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Before you start
Do you already have a business plan?
It is worth assessing the location, competition, budget and scale of the investment before you start on permits. The “Starting a car wash” page will help you put these decisions in order.
Building a touchless car washThe complete investment process – from plot to opening day
Building a touchless car wash is a multi-stage investment process: from choosing and securing a plot, through the planning and building permits required in your country, to configuring the site, installing the structure and equipment and the formal handover of the investment.
Below we describe each of these six stages: what documents you will need, how long permits and construction work usually take and what to look out for so that the investment runs without unnecessary delays.
Investment processStages of building a touchless car wash
Building a self-service car wash is a multi-stage project. Below we present the successive steps that will take you from choosing a location to opening a finished site.
1
Assessing the plot
Choose a plot with good access, visibility and utility connections to which you hold legal title – ownership or a lease agreement, usually for at least 10 years. Ideally secure it with a conditional agreement that only takes effect once it is confirmed that the investment is possible there. It is worth involving a local architect already at this stage – they know the local procedures and genuinely speed up the whole process.
3
Building permit documentation
typically 3–6 months, depending on local procedures
The architect prepares the architectural and construction design based on BKF's technical guidelines – floor slab and structure drawings and structural calculations – and submits the building permit application on your behalf.
5
Construction and installation
1–2 months + 2 days to a week of installation
Once the formalities are complete, it is time to build and install the car wash – first the concrete slab and the electricity, gas and water connections, and once the floor is ready, the installation of the canopy and equipment. A BKF engineer dedicated to your project oversees the installation.
2
Preliminary permits – planning conditions
depends on the country – often several months
You check whether the local zoning or land-use plan allows a service such as a car wash on the plot. Where there is no such plan, most countries require a separate planning decision, for which you usually need confirmations from utility suppliers and a site concept plan, which you can prepare with BKF's help. This is the first formal step confirming that the investment is possible – it is best handled together with an architect who knows the local authorities.
4
Choosing a manufacturer and configuring the car wash
You choose a car wash manufacturer – checking their experience, scope of support and the quality of their previous projects – and fine-tune the configuration: the number of bays (usually 2 to 6), the type of car wash, additional equipment and a site design that matches your brand. You can order the full project straight away or first request a no-obligation car wash design to see a specific concept before making a decision.
6
Car wash handover
depends on local regulations – usually a few weeks
You report the completion of construction with the inspection certificates required locally – typically for the electrical, plumbing and heating installations – and notify the authorities indicated in your building permit. Once the site has been accepted, you can open the car wash – BKF provides training, chemicals and service. The whole investment process, from the first applications to opening the car wash, realistically takes 12 to 18 months, depending on the country.
1
Assessing the plot
Choose a plot with good access, visibility and utility connections to which you hold legal title – ownership or a lease agreement, usually for at least 10 years. Ideally secure it with a conditional agreement that only takes effect once it is confirmed that the investment is possible there. It is worth involving a local architect already at this stage – they know the local procedures and genuinely speed up the whole process.
2
Preliminary permits – planning conditions
depends on the country – often several months
You check whether the local zoning or land-use plan allows a service such as a car wash on the plot. Where there is no such plan, most countries require a separate planning decision, for which you usually need confirmations from utility suppliers and a site concept plan, which you can prepare with BKF's help. This is the first formal step confirming that the investment is possible – it is best handled together with an architect who knows the local authorities.
3
Building permit documentation
typically 3–6 months, depending on local procedures
The architect prepares the architectural and construction design based on BKF's technical guidelines – floor slab and structure drawings and structural calculations – and submits the building permit application on your behalf.
4
Choosing a manufacturer and configuring the car wash
You choose a car wash manufacturer – checking their experience, scope of support and the quality of their previous projects – and fine-tune the configuration: the number of bays (usually 2 to 6), the type of car wash, additional equipment and a site design that matches your brand. You can order the full project straight away or first request a no-obligation car wash design to see a specific concept before making a decision.
5
Construction and installation
1–2 months + 2 days to a week of installation
Once the formalities are complete, it is time to build and install the car wash – first the concrete slab and the electricity, gas and water connections, and once the floor is ready, the installation of the canopy and equipment. A BKF engineer dedicated to your project oversees the installation.
6
Car wash handover
depends on local regulations – usually a few weeks
You report the completion of construction with the inspection certificates required locally – typically for the electrical, plumbing and heating installations – and notify the authorities indicated in your building permit. Once the site has been accepted, you can open the car wash – BKF provides training, chemicals and service. The whole investment process, from the first applications to opening the car wash, realistically takes 12 to 18 months, depending on the country.
Assessing the locationHow to check whether a plot is suitable for a car wash?
Choosing the location is the foundation of the whole investment. Before you go any further, you need to verify that the land meets the formal requirements and that a car wash can be built on it.
