How much does a Mobile Oil Change cost to buy?

A typical Mobile Oil Change sells for 1.5x to 3x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $63K, expect to pay roughly $95K to $189K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Mobile Oil Change?

Startup costs range from $10K to $50K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Mobile Oil Change

Q: What are the profit margins for a Mobile Oil Change?

The average profit margin for a Mobile Oil Change is around 42%. Costs include oil and filter inventory, van fuel and maintenance, insurance, scheduling software, and marketing. Most operators are owner-operated initially.

Drive to the customer, not the other way around

Bottom line

Strong cash-flow candidate with manageable operations.

Mobile oil change services go directly to customers at their home or office, eliminating the need for them to visit a shop. A van equipped with oil, filters, and basic tools is all you need. Fleet contracts with businesses that have company vehicles provide steady recurring revenue.

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Acquisition score

Strong

Avg Revenue

$150K

Profit Margin

42%

Acquisition Multiple

1.5x - 3x

Startup Cost

$10K - $50K

How It Works

You equip a van with oil, filters, and tools. Customers book appointments online or by phone. You drive to their location and perform the oil change in 20-30 minutes. Fleet accounts (property managers, delivery companies, dealerships) are the most profitable segment.

Revenue Range

Low End

$60K

Typical

$150K

High End

$350K

BizBite underwriting snapshot

Watch / verify

Mobile Oil Change has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.

Speculative / 100

Data confidence

medium

52/100

Financing fit

medium

Category-level fit before lender-specific diligence.

Confidence cap

Weak source data caps the final score.

Why it may work

+Attractive 42% estimated margin profile
+SBA dataset shows 21 recent comparable loans

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No category operating model yet
!No category model yet

Real Acquisitions in This Category

SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 811198 · All Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance

Deals tracked

21 in last 24 mo

Median loan

$509K

$200K–$1.2M p25/p75

Implied deal size

$598K

median · ~85% LTV

Charge-off rate

—

not enough resolved loans

Deal Size Distribution

<$150K

$150K–500K

$500K–1M

$1M–2M

>$2M

Deal Flow Over Time

12-month momentum

-50.0%

deal volume vs prior 12 mo

Median loan Δ

-46.9%

7 recent · 14 prior

Financing Profile

Median rate

9.50%

14% fixed · last 24 mo

Median term

120 mo

standard 10-yr

Collateralized

of loans secured

Median jobs

supported per deal

Top lenders in this space

Live Oak Banking Company7

The Huntington National Bank7

Centennial Bank4

Midwest Regional Bank2

The Citizens National Bank of Park Rapids2

Where deals happen

MO7

FL6

MN6

TX6

CO5

CA4

GA4

OH4

IN4

WA2

Franchise vs independent

Franchised acquisitions finance at $1.1M median vs $475K for independents — a +126% franchise premium. Franchises make up 16% of deals tracked.

Recent Comparable Deals

Closed	State	Loan	Implied deal	Jobs	Franchise
Mar 2026	MO	$1.3M	$1.5M	6	—
Feb 2026	MS	$350K	$412K	7	—
Dec 2025	TX	$2.1M	$2.5M	13	Supreme Wraps
Nov 2025	CO	$50K	$59K	8	—
Nov 2025	CO	$576K	$677K	8	—
Jul 2025	TX	$2.0M	$2.4M	5	—
Jul 2025	TX	$150K	$177K	5	—
Apr 2025	MI	$890K	$1.0M	15	—
Apr 2025	VT	$200K	$235K	16	—
Apr 2025	AZ	$1.5M	$1.7M	14	—

Volume rank #112/544Deal-size rank #378/544Momentum rank #314p90 loan: $2.0MData as of Mar 2026

Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.

Pros

+Very low startup cost — a van and supplies is all you need
+No shop lease or overhead
+Fleet contracts provide predictable recurring revenue
+Convenience factor commands premium pricing over quick-lube shops

Cons

-Limited by geography and drive time between appointments
-Weather can impact outdoor work
-Building fleet accounts takes time and sales effort

Best For

Mechanically inclined entrepreneurs who want low overhead and personal service

Operating Costs

Costs include oil and filter inventory, van fuel and maintenance, insurance, scheduling software, and marketing. Most operators are owner-operated initially.

SBA Financing Estimator

Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service

$-1349/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $600K

Range: $150K (1.5×) to $600K (3×+)

Down payment — 15% ($90K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 9.50%

SBA median for this category: 9.5%

Loan term — 10 years (120 mo)

SBA median for this category: 120 months

Down payment

$90K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$510K

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$7K/mo

$282K total interest

Monthly profit

$5K/mo

at 42% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

$-1349/mo

Margin does not cover debt service at these terms. Lower the deal price, increase the down payment, or extend the loan term.

Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.