjacent to it are not prepared for the operation of a car wash, then the following expenses will be required:

  1. Finishing - 240.000 rubles.
  2. Summing up water and drain - 300,000 rubles.
  3. Installation of equipment for work - 50,000 rubles.
  4. Improvement of the territory - 100,000 rubles.

Total: 690.000 rubles.

Equipment

The equipment used must be professional and reliable - this will allow you to protect yourself from its breakdowns and related costs. It is recommended to choose trusted manufacturers who provide long-term warranties for their products. To open a car wash, you must purchase the following equipment:

  1. High-pressure apparatus (HPA) without heating (2 pcs.) - 180,000 rubles.
  2. Fine water filters (2 pcs.) - 24,000 rubles.
  3. Foam nozzle (2 pcs.) - 10,000 rubles.
  4. Mounting kit (2 pcs.) - 24,000 rubles.
  5. Manual switch "clean - reverse" (2 pcs.) - 24,000 rubles.
  6. Water vacuum cleaner (1 pc.) - 45,000 rubles.
  7. Membrane filter (1 pc.) - 3,000 rubles.
  8. Auto nozzle (1 pc.) - 2,000 rubles.
  9. Water purification system (1 pc.) - 300,000 rubles.
  10. Pressure increase module (1 pc.) - 50,000 rubles.

Total: 662.000 rubles.

car wash staff

Particular attention should be paid to the selection of personnel - for this you can post messages in social networks and on free message boards. The operation of the enterprise requires four people who will work in shifts. It also requires one accountant-cashier. Monthly payroll expenses are distributed as follows:

  1. Car washers (4 people) - 96,000 rubles.
  2. Accountant-cashier (1 person) - 30,000 rubles.

Total: 126.000 rubles.

Financial plan

When opening a car wash, one-time costs will be:

  1. Registration of permits - 200,000 rubles.
  2. Preparation of premises and territory for work - 690,000 rubles.
  3. Purchase of equipment - 662,000 rubles.

Total: 1.552.000 rubles.

Monthly expenses will be divided into the following items:

  1. Salary of employees - 126,000 rubles.
  2. Room rental - 50,000 rubles.
  3. Purchase of auto chemicals and consumables - 30,000 rubles.
  4. Electricity and water - 30,000 rubles.
  5. Unforeseen expenses (dismissal of employees, equipment breakdown, etc.) - 30,000 rubles.

Total: 266.000 rubles.

So the initial investment will be 1.818.000 rubles.

Profitability calculation

The car wash will be open daily from 08.00 to 23.00.

The average loading of one post per day will be 22 cars. Consequently, two posts will account for 44 vehicles on average daily. It turns out that within a month the car wash will be able to serve 1320 cars.

The average check at a car wash will be 300 rubles.

As a result, the total profit for the month will be 396,000 rubles. Net profit after payment of all taxes and monthly expenses will be approximately 120,000 rubles.

Approximate return on investment: 16 months.

Risk Analysis

Naturally, there will be certain risks when operating a car wash, and if possible, they should be minimized.

1. Poor car wash location.

The problem can be avoided if a detailed analysis of the area is carried out in advance. It is also necessary to study traffic flows and the presence of competitors that may be nearby.

2. Problems with regulatory authorities.

To minimize such problems, all permits should be issued using a verified law firm. In case of any misunderstandings in this regard, you should immediately contact and resolve the problem together with professional lawyers.

3. Equipment breakdown.

All equipment will have a lifetime warranty. In addition, it is recommended to check it periodically. In the event of a breakdown, the equipment should be repaired at the appropriate technical centers.

4. Shortage of experienced workers.

A decent salary will be offered to attract reliable employees. Car washers who do not have relevant experience will receive on-the-job training.

Conclusion

As practice shows, most Russian car washes have been successfully operating for decades. This, of course, speaks of very positive indicators in this area. Business is quite profitable, as these services are always in demand. If desired and possible, it will be possible to increase the number of boxes for cars, expand the staff and make the work around the clock. Also, next to the car wash, it is possible to open a store selling auto parts, consumables and accessories.

  • Washing as a project
    • Description of services
    • Production plan
    • Recruitment
  • Financial plan
  • What equipment to choose

An example of a business plan for opening a small car wash for two posts. It can be used both for personal justification of the expediency of investing in a business, and for attracting funds from a private investor. We bring to your attention a typical business plan (feasibility study) for opening a car wash. This business plan can serve as an example for obtaining a loan from a bank, state support or attracting private investment.

Washing as a project

The aim of the project is to organize a car wash in the city of N. The project involves the provision of a car wash service, incl. cleaning of the hull, wheels, bottom, polishing of the body, as well as cleaning and dry cleaning of the interior.