The video shows step by step how to check the planning provisions, when you need a separate planning decision and how to assess whether a given plot is really suitable for the investment.
Criteria for an attractive location
For a plot to be considered attractive for building a touchless car wash, it should meet as many of the following criteria as possible:
- ✓Location near large concentrations of people: city centres, housing estates, residential areas, towns with more than 5,000 inhabitants.
- ✓Location on main streets, through roads, at junctions and roundabouts; proximity to fuel stations, shopping centres, hypermarkets and vehicle inspection stations.
- ✓Good visibility of the site from the road.
- ✓Easy access, with the possibility of turning in from both the right and the left.
- ✓A plot large enough to allow drive-through bays, which makes the car wash more convenient for users.
It is a real advantage if the investor already owns a plot next to an existing business – a shop, fuel station, vehicle inspection station or garage. Both businesses will then drive each other, and you will save on utility connection costs.
Minimum plot size
The table below shows the minimum areas needed to build a touchless car wash depending on the number of bays. Each vacuuming bay takes up an additional 20 m² plus access roads.
| Car wash type | Site area | Plot area |
|---|---|---|
| Two-bay | 60 m² | 470 m² |
| Three-bay | 90 m² | 560 m² |
| Four-bay | 120 m² | 650 m² |
| Four-bay (container) | 135 m² | 695 m² |
| Five-bay | 150 m² | 740 m² |
| Five-bay (container) | 165 m² | 785 m² |
| Six-bay | 180 m² | 830 m² |
| Six-bay (container) | 195 m² | 875 m² |
Permits and approvalsPlanning conditions and building permit
Before you start the investment, you need to confirm that a car wash can be built on the site and prepare the full set of documents required for a building permit under local regulations.
Planning conditions or zoning plan
A touchless car wash can be built on land you have bought or leased. When signing the agreement, however, it is worth including a conditional clause that only takes effect once it is confirmed that approval for the investment can be obtained for that location.
Whether you can build is decided by the local planning authority, usually the municipality. If the land is covered by a local zoning or land-use plan, the decision is based on it. If there is no plan, you normally have to apply for a separate planning decision, for which you typically need:
- confirmations from the water and sewage suppliers,
- confirmation from the electricity supplier,
- confirmation from the gas supplier, or a statement that you will use renewable energy and a heat pump instead of gas,
- a site plan with the development concept, which you can prepare with BKF's help.
You can handle the formalities yourself or entrust them to an architect – the latter usually speeds up the whole process, as an architect knows the local authorities well. Either way, it is worth signing an agreement with a clearly defined schedule of work.
Statutory deadlines for planning decisions differ from country to country. In practice the process often takes longer than the legal minimum because of the consultations required with other authorities, so it is worth allowing several months for this stage in your schedule.
Building permit
Once planning conditions have been granted or the zoning plan allows this type of investment, the architect uses BKF's technical guidelines – floor layout and structure drawings and structural calculations – to prepare the full documentation for the building permit, which usually includes:
- an architectural and construction design,
- a site development plan,
- designs for the water, electricity, gas or oil connections, together with utility suppliers' approvals,
- a water discharge permit for wastewater – a car wash discharges rinse water, usually through an oil separator,
- an environmental impact assessment – where required by local regulations.
The architect submits the building permit application on your behalf. Processing times depend on the country and the authority, and may be extended if additional questions arise; you also need to allow time for the decision to become final. Realistically, it usually takes several months from submitting the application to obtaining a final permit.
Only once this stage is complete can you legally start building the car wash and begin preparatory work on the plot.
Choosing a manufacturerBuilding a self-service car wash – which manufacturer to choose?
A car wash manufacturer is not just an equipment supplier during construction but a partner for years – good cooperation makes the investment process easier and protects you later when it comes to servicing, expanding the site or changing technology.
Experience
Choose a manufacturer with many years of experience and a real portfolio of projects – it is the best indication of whether they can handle your location.
BKF has been manufacturing touchless car washes for over 30 years and has already produced more than 1,800 units for customers in Europe and Asia, across 30 markets.
Customer approach
A good manufacturer supports you not only during construction but also afterwards – with fast service and access to spare parts.
BKF provides warranty and post-warranty service and a 970 m² warehouse of original spare parts, so we fix faults quickly.
Innovation
Check whether the manufacturer invests in its own technologies rather than just assembling off-the-shelf components – this translates into a higher standard of service and lower running costs.
BKF has its own Research and Development department and proprietary touchless and automatic car wash technologies, including solutions that reduce water, gas and electricity consumption.
Complete service
A good manufacturer supplies not only the washing equipment but everything: the construction, additional accessories and tools for running the business.
With BKF you also get the Carwash Manager app for remote car wash management – already used by more than 600 sites – and proven chemicals matched to your washing technology.
