Illustration for Renting a $500-a-Month Wash Bay

A home-garage detailer in a recent community thread was offered two bays for $500 a month, water and power included, and took them. It’s a common next step. Here’s the math to run before you sign.

The break-even

Each extra car has to cover the rent after its own costs. In this table we take off a 2.6% plus 15-cent card fee (one processor’s in-person rate) and $5 of product per car. The $5 is a placeholder; work out your own with our product cost per car guide.

Monthly fixed cost Extra cars at a $149 ticket (keeps ~$140) Extra cars at a $360 ticket (keeps ~$345)
$300 3 1
$500 4 2
$1,000 8 3

The $149 ticket is one Chicago-area detailer’s base interior-and-exterior package. The $360 ticket is one Washington detailer’s full detail for a sedan. Use your own average. How we research: methodology.

The number the table hides: hours

Rent is paid in cars, but cars are paid in hours. The Washington detailer books three to five hours for a full detail, inside and out. At the $149 ticket, four extra cars could mean 12 to 20 more hours a month if your jobs run that long.

So ask: will the bay bring those extra cars, or just a nicer place to do the ones you have? A bay helps when weather cancels mobile jobs, when coatings and correction need shelter, or when your garage limits you to one car at a time. Our guide to mobile or shop detailing covers which work needs a roof. To check what your current jobs actually pay per hour, use your real hourly rate.

The cheaper test: rent by the day

Some detail shops rent bays to other detailers by the day. One in the Orlando area charges $100 for a 24-hour day rental, with spot-free water included and a $25 non-refundable booking deposit. Another charges $100 for 9 hours or $125 for 24 hours, with free water and electricity.

At those rates, $500 buys four or five days. If you’d use a bay fewer days than that each month, renting by the day costs less. It also tells you, before signing anything, whether the bay actually brings more work. Both shops charge extra if the bay isn’t cleaned or the car isn’t out on time, so read their rules.

What “water and power included” leaves out

Drainage. Where the wash water goes is the question that can sink a bay. In Tulsa, the city says all water from washing vehicles is wastewater and is regulated. It says commercial car-wash businesses fall under the state discharge permit system run by Oklahoma’s environmental agency. For facilities washing with acids or caustics, its vehicle-washing program requires a wastewater disposal plan and a city inspection before approval. Ask the landlord whether the floor drains go to the sanitary sewer, and ask your city before you move in. Our wash-water rules guide shows how much cities differ.

Zoning. The SBA says zoning can restrict or ban certain businesses in an area, and to check with your city planning department before you rent. A bay in a light-industrial building may be fine; a garage behind a storefront may not be.

The rest of the lease. Settle these in writing:

  • Hours and after-hours access
  • Signage, and whether customers can park and wait
  • Who fixes the shared compressor, pressure washer or door
  • What insurance the landlord requires you to carry
  • Notice period and any rent increase at renewal

This is general information, not legal advice. Have a lawyer read the lease before you sign.

A simple decision rule

Rent the month if you can name where the extra cars come from, and you already turn away work for weather or space. Otherwise, rent by the day for two months and count the jobs. The startup costs you’d still need are in our mobile detailing startup guide.

Sources

Based on 8 sources · How we price