Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Business Plan Writer · Business Consultant
How to Write a Laundromat Business Plan Built on Turns per Machine and Utility Cost
A laundromat does not sell laundry. It sells machine turns, and every turn uses water, sewer, and energy. Build the plan around turns per washer per day, revenue and utility cost per turn, wash and fold pounds, and the turns you need to break even.
Last Updated: 10/30/2026 · Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
Watch First
Watch: How to Write a Laundromat Business Plan, Part 2
Laundromat Business Plan Template
Editable Word plan plus an Excel financial model built for a laundromat. Plug in your machines, vend prices, and turns, and the projections follow.
- Word business plan plus a video tutorial that walks you through every section
- Excel financial model plus a video tutorial that shows you how to enter your numbers
An AI template hands you a blank file and walks away. This one comes with Dr. Paul showing you how to fill in the plan and the model, on video.
The Problem
Why Do Laundromat Business Plans Get Turned Down?
Most laundromat plans multiply machines by a hopeful number and stop there. Lenders want to see turns per washer by machine size, utility cost per turn, and the turns per day where the store breaks even. Show those three things and the plan holds up.
Here is the trap. You picture machines running all day while you are somewhere else. But turns swing by day and season, utilities rise with every load, and equipment is a big loan you pay whether customers come or not. Dr. Paul has written 1,000+ business plans over 14+ years, and the equipment heavy plans that struggle all skip the same step: running the numbers per turn.
A strong laundromat business plan turns a room of machines into turns, vend prices, utility cost, and break even. That is the language bankers and investors read.
Buying or Opening a Laundromat? Start Here
Five Fixes
How Do You Make a Laundromat Business Plan Work?
1. Project revenue by machine size and turns
Small top loaders, mid size front loaders, and large capacity washers carry different prices. List the count and vend price for each size, then multiply by turns per day. That is your washer revenue, built line by line.
2. Tie dryer revenue to washer turns
Almost every wash leads to a dry. Set an average dryer spend per wash turn instead of guessing a separate number. It keeps the two lines consistent.
3. Cost utilities per turn
Water, sewer, hot water, and dryer energy rise with every load. Get local utility rates, set a cost per turn by machine size, and show utilities as a variable cost, not a flat bill.
4. Price wash and fold as its own business
Wash and fold is sold by the pound and runs on labor. Project pounds per week, price per pound, and the hours it takes to process. Show it as its own revenue and cost line.
5. Show your break even turns
Lenders want this number. In the example below, the store breaks even at about 2.1 turns per washer per day, with wash and fold in place. Knowing it tells you how much slow traffic the store can absorb.
Section by Section
What Goes in a Laundromat Business Plan?
Every laundromat plan follows the same sections as any business plan. Here is what each one needs for a laundromat. Each heading links to the full guide for that section.
- 1
Executive summary
The store, location, machine count, projected turns, funding needed, and break even turns per washer. Write it last.
- 2
Company description
Legal structure, ownership, new build or purchase, store hours, attended or unattended, and services like wash and fold.
- 3
Target market
Renters and households without in unit laundry within a short drive, plus wash and fold and commercial accounts.
- 4
Market analysis
Nearby laundromats, their machine count, vend prices, condition, and hours. Note parking and foot traffic.
- 5
Marketing plan
Grand opening, a Google Business Profile, signage, loyalty or card programs, and outreach for wash and fold accounts.
- 6
Management and staffing
Attendant coverage by hour, who handles repairs and collections, and wash and fold staffing.
- 7
Financial projections
Turns per washer by machine size, vend prices, dryer revenue, utility cost per turn, wash and fold pounds, and break even turns.
- 8
Funding request
Machines, plumbing, venting, water heaters, build out or purchase price, and working capital for the ramp up.
Example Numbers
How Much Can a Laundromat Make per Month?