Car wash configurationHow to configure a car wash – from technology to finish
Below is the full set of configuration decisions: the type of car wash, the number of bays and wash programs, extras and equipment, and the look of the site. Each one narrows down the next, so it is worth going through them in this order.
01
Type of car wash
Choose the type of car wash according to your business model. Complement the washing technology with extras that extend its service life and improve operating safety, according to your preferences.
Car wash configuration02
Number of bays and wash programs
Match the number of bays to the traffic at the location. Also go for additional programs (e.g. wheel rim washing, active foam, turbo brush) – they are what really increases the average spend.
Wash programs03
Extras and equipment
Choose additional equipment (e.g. vacuum cleaners, money changers, a windscreen washer fluid dispenser). Also consider introducing BKF Pay – mobile payments and a loyalty program increase how often customers visit.
BKF Pay04
Look
Pay attention to colours that match your brand, an attractive fascia, lighting and the aesthetics of the construction – it is the first impression that decides whether a customer stops at your car wash.
Car wash constructionsHow the construction and handover of a touchless car wash work
Once you have a building permit and a chosen manufacturer, work on the plot begins. Below we describe what the installation of the construction involves and what formalities await you after construction is complete.
Construction and installation
At this stage you need a building contractor and, where local regulations require one, a site manager – they are responsible for the work on the plot from the very beginning.
Preparatory work – pouring the concrete slab and bringing in electricity, gas and water – usually takes 1 to 2 months, and its scope and duration depend on the state of the utilities on the plot and the ground conditions.
Once the floor is ready, the canopy and car wash equipment are installed – depending on the type of site and the number of bays, this takes from two days to a week. A dedicated BKF engineer oversees the correct installation of the construction, so you are not left on your own – even if you are building a car wash for the first time.
Car wash handover
Your building permit specifies which authorities you need to notify when the work is complete. You start by collecting the inspection certificates required locally – typically for the electrical, plumbing and heating installations.
Depending on the country, you may also need approvals from the health and fire safety authorities. You submit the complete set of documents to the building control authority together with a notice that the site is ready for use.
Deadlines for the authority's response are set by national law and range from a few weeks to longer if additional documents are requested. It is worth allowing time in your schedule for collecting the documents and for any additional requests from the authority.
Once the site has been accepted, you can legally welcome your first customers. BKF prepares car wash operation training for you as well as an offer for chemicals and service – and the whole investment process, from the first applications to opening the car wash, realistically takes 12 to 18 months, depending on the country.
Building a touchless car wash step by step
Choosing the location is the first stage of building a touchless car wash. The site should have a suitable area, an attractive position – for example next to a supermarket or fuel station – and easy access to utility connections. The success of your business depends to a large extent on the location: the more residents and traffic around it, the better. Easy access and good visibility from the road also increase profitability. Even before you choose a location, it is worth using the profitability calculator and the car wash configurator – they show the expected revenue per wash, average monthly income and what a car wash with your chosen equipment will cost.
Building a car wash also means choosing the technology. The more convenient solutions you offer customers, the more traffic your car wash usually attracts. When choosing an investment partner, look at the quality of their constructions, the number of completed projects, the equipment and extras on offer and the IT solutions that make managing a car wash easier. BKF car washes use advanced technology and energy-saving solutions that support owners in running their business. Before making a decision, analyse your investment carefully and check the company you plan to work with – and if you have any doubts, our advisors are here to help.
Building a car wash – what to look out for?
Wondering how to start a car wash without making costly mistakes? Building a touchless car wash step by step is a sound decision, but it requires the right knowledge.
Building a touchless car wash also involves choosing the right technology and wash programs. Here it always pays to listen to specialists who know the subject best. They will suggest which solutions will work best for your business and help you choose efficient, professional chemicals. BKF supplies safe, proven chemicals and a wide range of professional car wash products that every operator can match to their needs.
How to start a car wash business? Tips
How do you start a car wash that makes a profit? First of all, choose a professional car wash manufacturer that will not only provide the right system but also offer solutions that support you in managing the business. When you work with BKF, you can be sure all of this is covered. We have also prepared a few tips to help you look after your business:
- quality of chemicals – drivers pay particular attention to the quality of chemicals and the wash functions available. The more programs, the better: everyone can choose the one that suits them best;
- choose modern solutions – managing a car wash on your own can be a big challenge. If you want to monitor all systems without leaving home, use Carwash Manager, which greatly simplifies running the business;
- car wash handover – before you welcome your first customers, you need to notify the relevant authorities and have the car wash accepted. Only then can construction be considered complete;
- be patient – a car wash is largely a source of passive income, so the return on investment will be gradual rather than immediate. Over time, however, with good management a car wash can generate a satisfying income.
As you can see, starting a car wash involves meeting many conditions. That is why it is worth working with a proven manufacturer such as BKF, which provides professional solutions from the car wash itself to its installation.