How much money do you need to open a car wash

To implement the project, it is planned to attract investments in the amount of 2.1 million rubles. Them them own funds will amount to 300 thousand rubles, and 1.8 million rubles - credit funds. Economic indicators of the project implementation:

  • Net profit per year = 989,406 rubles;
  • Return on sales = 38.5%;
  • Payback of the project = 25 months.

What taxation system to choose for opening a car wash

The organizational and legal form of the organization will be individual entrepreneurship. Project initiator - Ivanov I.I.

As a tax regime, a simplified taxation system will be applied, 15% of the company's profit.

Currently started Practical activities for project implementation:

  1. Registration of individual entrepreneurship in the Federal Tax Service;
  2. A lease agreement was concluded for a municipal land plot for the placement of a one-station mobile car wash with an area of ​​80m2. Rental price - 10,000 rubles per month;
  3. A preliminary search was made for a company supplying turnkey modular (mobile) car washes.

The organization will include 5 people: an administrator and four car washers.

Description of services

Consider the main services that our organization will provide:

1. Car body wash. It includes washing the body and rims. Will be provided by two washers within 10 minutes. The average cost of the service is 250 rubles;

2. Car interior cleaning. This service will include wiping windows, cleaning fabric and leather surfaces of the interior, cleaning dust and debris (vacuum cleaner). The average cost of the service is 300 rubles;

3. Interior chemical cleaning. This service includes cleaning of seats, floor, ceiling, doors, seat belts, plastic. The average cost of the service is 1000 rubles;

4. Polishing services. This includes bodywork with liquid wax, polishing the body with polish, polishing the front panel and plastic, etc. The average cost of the service is 400 rubles;

5. Additional services. These are services such as cleaning disks, blackening wheels, processing locks, removing traces of insects, etc. The average check for these services is 100 rubles.

It is planned to establish an operating mode from 10:00 to 20:00.

The share of each service in the total volume of services provided is presented in the form of a diagram:

Download car wash business plan

Step by step plan to open a car wash

In our country, the number of car owners is growing from year to year, and the demand for car wash services is growing accordingly. The number of middle class people who are the main customers of car washes is also growing. These are mostly middle managers and entrepreneurs.

Our car wash will be located in close proximity to a gas station with a large flow of cars. This is a very good location, so the organization does not need additional advertising. The population of the area where our car wash will be located is about 30 thousand people.

The closest competitors are at a respectful distance. There is no such object within a radius of 500 meters.

The presence of two boxes for washing a car will allow you to avoid a long queue and, accordingly, exclude the possibility of a client leaving for the nearest competitor. Let's move on to calculating the estimated revenue of the organization.

It is assumed that the average passability of the car wash will be about 30 cars per day. That is, 15 cars for each washing box. With an average check of 350 rubles, daily revenue will be about 10,500 rubles, per month - 315,000 rubles.

However, take into account seasonality in car wash business. The peak of revenue occurs in spring and autumn, and the decline begins in summer and winter:

Monthly revenue by periods will be:

  • Spring period - 504 thousand rubles (+60%);
  • Summer period - 157.5 thousand rubles (-50%);
  • Autumn period - 472.5 thousand rubles (+50%);
  • winter period- 126 thousand rubles (-60%).

Based on the above data, the annual turnover of the organization will be 3,777,000 rubles.

Production plan

A mobile two-station car wash has a number of advantages over conventional capital facilities:

  1. Low initial investment for starting a business;
  2. The design of the car wash allows you to install the premises in the shortest possible time;
  3. Mobile car wash is a completely independent module that does not require construction and installation work;
  4. In case of an unsuccessful location, the car wash can be moved to another location. The design of a mobile car wash allows you to change the place of deployment about 30 times.

The object package includes:

  • Power frame;
  • Insulated outer contour, which provides thermal insulation of the room from +30 to -30 gr.;
  • The inner and outer cladding consists of polymer-coated sandwich panels;
  • The car wash is equipped with three stepped system circulating water supply with a coagulation chamber;
  • Tank with a capacity of 80 liters for diesel fuel;
  • Supply and exhaust ventilation system;
  • Completely independent air heating system on diesel fuel;
  • Electrical wiring in waterproof design;
  • High pressure pump for washing cars, manufacturer - Germany;
  • Vacuum cleaner for dry interior cleaning;
  • Compressor for blowing locks and other equipment.

Recruitment

Planned staffing organizations include:

Annual salary costs will amount to 1,312 thousand rubles.

Financial plan

The fixed costs of our organization are presented in the following table:

Total fixed costs per month will amount to 214,220 rubles.

