How Much Does It Cost to Open a Laundromat? Real Numbers for 2026

Laundromat cost is the question that ends most laundromat daydreams, and it's better to know the real numbers before you call a broker. The short version: you can get into a tired store for tens of thousands of dollars if you're willing to fix it up, you'll spend a quarter of a million or more to build one from scratch, and an established store sells for a multiple of what it earns. Below is where the money goes on each path, what it costs to keep the doors open every month, and how it stacks up against a smaller way into the same kind of business.

Part of our complete guide: how to start a vending machine business.

The appeal is easy to see. People always need clean clothes, there's no inventory to spoil, and a good store runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. without much drama. The Coin Laundry Association counts about 29,500 coin laundries in the US bringing in nearly $5 billion a year in gross revenue (CLA industry overview). It's a real business with real numbers, which means the entry price is real too.

Three ways in, three price tags

Every laundromat budget starts with one decision: buy a running store, buy a struggling one and retool it, or build a new one.

The retool and build ranges come from a laundromat broker quoted by Nav, who also notes that when a build is financed, lenders commonly want 30 to 40 percent down. The multiple comes from the CLA, which says stores normally sell for three to five times net cash flow, with most deals taking 60 to 90 days and brokers charging 8 to 10 percent commission. The CLA puts the range of store values at $50,000 to more than $1 million, with cash flow anywhere from $15,000 to $300,000 a year.

Size moves the number fast. At the top end, the CLA has shared an owner's story of a 7,000-square-foot store that took $2.5 million in equipment and build-out (CLA video). Most stores are much smaller: the CLA says they usually occupy 1,000 to 5,000 square feet, and its 2014 average was 2,170.

Equipment: the biggest single line

Washers and dryers are what customers pay for, and they're what lenders finance. Prices quoted to Nav:

• Commercial washers: about $5,000 to $7,000 each for newer machines; large-capacity washers up to $15,000.
• Commercial dryers: about $6,000 to $7,000 to start, up to $10,000.
• Change machines: from about $1,300 to over $10,000 before installation.
• Card readers or payment systems: about $400 per machine, up to $7,000 or more for a store-wide system.
• Water heating: often more than one heater, because running out of hot water is how stores lose regulars.
• Furniture: folding tables, seating and carts.

Equipment also has a clock on it. The CLA's standard useful life is 5 to 8 years for small top-load washers and 10 to 15 years for front-load washers, dryers, heating systems and coin changers. When you buy an existing store, the age of the machines is part of the price, because you'll be replacing the old ones on your own dime.

Build-out, permits and working capital

Building new means paying for everything the machines plug into. One small-business guide breaks the build path down like this (Homebase):

Ask the county early about sewer hook-up fees and pipe upgrades, which Nav flags as surprises that land after you've signed. Laundromats also sit on long leases, typically 10 to 25 years according to the CLA, so the lease terms are part of the cost too: a cheap rent with steep annual increases can eat the store's margin over a decade.

What it costs every month

Opening is one number. Staying open is another. The same Homebase guide puts the main monthly lines at:

• Utilities (water, gas, electric): $3,000 to $6,000
• Rent or mortgage: $1,500 to $6,000
• Maintenance and repairs: $500 to $1,500
• Supplies: $500 to $1,000
• Insurance: $150 to $500
• Wages, if the store is attended: $2,000 to $8,000

Then there are equipment loan or lease payments, which for a financed build can be the largest line of all. And there's your time. The broker Nav interviewed points out that many owners fix their own machines and never pay themselves for it, which makes a store look more profitable on paper than it is.

How the income side works

Laundromat revenue comes from turns, meaning how many times a day each washer gets used. The CLA says washers range from about three turns a day to eight or more, and dryer income usually equals 40 to 60 percent of washer income. Density and renters drive turns: stores do best in packed neighborhoods where most people rent and don't have machines at home. Add-ons like wash-and-fold, dry cleaning drop-off and vending can lift the total. Our laundromat vending and ATM add-on guide shows how that last piece works.

Five questions to answer before you sign

1. What does the store actually net? Ask for utility bills and bank deposits, not just a seller’s summary. Water and gas bills tell you how many loads really run.
2. How old is each machine? Match every washer and dryer against the useful-life schedule above and price the replacements into your offer.
3. How long is the lease, and how fast does rent rise? A store with three years left on its lease is worth less than one with fifteen.
4. Who else is within a mile? A new competitor with fresh machines can pull your regulars in a month.
5. How will you pay for the first bad quarter? Working capital is the line people cut first and regret most.

The smaller door into the same kind of business

A lot of people looking at laundromat cost really want the same thing: a business that earns while they're at their kid's game, not one more shift. If a quarter-million-dollar build isn't realistic yet, the same idea works at a much smaller size. A vending route is unattended retail too, with no lease of your own and machines that cost thousands, not hundreds of thousands. Our laundromat vs vending unit economics breakdown puts the two side by side, and plenty of operators start by placing machines inside someone else's laundromat (here's how to pitch a laundromat owner).

If you do go the laundromat route, read the existing laundromat buying checklist before you make an offer, and the full how to start a laundromat guide for the step-by-step. If you'd rather start with machines, VendBuddy shows you which businesses near you are worth the walk-in, laundromats included.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to open a laundromat?

Roughly $50,000 to $100,000 in cash to retool a run-down store, about $250,000 to over $3 million to build a new one, or three to five times net cash flow to buy an established store. Size, location and equipment age drive where you land.

How much does laundromat equipment cost?

Newer commercial washers run about $5,000 to $7,000 each, with large-capacity washers up to $15,000. Commercial dryers run about $6,000 to $10,000. Change machines cost about $1,300 to over $10,000 and card systems about $400 per machine and up.

What are the monthly costs of running a laundromat?

Utilities are usually the largest line at about $3,000 to $6,000 a month, followed by rent ($1,500 to $6,000), maintenance, supplies and insurance, plus wages if the store is attended and any equipment loan payments.

How are existing laundromats priced?

According to the Coin Laundry Association, stores usually sell for three to five times net cash flow. Lease terms, equipment age and condition, local vend prices and neighborhood demographics move the multiple.

Is there a cheaper way into this kind of business?

Yes. A vending route is unattended retail with machines that cost thousands rather than hundreds of thousands, and many operators place machines inside laundromats they don't own. It is still work, but the capital at risk is far smaller.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change, so check the official source. Revenue and income figures are examples, not promises. See our terms.