What does each paid wash contribute?
Illustrative case · Leased coin/card laundromat; no dry cleaning or wash-and-fold · Illustrative unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States; no selected premises
Explore this business · Unit economics and KPIs
Use a paid washer cycle with its expected attached drying as the blended planning unit. In model Month 12, this unit produces $8.18 of net sales and $1.32 of usage-related cost, leaving $6.86 before fixed payroll, premises and debt. The mix and attachment must remain the same for that blended contribution to be valid.
A cycle is a sale; pounds and minutes connect the equipment
A 20-lb and 60-lb wash are not equivalent sales. Their vend prices, programmed water use, expected load and dryer demand differ. The base mix has the following unseasonal paid-turn assumptions. Technical capacities and approximate water use come from the T-300, T-600 and T-900 reference sheets; prices and turns are assumptions.
| Size | Installed quantity | Paid demand | Vend | Reference water | Daily wash sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-lb washer | 12 machines | 3.6 turns/day | $5.00 | 15.8 gal/cycle | $216.00 |
| 40-lb washer | 8 machines | 3.8 turns/day | $8.00 | 35.1 gal/cycle | $243.20 |
| 60-lb washer | 4 machines | 3.4 turns/day | $11.00 | 52.6 gal/cycle | $149.60 |
The schedule gives 87.2 washes, 2,465.0 US gallons and $608.80 wash sales per unseasonal day. Water volumes are reference-program allowances; extra rinses, selected temperatures and load-sensing settings can change actual use. Capacity is rated dry weight, not evidence that customers fully load each machine.
Reconcile the unit with the mature monthly income statement
Month 12 is December 2027: 31 days, full active-month ramp and a 1.0 demand multiplier. It has 2,649.1 paid washes and 65,435.5 paid dryer minutes. Dryer sales of $3,272 are included in net sales of $21,658 after refunds.
| Calculation | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Net sales / paid washes | $8.18 | Includes expected drying and refunds |
| Variable cost / paid washes | $1.32 | Usage utilities, fees, supplies and routine maintenance |
| Sales less variable cost | $6.86 | Contribution before the fixed roster and premises |
| Monthly contribution | $18,170 | Same numerator as the profitability model |
| Contribution less fixed expenses | $7,211 | EBITDA after paid owner work |
| Actual bank change after timing/principal | $1,429 | Cash is affected by changing receivables/payables |
Drying formula: washed pounds × 85.0% attached share ÷ (30-lb pocket × 80.0% average fill) × 30 paid minutes. A washer averages 70.0% of its rating, so a 60-lb wash can require multiple dryer pockets. The $0.05 per-minute assumption is equivalent to one quarter for five minutes. This continuous blended model estimates expected minutes; actual customer vend blocks, minimum starts and refunds must be tested before implementation.
Hot-water therms equal heated gallons × 8.34 lb/gallon × 55°F rise ÷ 100,000 Btu/therm ÷ 85.0% efficiency. Dryer therms use 90,000 Btu/h per pocket × paid hours × 60.0% burner duty. The nameplate source supports input rating, not the assumed duty or local fuel bill.
Check a peak window as well as daily available time
Each washer slot occupies an assumed 50 minutes including handling. The 14-hour day and 5.0% unavailable-time allowance create a physical upper bound; a four-hour peak window carries 45.0% of daily demand. The model takes the tighter limit for each washer size and caps recognized cycles. Paid-turn demand is already a realized assumption, so downtime is not deducted from it twice.
Dryer capacity is pocket-minutes, checked against both the whole day and peak window. In Month 12, maximum washer peak utilization is 36.8% and dryer peak utilization 26.0%. All three delivered scenarios remain below both constraints with no unserved drying minutes. These arithmetic tests do not establish arrival patterns or acceptable customer waiting time.
Measure queues, loading gaps, repair time, bulky-load split patterns and service turnover by size. With many customers arriving together, spare capacity averaged over the day can coexist with peak queues. A machine mix is useful only if the local loads and utility design can actually use it; adding 60-lb machines because their vend price is larger may strand capital.