The structure of annual costs is presented in the form of a diagram:

The main expenses of the organization will be the cost of paying wages to employees - 51% of general expenses, as well as for the payment of insurance premiums for employees - 42% of the total cost of a car wash.

Calculation economic indicators presented in the table - the forecast of income and expenses of the organization:

Professional business plans on the topic:

  • Car wash business plan (21 sheets) - DOWNLOAD ⬇
  • Tire service business plan (14 sheets) - DOWNLOAD ⬇
  • Car service business plan (16 sheets) - DOWNLOAD ⬇

How much can you earn at a car wash

The net profit of the car wash at the end of the year will amount to 989,406 rubles. The profitability of the car wash is 38.5%. With such indicators of the business plan, the car wash project will pay off in 25 months.

Recommended download car wash business plan, from our partners, with a guarantee of quality. This is a complete, ready-made project that you will not find in the public domain. The content of the business plan: 1. Confidentiality 2. Summary 3. Stages of the project implementation 4. Characteristics of the object 5. Marketing plan 6. Technical and economic data of the equipment 7. Financial plan 8. Risk assessment 9. Financial and economic justification of investments 10. Conclusions

What equipment to choose

Car wash equipment will need the following:

  • washing chamber;
  • overpass;
  • ventilation, water treatment and lighting systems;
  • power supply and heat supply systems;
  • washing equipment;

equipment for supplying water and waste liquids. Usually all the equipment is already included in the complex, but if you want to provide additional services, you will need to buy the equipment necessary for these types of services.

What documents are needed to open a car wash

First of all, you need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC in tax authorities, If you plan to provide services only to private individuals, you can stay at the IP. If you are going to serve businesses, it is better to register an LLC.

Which OKVED to indicate when registering a car wash

You must also select the OKVED code for business registration. For a car wash, you can use the OKVED code 45.20.3- "Washing of vehicles ...". In this case, this is the most suitable OKVED, and you can stop at it.

Do I need a permit to open a car wash?

You will also need permits from the Chamber of Architecture, SES, State Fire Supervision, Environmental Service, as well as a copy of the project certified by the BTI. Documents must be submitted to the local administration, which, after their verification, will allow the construction.

Oh, how many wonderful discoveries we have
Prepare the spirit of enlightenment
And experience, the son of difficult mistakes,
And genius, paradoxes friend,
And chance, God is the inventor.

A.S. Pushkin

This question is asked by all the brave people who decide to enter this business. It would seem that here it is - the cost of equipment, the cost of sheds, the cost of the construction part ...

Look like that's it. Now we count how many cars we will wash, how much we will spend on energy resources. By the way, how do you count? One more question. A question for another article about the cost of programs at self-service car washes.

"Skoka-Skoka" and "turnkey"

The World Wide Web is replete with a wealth of information on how to open such a business. But 80% of this information is written by journalists for various entrepreneurial resources who, a priori, do not understand anything in the construction of a turnkey self-service car wash. When you read these “opuses”, the remnants of hair on your head begin to move slightly and a legitimate question arises: how?!?, where do these numbers come from?!? Some authors have gone into such wilds of their imagination that they are ready to promise their reader the opening of a 5-6-post self-service car wash for 2-3 million rubles. The remaining 20% ​​of articles are written by equipment sellers, who are certainly professionals in their field, whose main task is to sell, sell and sell. Although among the sellers there are those who are ready to share real numbers business setup costs.

So, let's start everything from scratch, forget what we read earlier on the Internet and try to take an honest look at the real costs.

Although we offer all our customers to open a turnkey self-service car wash, in fact, we are an engineering company. Those. we are good at mounting this equipment, servicing and advising our clients, but we are not builders. We know a lot about construction, but we do not build ourselves. We prefer to entrust this to specialists in their field. Therefore, we always warn our customers about this, including the fact that the opportunity to buy a turnkey sink will be more expensive than if the customer wants to build it himself from scratch.

The vast majority of our customers built car washes themselves. Of course, we carry out all our projects to the end and always try to help at each stage. Not only consultations, but also proven contractors. Therefore, we own the cost figures. In addition, during the last 2 weeks we have spoken to many of our clients and acquaintances who have built a car wash in the last six months to find out the full amount of expenses that had to be incurred before starting the business.

Let's start with small digressions.

First retreat

And the experience of the son of difficult mistakes ... There are practically no projects of twins, each project is an individual decision. This is confirmed by our clients. Even those who were not afraid to build three or four self-service car washes with us. The likelihood that you will exceed the planned costs is very high. Therefore, to name exact numbers is the lot of Ostap Bender.

Only Ostap could easily name the cost of saving the father of Russian democracy. We will not do this. We can estimate your costs: separately for the construction part, separately for sheds and technological equipment which needs to be given the most attention. Because it is like a human heart. It is important that it be healthy for many years of life.

