Car wash franchising splits in two. Site-based washes build an express tunnel, where cars ride a conveyor through the wash in a few minutes, or a flex-serve site that adds hand finishing and detailing. They sell monthly memberships for unlimited washes, which makes revenue steady once a site is known. Mobile brands wash and detail cars at the customer’s home or office from a van, some without water, and cost a small fraction to start.
A tunnel wash is a property investment as much as a franchise: land on a busy road, a purpose-built building and heavy equipment. The estimates below show how far apart the two models are.
The car wash franchises
Car wash sites
| Brand | Cost to open | Locations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy's Express Car WashA Tommy's Express Car Wash franchisee runs an express tunnel car wash.$3.48M–$11.8M | $3.48M–$11.8M | 260 | +131 |
| Prime Car WashA flex-service car wash offering washing, vacuuming, waxing and detailing.$1.68M–$3.15M | $1.68M–$3.15M | 7 | – |
Mobile washing and detailing
| Brand | Cost to open | Locations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpiffyA mobile car care business that washes, details and changes oil at the customer's home or workplace.$102K–$181K | $102K–$181K | 38 | – |
| FlyMyRideA mobile vehicle detailing business offering detailing, ceramic coating and related services.$20K–$66K | $20K–$66K | 8 | +8 |
| No-H2OA waterless car wash and detailing business serving drivers on demand at homes and offices and at fixed pop-up sites.$135K–$163K | $135K–$163K | 6 | – |
| CleanablesAn on-site waterless steam cleaning business for car detailing and residential and commercial cleaning.$100K–$202K | $100K–$202K | 2 | – |
| Grizzly Auto DetailingAn auto detailing business cleaning, polishing and protecting customers' vehicles.$83K–$142K | $83K–$142K | 0 | – |
What car wash franchises cost to open
The typical brand here costs $102K at the low end of its estimate and $181K at the high end. The lowest starting cost is FlyMyRide’s, from $20K. Use each brand’s full range for budgeting: the low end is a small site in a cheaper market.
| Kind | Brands | Typical cost to open |
|---|---|---|
| Car wash sites | 2 | $2.58M–$7.5M |
| Mobile washing and detailing | 5 | $100K–$163K |
For a tunnel, the land, building and wash equipment are nearly all of the cost, and many estimates leave out the land itself. Mobile brands spend on the van, pressure washers, vacuums, water tanks or waterless products, and the franchise fee, which is why the franchise fee is a large share of the typical breakdown.
Fees and royalties
The typical franchise fee is $50K and the typical royalty 7% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. Royalties come off sales before rent, wages or loan payments. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.
What locations sell
One brand here publishes a comparable yearly sales figure per location. Sales are before costs, so they say nothing on their own about profit.
| Brand | Yearly sales | Sales ÷ cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy's Express Car Wash2025, 197 locations | $1.71M | 0.2× |
Which car wash franchises are growing
All 2 brands with three years of location figures grew from 2023 to 2025, a net change of +139 locations between them. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 3 of the 7, so SBA-backed loans are open to them.
One passes all five tests of the best franchises to own ranking: Tommy's Express Car Wash.
Before you buy
For a tunnel wash, ask about zoning and water use on your site, how many members existing sites reach and how quickly, and how many competing express washes are planned nearby: the format has spread fast and many markets now have several. For a mobile brand, ask how many cars a technician details a day, how the brand books jobs, and what insurance covers damage to customers’ cars.
Questions
How does a car wash membership work?
A member pays a monthly fee, often around the price of two single washes, for unlimited washes, usually read by a license plate camera or a sticker. Express washes rely on it because it smooths out weather swings, but a site needs thousands of members to cover its costs, and the price is easy for nearby rivals to undercut.
Is a mobile car wash franchise worth it compared with a tunnel?
They are different businesses. A mobile franchise costs little and can start quickly, but income is limited by how many cars each technician can do in a day, so it grows by adding vans and staff. A tunnel costs millions, takes a year or more to build, and earns from volume and memberships with few staff.