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Automotive services

Car wash financial model, built free.

A three-statement Excel model for a car wash network, built from your own figures and checked to balance.

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  • Usually ready within the hour

We use generative AI in parts of our process, so mistakes can occur. Every model should be checked by a person before it is relied on. Read more

The business

Operates express tunnel, in-bay and self-serve car washes earning single-wash revenue and recurring unlimited-wash memberships, growing through greenfield builds and acquisitions often funded by sale-and-leaseback of the sites.

See the sampleHow the model works

In short

  • 01

    Three linked statements

    Income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, linked in every period.

  • 02

    Valued two ways

    Discounted cash flow and trading multiples, side by side.

  • 03

    Monthly to annual

    Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual periods, for up to 30 years.

  • 04

    Checked every period

    A Checks sheet shows the balance sheet balances and the cash reconciles.

The sample

The sample, as Excel draws it.

Built by the same system and checks as yours, on illustrative figures: every sheet as Excel draws it, or live.

Annual · 10 years · Low detail
Car wash sample model.xlsx
The Summary sheet of the sample car wash model

Illustrative figures: the sample describes no real business. The live preview shows values; your model’s Excel file has every formula.

How it works

How the model works for a car wash.

  1. How it earns revenue3 formulas
    Memberships and passes · All venues
    Membership and pass revenueMembership duesJoining fees
    Car wash volume and revenue · All venues
    Single-wash revenueRetail cars washedAverage revenue per retail car
    Car wash volume and revenue · All venues
    Wash chemicals, water and consumables (retail and member cars)Cars washedChemicals, water and consumables per car
  2. What drives its costs3 formulas
    Venue labour costs · All venues
    Venue labour costsVenue revenuefrom venue revenue and site EBITDAVenue labour (% of venue revenue)
    Venue rent and occupancy costs · All venues
    Venue rent and occupancy costsBase rentTurnover rentOutgoings
    Other venue operating costs · All venues
    Other venue operating costsUtilitiesRepairs and maintenanceMarketing and promotionsSecurityCleaningEntertainmentLicences and insurance
  3. What it invests in3 formulas
    Corporate fixed assets
    Capital expenditureRevenuefrom statementsCapex as % of revenueAdditional planned capex
    Corporate fixed assets
    DepreciationDepreciation of the opening asset baseDepreciation of new capex
    Corporate fixed assets
    Closing net book valueOpening net book valueCapital expenditureDepreciation
  4. How it is funded3 formulas
    Debt
    RepaymentsScheduled repaymentsPrepayments from an equity raise and the cash sweep
    Debt
    Closing balanceOpening balanceDrawdownsRepayments
    Debt
    Interest expenseOpening balanceAll-in interest rateshare of the year
  5. How profit becomes cash3 formulas
    Working capital
    Trade receivablesRevenuefrom statementsDebtor daysDays in period
    Working capital
    InventoryDirect costs (positive)from statementsInventory daysDays in period
    Working capital
    Trade payablesCash operating costs (positive)from statementsCreditor daysDays in period
What it covers

19 parts, each one tested.

Every part is a tested building block with its own checks: yours is put together from the ones your business needs.

  • CPI forecastConsensus curve with long-run anchor
  • Corporate costsFixed cost base indexed to CPI
  • Working capitalFull working capital
  • Income taxCorporate rate with tax losses
  • Corporate fixed assetsStraight-line over remaining life
  • DebtAmortising term loan
  • Equity raisingDistribution reinvestment plan
  • Discounted cash flow valuationDCF on free cash flow to the firm
  • Multiples valuationEV / EBITDA multiple
  • LeasesLease register
  • New venues, acquisitions and refurbishments (top-down)Openings schedule with ramp to maturity
  • Customer deposits, deferred revenue and loyaltyDeferred revenue as days of revenue
  • Car wash volume and revenueMember washes as a throughput and cost driverCars washed at a site (retail and member washes), single-wash revenue, and chemical, water and consumable costs per car.
  • Venue registerOpening date, closing date and capacity
  • Venue labour costsWages as % of revenue
  • Venue rent and occupancy costsBase rent plus turnover rent
  • Other venue operating costsCost lines with growth
  • Venue revenue and site EBITDA
  • Memberships and passesJoins, churn and yield
Key numbers

The numbers it tracks.

  1. 01cars washed
  2. 02members
  3. 03member share of volume
  4. 04revenue per car
  5. 05site EBITDA
  6. 06new site returns
  7. 07EBITDA margin
Used for

What it is used for.

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Looking for a car wash financial model template? Ours arrives built for your business, with your figures in it.

Running a small business? Read what goes into a small business financial model.

See a finished model, sheet by sheet

The sample is built on illustrative figures and describes no real business. Models are calculations prepared from the information you provide. They are not financial advice and must be independently verified. See our terms.