Second retreat

The most demanded project today is a 6-post self-service car wash. Based on this, we will systematize the costs. But keep in mind that it is impossible to get the correct cost of one post by simply dividing a 6-station car wash by the number 6. A two-station self-service car wash will cost half the cost of a 6-station turnkey car wash. And a 4-station post will be cheaper by only 20 percent. But if we increase the number of posts, then here we can really divide and multiply without fear of error, since an increase in the planned estimate is inevitable.

Third retreat

Many mistakenly believe that the most expensive thing when opening a turnkey self-service car wash is technological equipment. In the case of the most budget equipment, this item will be about 15-20% of the total costs. In the case of purchasing premium equipment, this will take up to half of the total costs.

The main expenses will be on land. Not only in the sense of buying land or the right to a long-term lease, but also other investments in a land plot, namely: approval, technical connection, communications, construction itself, landscaping, etc. The vast majority of these costs are sunk costs. And if you are unlucky with the choice of location, then this money will remain "buried in the ground."

Let's look at real examples of self-service car washes.

Let's start with the most popular self-service car washes. What can be succinctly called "kolkhoz-kolkhoz".

Kolkhoz-kolkhoz

To build such a car wash from scratch costs from 1 million rubles for each post.

I do not want to offend either the owners of such car washes or the workers Agriculture. Typically, these car washes are opened by people who either have a significant lack of initial capital, or they simply do not understand what they are getting into by opening this type of car wash. At the same time, despite the single term, they can differ significantly both externally and in cost.

They can be:

And they can be like this:

The last sinks, despite a significantly better wrapper, contain approximately the same filling. Not very edible...

Why do we call such sinks not very personal, despite the external attractiveness?

They have one thing in common: they are often created in violation of a number of building codes and unwritten rules. The legislation does not contain any clear norms for the creation of self-service car washes. And everyone is doing what they want. Although Europe has already accumulated vast experience in creating the right facilities. As a result, in an attempt to save money, or out of ignorance, all these sinks have a short service life.

Of course, the reader may object: we do not have Europe, the dirt is not the same. I’ll note right away: that’s why it’s not Europe, because we are not used to observing elementary safety standards, saving electricity, water, and cleaning chemicals. Such sinks can be significantly cheaper, especially if they are built in violation of the law and in violation of all possible building codes.

We do not deal with such sinks and do not advise anyone to open them. Why?

Despite the relatively small costs, this business, not having time to pay off, is already beginning to ask for small, but funds, to be poured into it.

Budget equipment has the highest cost of washing programs. In addition, due to the lack of a margin of safety and the use of inexpensive materials, it is necessary to regularly carry out minor repairs, and this is not so much a cost as downtime. And as soon as competitors appear, it turns out that such sinks have a minimum of competitive advantages. The only thing left to do is compete on price. That at a high cost even more begins to resemble business for the sake of business.

The other way is the way for serious investors who know how to count money well. And not in the short term, but for years to come.

So, if you want to build a normal car wash that will work for many years, there are two options: optimal and uncompromising.

The best option

In this case, the cost of a car wash will be 1.9-2.5 million rubles per post. The takeoff may be due to the completeness of the equipment, the good location of the site, investments in attractiveness and beauty.

It will turn out to some extent a typical wash, but with reliable equipment, with a good low cost of washing programs. And also with a sufficient set of competitive advantages so that for many years it not only worked, but also earned. And if necessary, it could be sold without financial loss.

Uncompromising option

And the genius of paradoxes is a friend ...

The most expensive project costs can fluctuate around 2.7-3.3 million rubles per post. But you get not only the most beautiful car wash in the city, but also the largest possible set of competitive advantages for the future, when competition will intensify significantly. It is your sink that is guaranteed to survive in this competitive struggle. Proven in the highly competitive European market.

Cost items for opening a turnkey self-service car wash

Land plot

We will not dwell on this point, because. it is completely individual. Moreover, it is simply impossible to estimate the average costs. They can be from conditionally zero (if this site already exists and is idle, or very good conditions for its lease) to four tens of millions of rubles, if you buy it in the Moscow region as a property.

Creation of a project, coordination and obtaining a building permit

Usually the most time-consuming stage (at least a month), but not the most expensive. It is necessary to obtain technical conditions for communications (water, electricity, sewerage and, if necessary, gas). It's free. In addition, the project itself is necessary.

Serious manufacturers provide a standard project, but in all cases it needs to be adapted and tied to the terrain. The cost of such a service is up to 150 thousand rubles. The cost of a full-fledged project is from 150 to 400 thousand. We recommend ordering it in the "right" organizations that are recommended in local "architectures".

