How Much Does a Laundromat Cost? Purchase Price and Total Cash Needed
How much a laundromat costs: a median $250,000, based on 855 sales reported to BizBuySell for 2021-2025, with a $287,000 median in 2025 alone. Price is a multiple of earnings, so the range is wide. Total cash needed runs substantially higher once injection, closing costs, working capital, and reserves are counted.
Key takeaways
- Median sale price $250,000, median revenue $219,878, median owner earnings $76,560 (Source: BizBuySell, 2021-2025).
- The multiple range is 2.72x-4.50x across the middle half of deals — the same earnings can support very different prices.
- Median asking was $275,000 against that $250,000 median sale, with a 0.91 sale-to-ask ratio in 2025.
- Total cash is typically 25-30% of price, not the 10% SBA injection minimum.
- Cheap stores are usually priced correctly for a short lease, undocumented revenue, or a due retool.
The Price Data
| Measure | Result (855 sales, 2021-2025) |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $250,000 |
| Median asking price | $275,000 |
| Median annual revenue | $219,878 |
| Median owner earnings | $76,560 |
| Average earnings multiple | 3.65x |
| Median earnings multiple | 3.50x |
| Lower / upper quartile multiple | 2.72x / 4.50x |
| Median revenue multiple | 1.21x |
| Median days on market | 139 |
| 2025 median sale price | $287,000 |
| 2025 sale-to-ask ratio | 0.91 |
Source: BizBuySell Valuation Benchmarks, 2021-2025 closed sales reported to that platform, not a census of all U.S. transactions.
Why the Range Is So Wide
Price is earnings times a multiple, and both vary.
Earnings vary with store size, machine count and capacity mix, service revenue, occupancy cost, and utility efficiency. The CLA's surveyed median store did $335,000 of revenue in 2,740 square feet with 62 machines; stores that came to market had a lower $219,878 median revenue. A store doing $450,000 in the same footprint as one doing $250,000 produces far more than 80% more profit, because rent and much of the utility base are fixed.
The multiple varies from 2.72x to 4.50x across the middle half of deals, on:
| Factor | Toward the top | Toward the bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Controllable lease term | 10+ years, tenant-controlled options | Under 5 years |
| Revenue evidence | Four independent sources agree | One source, or undocumented cash |
| Equipment | Documented, no near-term retool | No schedule, retool due |
| Utilities | At or under 20% of revenue | Above 25% |
| Owner dependence | Runs without the owner | Owner does everything |
| Competition | Stable trade area | New capacity nearby |
Total Cash Needed
The purchase price is the listing number. This is the bank-account number.
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Equity injection | At least 10% of total project cost under current SBA rules; lenders often want 15-20% |
| Closing costs | Guaranty fee, lender fees, legal, escrow, lien searches |
| Independent business valuation | Commonly required on change-of-ownership loans above the lender's threshold |
| Working capital | Two to three months of operating expenses |
| Repair reserve | The first significant failure is not an average-year cost |
| Near-term capex | Whatever the equipment inspection flagged for years one to three |
| Transition costs | Utility deposits, payment-system transfer, insurance, licenses, signage |
| Stored-value adjustment | Customer card balances you will honor — a credit at closing, but budget for it |
A Worked Total
Illustrative, on a store priced at the median.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $250,000 |
| Closing costs and fees | $19,000 |
| Working capital funded in the loan | $28,000 |
| Funded near-term capex | $15,000 |
| Total project cost | $312,000 |
| SBA minimum injection at 10% | $31,200 |
| Lender requirement at 15% | $46,800 |
| Repair reserve held outside the loan | $12,000 |
| Personal reserves the lender wants remaining | $15,000 |
| Realistic cash position | about $74,000 |
That is roughly 30% of the purchase price — and the gap between $31,200 and $74,000 is where most first-time buyer plans break.
What Moves a Store Above or Below the Median
Above $250,000: larger store, higher earnings, long controllable lease, documented revenue across multiple sources, recent equipment, meaningful service revenue with proven margin, and no near-term capital requirement. Larger earnings also attract a wider buyer pool including groups, which supports the multiple.
Below $250,000: smaller store, thinner earnings, short lease, one revenue source, aging equipment, a utility problem, or heavy owner dependence.
A "cheap" laundromat is usually priced correctly for what it is. The useful question is not whether the price is low but whether the specific defect behind it is fixable, and whether the discount covers the cost and risk of fixing it. A store discounted $80,000 for a retool that costs $120,000 installed is not a bargain.
If the Building Is Included
A different transaction and a different number. Fifty-six percent of surveyed stores rent, so most laundromat purchases are business-only with a lease assignment.
Where real estate is included, the business and the building are valued separately — the business on earnings after charging a market-rate rent, the property by appraisal, income, or comparable sales — and typically financed separately, often pairing SBA 504 for the fixed assets with 7(a) for the business portion. See buying a laundromat with the building.
