How much does a Parts Washer Service Route cost to buy?

A typical Parts Washer Service Route sells for 2x to 5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $162K, expect to pay roughly $324K to $810K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Parts Washer Service Route?

Startup costs range from $75K to $450K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Route

Parts Washer Service Route

Mechanic shops rent clean solvent on a schedule

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Parts washer service routes place solvent or aqueous parts-cleaning machines inside auto shops, fleets, factories, farms, and maintenance departments. Customers pay recurring service fees for machine rental, fluid replacement, waste pickup, filters, and compliance paperwork instead of managing dirty solvent themselves.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

58Strong

Avg revenue

$600K/yr

$150K–$1.8M range

Profit margin

27%

~$162K SDE

Multiple

2–5×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$324K–$810K

startup: $75K–$450K

How It Works

Operators install parts washers at customer sites, run scheduled routes to swap drums or service tanks, collect used solvent or wastewater, maintain manifests, and sell related shop supplies. Route density and hazardous-waste controls drive the economics.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Parts Washer Service Route 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.

58Strong

low data confidence · 40/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

No strong positives yet. More verified data needed.

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No SBA category enrichment yet
!No category operating model yet
!Low data confidence

Deal Calculator

Priced off $162K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.14×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 3.2× SDE ($520K)

Category range: 2×–5× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($52K)

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

Interest rate — 10.50%

Typical SBA 7(a) range: 9.5–12% (prime-based)

Loan term — 10 years

Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition

Purchase price

$520K

3.2× of $162K SDE

Cash to close

$68K

$52K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$6K/mo

$76K/yr on $468K loan

Cash-on-cash

128%

cash back in ~10 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.14×+$7K/mo after debt

Most SBA lenders want ≥1.25× coverage; 1.5×+ is a strong file.

SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.

Pros

+Recurring B2B route revenue
+Compliance burden makes customers sticky
+Dense industrial markets support efficient routes
+Can cross-sell absorbents, shop towels, waste oil, and safety supplies

Cons

-Hazardous waste rules and manifests must be handled correctly
-Solvent, disposal, and insurance costs are meaningful
-Large national providers compete for bigger accounts

Best For

Route operators with environmental compliance discipline and access to auto, fleet, manufacturing, or maintenance customers

Operating Costs

Costs include parts washer inventory, solvent or aqueous chemistry, drums, waste disposal, hazmat insurance, route trucks, technician labor, manifests, spill controls, and customer acquisition.