You can negotiate on your own or entrust lawyers. Often in the regions such services are quite inexpensive (from 50 thousand rubles). Total estimated costs for this item - from 350 thousand rubles.

Site preparation

Or, in other words, the removal of engineering networks from the development patch. A very individual item of expenditure. Usually it is in direct proportion to the cost of the site. The cheaper the site, the more networks are laid on it with the corresponding security zones.

Our clients' costs ranged from zero, when no networks passed through the site at all (which is very rare in an urban environment), to the extortionate 7 million rubles that the local power grids requested for the removal of a high-voltage line.

Supply of communications and technical connection

The reverse side of the previous paragraph. If there are no networks nearby, then you will have to conduct them yourself. One of our clients had zero costs (everything was on the site), while another customer had only the supply of water and storm sewer cost 3.7 million rubles. Another of the clients who built 3 car washes said that, if you take it very bluntly, then he spent 3 million for each of the car washes for supplying electricity, water, sewerage and gas.

Construction costs

We will talk exclusively about the construction of "open self-service car washes", and, more specifically, only about those construction works that occur at ground level and below. The erection of the canopy will be displayed in a separate expense item and we will talk later.

A very interesting article in terms of rampant pseudo-economy, as well as for the profit of unscrupulous "builders". The numbers float a lot. It is here that those who wish to open a “kolkhoz-kolkhoz” car wash most often try to save money. Often with disastrous results already in the first winter.

Some equipment sellers promise costs of only 1.5-2 million for a 6-station car wash. Only when it comes down to it, the estimate doubles, and sometimes even triples.

So, let's try to figure out how much it costs, using the example of construction using ready-made slabs with integrated underfloor heating.

First, the site must be prepared and removed. And also remove the fertile layer of soil, and fill the place of the withdrawn soil. There are no average figures in this case. It can be both zero costs and very, very decent ones. For example, construction work at one facility is now being completed. There, the rise in the level of a large plot (about 30 acres) was 2.5 meters. It was necessary that he was on the same level with the road. All this cost the owner 3.5 million rubles.

Then you need to lay the plates themselves. A set of plates for 6 posts, taking into account the plate for the technical room and installation, cost 2.2 million rubles. Without taking into account the cost of delivery of these plates to the construction site.

In addition to laying the slabs themselves, it is necessary to carry out some excavation work on laying and connecting communications, buy all the necessary Construction Materials, rent special equipment, fence the site, etc. The cost per circle will be at least 2.5 million rubles.

Based on the real experience of our clients, construction work cost them from 2.6 to 3.5 million rubles.

Is it possible to save? Common sense tells you not to, but many do. Someone saves on concrete and violates technological processes. Even despite the fact that it is absolutely impossible to do this at a self-service car wash. In the aggressive conditions of a car wash, acid and salt corrosion of concrete proceeds much faster than usual.

An illustration of the "thrifty" approach. The photo was taken after the first winter operation:

Someone saves on the thickness of the power part of the plate during self-casting. Some unique people manage to make underfloor heating directly without a power unit. As a result, they save from one to two million rubles, but they get a sink that will work, if you're lucky, for 5 years. And if not, then until the first winter.

Someone saves on warm floors or does not cooperate with normal heat engineers who can correctly calculate the floors for a specific climate. Or they will hire the cheapest contractor who will do it in violation of technology. Someone even tries to work without them and misses because of this the most bread season, when the temperature pendulum and the largest number car wash visitors.

Here is a good example of such savings:

True, in this case, a person not only saved on warm floors, but in general on everything, including equipment. But on sinks of this type - this is a frequent occurrence. Enough to ride on them in the cold.

Wastewater treatment plant

These are facilities that treat wastewater from a self-service car wash, for subsequent discharge into the sewer. There are several options. Firstly, buying the cheapest cleaning services just for the sake of the certificate that is needed to obtain a permit to operate a car wash. In fact, such purifiers clean almost nothing. It is a question of a rather short time when the water utility wakes up and takes a sample of wastewater and counts for the entire past volume for post-treatment to the MPC standards, or impose fines. Therefore, we do not recommend going this way.

Normal real treatment facilities cost from 350 thousand rubles. The final price depends on the requirements of the water utility or on the type of sewerage. For example, to discharge wastewater into a storm drain, more serious treatment plants are needed, the cost of which is about 1.5 million rubles. For most of our clients, they cost 400-500 thousand rubles.

canopy

Also quite an interesting expense item. It well reflects the banal ignorance of building codes not only by customers, which is excusable, they should not know them. But also contractors. Quite often, at car washes of the “kolkhoz-kolkhoz” class, a painted pipe 70x70 is used, which in the structures used does not withstand any serious snow and wind loads and is suitable only for columns of cemetery fences.