Use thresholds for the stated mix and cost base
Month 12 accounting EBITDA break-even is fixed costs $10,960 ÷ blended contribution $6.86 using raw values, or 1,597.9 cycles for that month and mix. Adding scheduled debt service $5,815 to fixed costs raises the cash commitment threshold to 2,445.6 cycles, approximately 78.9 per day. This is a contribution threshold before tax, changing receivables/payables or capital improvements; actual bank break-even needs the monthly ledger.
Keep fractional equivalents in this planning model. A real operating target would need whole vend cycles by size and time slot; rounding a blended quotient cannot specify how many customers or large-machine cycles to sell. Changing prices, mix, dryer attachment, utility tariff or staffing requires a new threshold calculation.
Track paid turns by size, net refunds, dryer minutes per washed pound, utility gallons/therms/kWh per realized volume, uptime, peak queues and reconciled coin/card receipts. The six-month ramp should be replaced with measured evidence, not inferred from the nameplate capacity. Unit contribution funds a fixed partly attended payroll; that roster does not become a per-cycle expense just because sales fall.
Sources and scope
- Business Plan Library: planning-case methodology · Checked 2026-10-04 · Illustrative input methodology. Actual laundromat inputs live in the private checked dossier; methodology does not substantiate a local price, quote or demand forecast.
- Dexter T-300 C-Series vended washer specification, Part 0995-113-001 · Checked 2026-10-04 · 20-lb reference configuration; approximately 15.8 US gallons/cycle, 30–120 psi, 3/4-inch inlets. Technical specification is not a current sale/installation quote.
- Dexter T-600 C-Series vended washer specification, Part 0995-113-003 · Checked 2026-10-04 · 40-lb reference configuration; approximately 35.1 US gallons/cycle; selected -12 configuration shows 208–240V/60Hz, 15A branch protection and 6.2A running current. Installer determines actual circuits.
- Dexter T-900 C-Series vended washer specification, Part 0995-113-004 · Checked 2026-10-04 · 60-lb reference configuration; approximately 52.6 US gallons/cycle. Installation, slab/anchoring, drainage and electrical conditions need design.
- Dexter T-30x2 C-Series vended gas stack specification, Part 0995-113-011 · Checked 2026-10-04 · 60Hz, two 30-lb pockets; 90,000 Btu/h input and 600 cfm per pocket, 0.5 hp motor, natural-gas inlet 5–10 inches water column. Specifications are configuration-dependent.
- So Fresh N So Clean: published self-service prices · Checked 2026-10-04 · Rochester-region New York operator, checked 4 October 2026: listed 20/40/60-lb wash prices USD 4.75/7.50/9.50; 30-lb dryer 19 minutes per USD 1. Local demand and Florida prices not established.
- Florida Commerce: Florida minimum wage · Checked 2026-10-04 · Current non-tipped floor USD 15/hour effective 30 September 2026 through 31 December 2027. Case wage USD 18/hour is an assumption, not a local occupation median.
- Orange County Tax Collector: obtaining a new business tax receipt · Checked 2026-10-04 · Illustrative jurisdiction is unincorporated Orange County, Florida. Proposed new businesses require zoning approval before county BTR; municipal parcels follow their own sequence.
- Orange County: plumbing permit process · Checked 2026-10-04 · Commercial plumbing alteration/repair application route, project and contractor details. Process information does not confirm permit scope or fee for a laundromat address.
- Orange County Utilities: commercial rate increase notice, March 2026 · Checked 2026-10-04 · Notice announces changes from 1 October 2026; water/wastewater volume generally rises 11% annually for five years, with small-meter exception and separate fixed/surcharge changes. No assigned account or bill quotation.
- SBA: 7(a) loans · Checked 2026-10-04 · Official program overview inspected 4 October 2026; working capital, machinery purchase/installation and mixed project uses may fit. Lender determines eligibility, documents and repayment.