These are example numbers only, built to show how the math works. Utility rates and vend prices vary a lot by city, so use your own. Assumptions: 38 washers at 3.5 turns per washer per day, 30 days a month, average dryer spend of $2.50 per wash, 1,800 pounds of wash and fold a week at $1.60 a pound.
| Washer | Units | Vend price | Turns per month | Monthly revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top load, small | 20 | $4 | 2,100 | $8,400 |
| Front load, 40 lb | 12 | $7 | 1,260 | $8,820 |
| Front load, 60 lb | 6 | $10 | 630 | $6,300 |
| Line | How it is figured | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | Washers $23,520 + dryers $9,975 + wash and fold $12,480 | $45,975 |
| Machine utilities | 3,990 turns × utility cost per turn by size, plus $0.45 dryer energy per turn | $5,911.50 |
| Wash and fold labor | 7,800 pounds ÷ 25 pounds an hour × $15 × 1.10 | $5,148 |
| Wash and fold utilities and soap | 7,800 pounds × $0.08 | $624 |
| Fixed costs | Rent $6,500 + attendants $7,000 + equipment loan $6,500 + insurance $600 + repairs $700 + supplies $300 + payment system $400 + other $800 | $22,800 |
| Monthly cash flow before owner pay and taxes | Revenue minus all costs, including the loan payment | $11,491.50 |
Utilities in this example run about $1.48 per wash turn, dryer energy included, against about $8.39 in revenue per turn. The store breaks even at about 2.1 turns per washer per day. Put that line in the plan, next to the turns you expect in your slowest month.
Avoid These
What Are the Biggest Laundromat Business Plan Mistakes?
- Using one turns number for every machine. Large washers and small top loaders turn at different rates. Project each size.
- Treating utilities as a flat bill. They rise with every load. Cost them per turn.
- Trusting a seller's numbers. If you are buying a store, check the claimed revenue against utility bills, especially water. Water use follows turns.
- Forgetting the lease term. Machines are a long loan. A short lease with no renewal option puts the whole investment at risk. Show the lease terms in the plan.
- Leaving out repairs and replacement. Machines wear out. Budget for repairs every month and a replacement plan for the years ahead.
Real World Use
How a Laundromat Buyer Uses This Plan
The seller says four turns. The water bill says otherwise.
Say you are buying a store with 30 washers, an average vend price of $5.50, and about $2.50 in dryer spend per wash. Utilities run about $1.55 per turn, and rent, loan, and staff come to $16,000 a month.
The seller says the washers average 4 turns a day. At that pace the store does 3,600 turns a month, $28,800 in revenue, and $7,220 in monthly cash flow before owner pay. Then you read the water bills: about 67,500 gallons a month. At an example 30 gallons per wash, that points to about 2.5 turns a day: 2,250 turns, $18,000 in revenue, and a monthly loss of $1,487.50.
Build the plan on the turns you can verify, not the turns you are told. Show the bank how you checked them, and the plan holds up under questions. These figures are an example only.
Dozens of colleges in Boston and Worcester keep students renting in Massachusetts neighborhoods, a steady customer base for a well placed laundromat. Dr. Paul studies that demand in business plans for Massachusetts owners.
Keep Going
More Videos in This Series
What Is in the Laundromat Business Plan Template
Dr. Paul walks through what the laundromat template and financial model include. (7:47)
Laundromat Pro Forma Financial Projections
He builds laundromat pro forma projections quickly in Excel. (6:54)
Questions
Laundromat Business Plan Questions
How do I write a business plan for a laundromat?
How do you calculate laundromat revenue?
How many turns per day does a laundromat need to break even?
How much does it cost to open a laundromat?
Do I need a business plan to buy a laundromat?
Your laundromat plan follows the same ten steps.
Dr. Paul's How to Write a Business Plan in Ten Steps, Fifth Edition walks you through each section in order, with a full sample plan and a Using AI box in every step. Pair it with the laundromat template and you have the structure and the numbers.
Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, current college professor, business consultant, and author with 14+ years and 1,000+ businesses served.
This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.