Depending on the region, you need to use a pipe of at least 120x120, depending on the thickness of the metal.

In addition, painted metal at self-service car washes starts to rust very quickly due to constantly high humidity, a large amount of alkali and reagents.

This is what a painted metal frame looks like after 9 months at a self-service car wash. Photographed in Moscow:

A hot-dip galvanized canopy, created according to all SNiPs, of a standard design, with stretch marks between posts, a technical room, roof decking and a simple frieze, costs from 1.2 million rubles. And it gets proportionally more expensive if you add rigid partitions between posts, more beautiful advertising friezes, backlighting, etc. I'm sure everyone has seen self-service car washes of this type.

They look like this:

If you focus on design, cover the metal with finishing materials, then the cost increases significantly, boldly steps over 2 million rubles and has practically no boundaries. The final cost of an individual canopy will depend solely on the imagination of the customer.

In addition to the "square design" there are a large number of variations. For example, such a shed for the customer will cost 1.4 million rubles with a technical room.

This type of Russian-made canopy, together with a technical room, will cost approximately 2.7 million rubles.

Imported designer canopies, as well as Russian stainless steel canopies, exceed the uncomfortable bar of 4 million rubles and can cost up to 6 million rubles. It will depend on the manufacturer, materials, design, color scheme, some customization elements and other things.

There are no average prices, everyone decided for himself how much his canopy would cost. Therefore, our customers' prices ranged from 1.3 million rubles to 5.8 million rubles.

landscaping

For some reason, many, especially equipment sellers, forget about this expense item. These costs are not typical and are highly dependent on the land itself. The most expensive thing in this article is asphalting. The average price of asphalting (with preparation) costs about 1.5 thousand rubles per square meter. And if you have a large plot, for example, 20 acres, where there is bare land, then be prepared to spend at least 1.5 million rubles only on asphalting. Also, money can be spent on lighting, landscaping, advertising signs, etc.

Naturally, the cost of improvement can be minimal. For example, if you rent a parking lot near a hypermarket.

Our clients' landscaping costs varied greatly. there are practically no identical plots, and ranged from 200 thousand rubles to 3 million rubles.

Optional equipment

In this expense item, I lump together all the equipment that is not directly related to car wash equipment. These are vacuum cleaners, and boilers for underfloor heating, and video surveillance systems, and other equipment.

Also, there is no average cost, because each customer determines his own needs. How many posts he needs with vacuum cleaners. What boilers will it cost: simple household ones for 150 thousand rubles or professional pellet ones stuffed with electronics for 600 thousand rubles. Does he need a simple video surveillance system for 100 thousand rubles or does he need a serious system with FHD cameras, a file server and remote access for half a million rubles.

From 500 thousand rubles to 1.2 million rubles are spent on this item.

Equipment

I deliberately moved this article to the very end to show that the main costs are the costs associated with land plot. However, they are one-time and for the most part irrevocable. In the case of a site selection error, the equipment can be moved to a new location. But asphalt and other costs will remain buried in the ground in the literal and figurative sense.

At the same time, in the future, all these costs will not significantly affect the earnings of a car wash, unlike equipment. You need to understand that all this is auxiliary to the main car wash equipment. It is the equipment that affects most of the factors of future earnings.

For sinks of the "Kolkhoz-Kolkhoz" type, the cheapest equipment for 6 posts is bought, which costs at least 2 million rubles with delivery and installation. In principle, prices vary greatly in the equipment market. Sometimes you can find equipment that is absolutely identical in terms of components, but with a price difference of one and a half times.

It is very rare to find high-quality equipment at sinks of this class. More often the opposite. There are sometimes sinks where everything is really built for many years, plus everything is very beautiful. That is, a person has invested more than 10 million rubles in his facility and at the same time installed budget equipment.

I understand people who buy such equipment. And I respect their choice. But it seems to me that they simply were not aware of what exactly they were risking and why there was such a variation in prices on the equipment market.

Buying a turnkey self-service car wash for 6-10 million rubles, they unconsciously put themselves in a very precarious position. Indeed, in the pursuit of savings, they have lost any serious competitive advantages. And even such serious ones as the cost of washing programs.

However, all people are adults. And if they are ready to risk a very large sunk sum, then this is their risk.

Russian equipment, which can provide a good cost for washing, starts at 4 million rubles. But whether it can provide other competitive advantages and reliability is a big question.

The simplest imported equipment costs about the same money. But it is the simplest. Therefore, it is worth stopping at it only if there are not enough funds. Although here you can already seriously think about which is better, simple imported or Russian, but "fancy". On the one hand, there are more risks with Russian equipment, on the other hand, there is more choice of functionality for the same money.