Buying Versus Building
Building a laundromat from scratch involves equipment, buildout, utility infrastructure, permits, and a lease-up period with no revenue. Public market guides place full retools with installation and infrastructure at $150,000-$500,000 before considering rent during construction, and the CLA notes retools can exceed $200,000 — a new build starts from a harder position than that.
Buying transfers a demonstrated revenue history and existing customers, at the cost of verification risk. For a first-time owner, an existing store with documented revenue and a long lease is usually the lower-variance path. See buying vs. building.
What You Get for the Money
Useful context on what a median-priced store physically is, from the CLA's 2024 survey of 377 owner-operators describing 2023 operations:
| Attribute | Surveyed median |
|---|---|
| Store size | 2,740 sq. ft. |
| Machines | 62 (mean 36.5 washers, 30.4 dryer pockets) |
| Gross revenue | $335,000 |
| Revenue per square foot | $120 |
| Space rented | 56% |
Note that the surveyed median revenue of $335,000 is well above the $219,878 median revenue of stores that actually sold. Those are different populations — engaged operators responding to a trade survey, versus stores that came to market — and the gap is a reminder that the store you buy is more likely to resemble the transaction data than the survey.
How Price Behaves at Different Sizes
| Store profile | Typical earnings | Typical price behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Small, under 2,000 sq. ft., thin earnings | Low | Below median; often a lower multiple too, because the buyer pool narrows at the bottom |
| Median, ~2,700 sq. ft., documented earnings | At the dataset median | Near $250,000 at 3.50x |
| Large, 3,500+ sq. ft. with service revenue | Above median | Above median price, and often a higher multiple — larger earnings support paid management and reach group buyers |
| Multi-store package | Aggregated | Valued on EBITDA after market-rate management, not on summed SDE |
The pattern worth noticing: price does not scale linearly with size, because the multiple itself tends to rise with earnings. That is why buyers with capital frequently find better risk-adjusted value one bracket up rather than at the entry point.
Summary
Median $250,000, with the range driven by earnings first and by the 2.72x-4.50x multiple second. Total cash needed is typically 25-30% of price once injection, closing costs, working capital, and reserves are included — not the 10% SBA floor. And a low price is usually an accurate price: find out which of the four defects produced it before treating it as an opportunity.
The practical sequence for a buyer: establish what your capital actually supports before you look at listings, using a lender's real injection requirement rather than the SBA minimum and including reserves. Buyers who do that first stop spending weekends analyzing stores they were never able to finance — and they negotiate better on the ones they can, because they know exactly where their ceiling is.
The Next Step If You Are Looking to Buy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical price of a laundromat?
The median sale price across 855 laundromat and coin-laundry sales reported to BizBuySell for 2021-2025 was $250,000, on median revenue of $219,878 and median owner earnings of $76,560. The 2025 median was $287,000. Price tracks earnings, so the range is wide.
Why do prices vary so much?
Because price is a multiple of earnings, and earnings vary with store size, machine mix, service revenue, and cost structure. Then the multiple itself varies from 2.72x to 4.50x across the middle half of deals, depending on lease term, evidence quality, and equipment condition.
How much cash do I need beyond the price?
Injection on total project cost, closing costs, an independent business valuation if the lender requires one, two to three months of working capital, a repair reserve, any near-term capex, and transition costs. Realistic total cash is frequently 25% to 30% of the purchase price.
Is a cheaper laundromat a better deal?
Usually it is priced correctly for what it is. A store at the bottom of the multiple range typically earned that position through a short lease, undocumented revenue, or equipment at end of life. The question is whether the specific defect is fixable and whether the discount covers the cost of fixing it.
Does the price include the real estate?
Usually not. Fifty-six percent of surveyed stores rent their space, so most transactions are asset sales of the business with a lease assignment. Where the building is included, it is a second asset with its own valuation and typically its own financing structure.
Sources
- BizBuySell, Laundromat and Coin Laundry Valuation Benchmarks, 2021-2025 closed sales — https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/valuation-benchmarks/laundromats-coin-laundry/
- Coin Laundry Association, 2024 Laundry Industry Survey — https://member.laundryassociation.org/hubfs/IndustrySurvey24.pdf
- U.S. Small Business Administration, SOP 50 10 8 Technical Updates effective 2025-06-01 — https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/SOP%2050%2010%208%20Technical%20Updates%20effective%206.1.2025.docx
- Coin Laundry Association, How Much Is Your Laundromat Worth? — https://laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/2026/08/how-much-is-your-laundromat-worth-2/
This page is general information about laundromat transactions, not legal, tax, or investment advice, and not a guarantee of sale price, timing, or financing approval. Verify current rules with your own CPA, attorney, lender, and the relevant state or municipal agency before acting.