Prime Car WashFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Prime Car Wash franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.9M – $3.7M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.8M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.9M – $3.7M
- 43rd pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- $1.8M
- 19th pct Automotive
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 4th pct Automotive
- Units
- 9
- 8th pct Automotive
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Automotive avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
At 0.6x revenue per dollar invested, this system underperforms the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
1% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDAR). Below the 15% threshold where most investors start to question viability.
Bottom line
- Total investment $1.9M – $3.7M including a $50K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.8M/year, with an estimated 1% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDAR).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 34/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Prime Car Wash Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- PCW Holdings, LLC
- Incorporated in
- IN
- HQ
- 10150 Lantern Road, Suite 110, Fishers, IN 46037
- Auditor
- Sponsel CPA Group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $176K
- vs $171K prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate automated or manual car wash facilities, managing daily operations including customer service, equipment maintenance, chemical/water management, and staffing. Revenue derives from per-vehicle wash fees, premium services (detailing, undercarriage), and membership programs, with significant fixed costs for facility rent, utilities, and equipment.
- CEO
- Robert Hatfield
- Headquarters
- IN
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $200K | $400K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $1.7M | $3.2M |
| Total initial investment | $1.9M | $3.7M |
Source: Prime Car Wash 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$342K
19.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
11%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
9.1 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.9M – $3.7M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $200K – $400K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.8M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Avg ebitdar
- $32K
- Reported as EBITDAR in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 1.2%
- Based on EBITDAR / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- ebitda
- Sample size
- 9 units
- vs category median 70 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $1.3M→$2.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 8 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 221 Automotive brands
Revenue is only 0.6x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Automotive averages
How Prime Car Wash Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 33%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +50.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $6.3M
- Median loan
- $275K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Prime Car Wash's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 3 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 4 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Prime Car Wash presents high investment risk due to microscopic profit margins, ongoing corporate litigation, financial distress indicators, and insufficient franchisee profitability relative to capital requirements.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Sponsel CPA Group
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 34 / 100 rating
- 01MINORSevere profitability crisis: Average net income of $32,480 on $1.96M revenue = 1.65% net margin after 4% royalty, making ROI on $1.9M-$3.7M investment potentially 10+ years
- 02HIGHLitigation involving CEO/CFO alleging breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement of affiliated entities raises governance and trust concerns for franchisees
- 03MEDExtremely small system (9 units) with unknown growth trajectory indicates limited support infrastructure and inability to achieve economies of scale
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status = False suggests financial distress at corporate level, threatening franchisor's ability to provide promised support and services
- 05MINORWide investment range ($1.9M-$3.7M spread) with no clear explanation indicates unpredictable startup costs and potential hidden expenses
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Indiana |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 8 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 184 hrs
- POS system
- DRB
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: DRB
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
25 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Prime Car Wash · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Prime Car Wash franchise?
The total investment to open a Prime Car Wash franchise ranges from $1.9M – $3.7M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Prime Car Wash franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Prime Car Wash FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.8M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Prime Car Wash's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Prime Car Wash (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Prime Car Wash franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Prime Car Wash has 9 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 6 company-owned units.
Is Prime Car Wash a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Prime Car Wash as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 34 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.