If we take equipment from the best European manufacturers, then the prices for equipment for 6 posts will vary from 5 to 9 million rubles.

Although it is more correct to write in euros, because the ruble exchange rate is not constant. In euros - from 70 thousand euros to 140 thousand euros.

Our customers chose Aquarama costing from 5 to 7 million rubles at the exchange rate at the time of purchase of the equipment.

How much does a self-service car wash cost?

A brief summary of the above, or how much a 6-post “project” will cost.

The cheapest self-service car wash with a certain amount of luck will cost at least 1 million per post. What we call "kolkhoz-kolkhoz".

The optimal cost is from 2 million per post.

If your choice is an uncompromising car wash, then get ready to shell out at least 3 million per post.

In conclusion, I would like to note that everything in life is relative. Someone lives without thinking about the future. And today's financial result, albeit small, but today's. And someone thinks globally and for years.

Oleg Logachev

Roman Korolev

P.S. Important note from November 2019. The article was written 2.5 years ago about the events of 3 years ago. Naturally, all these years, prices have not stood still because of the euro exchange rate, and at the moment, prices have increased for almost everything. We decided not to rewrite the entire article, because there are a lot of copies of it on the Internet, so keep in mind that you need to apply a multiplying factor to the data in this article, for November 2019 this factor is 1.25 !!!


29 July 2017

Many Russians these days are looking for an acceptable way to get a reliable income, and the idea of ​​​​organizing their own business is increasingly taking over the minds of fellow citizens. Where, in what area is it relatively easy to earn money? Where to go if you do not have huge funds to organize a serious business or buy a new business? And what to do if absolutely all niches have been occupied for a long time, and inventing something new is still the same task?

What is beneficial?

Let's not reinvent the wheel and today we'll talk about one of the classic, well-established types of business, the opening of which, although it requires quite serious investments, is still a very real task.

It's about washing cars. How to open a car wash from scratch? What is needed for this, and how to properly organize a business in order to have a guarantee of profit, not losses? In this article, we will tell you how to properly open a car wash, and explain some important nuances.

How relevant is this?

Why a car wash? The relevance of this business in modern urban conditions has been proven by life itself. Judge for yourself: car washes are in demand absolutely everywhere - from a metropolis to a small town, and people use their services in any season.

In winter, every driver needs to visit a car wash to wash off salt, sand and reagents. In spring and autumn, you have to look there at least once every 2-3 days due to constant mud and puddles on domestic roads. In the summer, among car owners, it is customary to carefully rub the cars to a full shine. And today we will talk about how to open a car wash from scratch.

This business (according to professionals) has enough high profitability(30-40%), that is, it belongs to the number of profitable enterprises. We can talk about full payback after about 12-16 months after the opening of the business, of course, subject to its successful formulation and promotion. If we are talking about a portal, more expensive option, then this period is extended, and it will be possible to calculate net profits in a year or two.

How to open a car wash from scratch: a business plan

2. Seek permission from the government of the area where your business will be located, as well as obtain conclusions from the Fire Service, Moskompriroda, MP Mosvodostok and Gossanepidnadzor.

3. The construction plan should be approved by the Moscow Committee for Architecture.

What else needs to be agreed

In addition, the Moscow government will require you to provide contracts for the lease of a site, cleaning of the adjacent territory with the removal of solid waste, with the boundaries of your site and a document indicating that your cash register equipment is registered.

Before opening a car wash from scratch, information about the proposed construction of the facility will need to be submitted to the Communications and Transport Administration. To obtain a free economic zone and approve the project, you will have to contact Rospotrebnadzor (its territorial department).

We select a place and premises for our car wash

The payback rate and, as a result, the profitability of this business project are directly related to the location of the car wash. An almost ideal place for this is the sides of the central city avenues, also pay attention to the busiest highways.

Often car washes are organized at the entrance to the city, next to the customs or border post. But, being in the area of ​​a major transport hub, drivers most often give up the idea of ​​using the services of a car wash because of the increased fuss and flea market. It will be more profitable to offer your services near gas stations and maintenance stations.

Rent - cheaper

How to open a car wash from scratch when building your own building for it is an overwhelming financial task for you? In this case, renting premises at the ATP, suitable in all respects, may become good option. In addition, you will have to draw up much less documents. Motorists, as a rule, are familiar with all such enterprises in their city.

The type and volume of services provided depends on the parameters of the premises. For example, if you are thinking about how to open a truck wash from scratch, there are a number of additional factors to consider, starting with the height of the ceilings.

Do not forget about the need for an auxiliary area on which you will store consumables.

Water treatment at a car wash

In connection with the growth of serious environmental problems, the owners of car washes are putting forward requirements that you will certainly have to take into account when opening. For example, a cleaning system will be required without fail, the filters of which will remove fats, oil products and other wastewater chemicals.

Such equipment is quite compact and belongs to transportable units. The procedure for water purification itself is carried out in stages. The existing circulation tank allows you to clean the liquid using a reverse cycle. Thus, circulating several times in a row along the circuit, the water remains practically free of impurities.

Since the operation of the treatment equipment is provided at temperatures above +5 °C, it should be installed in a heated room.

What's next?

At the opening of the sink, a commission of representatives of the administration, firefighters, traffic police and other services should be present. They will sign your object.

Advertising on billboards located in the immediate vicinity of your point will be very effective if you indicate in short form its location, opening hours, discounts, basic services and important bonuses.

We select personnel

Having overcome bureaucratic obstacles, engage in the selection of suitable personnel. What should it be? The main requirements for applicants for employees are the ability to understand cars of the category that is supposed to be serviced in your case, contact (to form a list of regular customers) and polite treatment.

In order not to lose consumers of services, it is desirable for the car wash to operate around the clock - such a schedule is optimal for it. In this case, you will have to hire 5 or 6 washers and one foreman.

Higher education is not required for your employees; students can also be employed. They should be paid according to the amount of work done. Employees should be motivated by additional financial incentives, and stylish work overalls with a company logo will help to raise the image of a car wash as a reputable enterprise.

Let's calculate the cost of the project

When calculating mandatory expenses, proceed from the cost of rent. This amount will vary depending on the premises and the area where it is located. The investment in the purchase of equipment should be added to the lease.

A hot water pressure washer will set you back $1,800 to $3,000. The device that supplies water to 1 post - at 500-1300 c.u. e. Compressor - 200-250 dollars. Washing vacuum cleaner (or vacuum cleaner) - 400-550 dollars. - at 4800-6600 dollars.

Most owners of car washes prefer to purchase imported equipment. In this market segment, 80% of sales belong to the German company Karcher. In addition, Italian and Danish equipment is appreciated. Russian manufacturers usually buy water purification devices.

The list of basic materials related to consumables consists of a car shampoo, a polishing agent, products used for dry cleaning, cleaning of wheel rims, engine, bumpers. Monthly expenses for them will be about 300 dollars, provided that 30-40 cars are serviced by a car wash daily.

In summer, the flow of customers, as a rule, dries up. Washing services are mainly used by those who want to wax the car. What should a businessman do in order not to lose profit? The only way out here is to slightly lower prices while expanding the range of services. Second, try to offer customers additional reasons to visit your outlet. For example, set up a small tent with tables next to the establishment, where those who wish can relax and have a bite to eat (for example, barbecue). During the holidays, someone will definitely want to wash the car.

An excellent solution is a mini-market with groceries or a small store selling spare parts within walking distance.

What to do if there are not enough funds

Perhaps you want to spend as little money as possible and are thinking, for example, how to open a self-service car wash. Well, this option is quite possible. Its advantages are that savings on staff salaries are achieved. Of course, this type of service has individual characteristics that must be taken into account when drawing up a business plan.

If you came up with the idea of ​​​​how to open a car wash in the garage, it is better to immediately abandon it. In addition to the need to settle issues with the management in full growth, the problem of water supply, a "busy" place and the installation of all the expensive equipment mentioned above arises.

The main point, due to which this project can be considered unviable, is the inability to connect to water supply and sewerage networks. Even if there is one, you will be required to build a wastewater treatment system. In a word, this idea is not very successful.

How to open a self-service car wash from scratch: a few tips

Suppose you want to get a sink of this type. You already know how to open a car wash from scratch. The business plan in this case should only be slightly adjusted to the specifics of such a service.

As you know, car washing services are portal and tunnel, in which washing is carried out in an absolutely automated way, manual (washing of cars is carried out by personnel) and open - based on the principle of self-service.

In the latter case, the drivers themselves wash their cars with the provided products. Such a sink consists of a set of equipment with a set of necessary materials. All equipment (pistols for water supply, vacuum cleaners, dryers) is as simple and clear as possible. Customers use the services of such a car wash much more willingly because of the opportunity to save money.

The list of services provided includes washing with warm water and powder (removing dirt), rinsing off the foam with cold water, waxing the car, curing to eliminate drips.

The main problem when arranging such a car wash is what to do with freezing liquids in winter? There is a solution, and it consists in a device under the floor heating using a pipe system with circulating running hot water. Water heating in the system is ensured by automatic switching on of a gas or diesel boiler at the right time. Equipment should also be selected with continuous fluid circulation, such as pressurized water guns.