Laundromats for Sale: How to Find, Price, and Vet One
This page covers where laundromat-for-sale listings actually live, what they cost, and how to vet a deal before you sign. LaundroMaps doesn't broker business sales, but our directory of 13,000+ verified laundromats across all 50 states is one of the fastest ways to scout the competition in any market you're thinking about buying into.
Laundromats are one of the most searched-for small businesses in the US, and for straightforward reasons: no inventory, few or zero employees, customers who pay upfront in cash or card, and demand that holds up in good economies and bad. Most existing laundromats list for $50,000 to $500,000+, priced at roughly 3.5 to 5 times annual net income. A small unattended store in a secondary market might change hands for under $100,000, while a large, recently retooled store with wash-and-fold service in a dense metro can top $1 million.
One thing to know upfront: there is no central MLS for laundromats, and LaundroMaps does not list businesses for sale. Listings are scattered across general business-for-sale marketplaces, business brokers, laundry equipment distributors, and quiet off-market deals that never get advertised at all. Knowing where to look, and how to sanity-check what you find, matters more than any single listing site.
Below you'll find the marketplaces where laundromats are actually listed, realistic purchase costs, the valuation multiples buyers use, the due diligence steps that separate good deals from money pits, and how to use our directory of 13,000+ laundromats to research competition before you commit.
Where to Find Laundromats for Sale Near You
There are four reliable channels for finding laundromats for sale, and serious buyers work all of them at once. General business-for-sale marketplaces like BizBuySell carry the most volume, typically hundreds of laundromat and coin laundry for sale listings nationwide at any given time, searchable by state and price. Set saved alerts on two or three of the marketplaces listed below and you'll see most publicly advertised deals within a day of listing.
The other three channels surface deals that never hit the public sites. Business brokers who specialize in laundromats or small main-street businesses often shop listings to their buyer list before advertising. Commercial laundry equipment distributors (the companies that sell and finance washers and dryers) hear about retiring owners before anyone else, and many run informal referral lists; call the distributors serving your region and ask. Finally, direct outreach works: a short letter to the owners of aging stores in your target area costs almost nothing, and off-market deals usually close at lower multiples because there's no bidding.
Once you have candidate listings, the process of making offers, signing NDAs, and reviewing financials has its own playbook. Our step-by-step guide to buying a laundromat walks through the full sequence from first inquiry to closing day.
- Online marketplaces: BizBuySell, BizQuest, LoopNet, BusinessBroker.net, DealStream (see table below)
- Business brokers: search the IBBA (International Business Brokers Association) directory or your state's broker association, and ask specifically about coin laundry listings
- Equipment distributors: regional dealers for Speed Queen, Dexter, Huebsch, and Continental often know which owners want out
- Direct outreach: mail or visit older stores in your target ZIP codes; many owners near retirement have never listed
| Marketplace | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| BizBuySell | The largest US business-for-sale marketplace, with hundreds of laundromat listings live at any time. Start here and set a saved search. |
| BizQuest | Sister site to BizBuySell with heavily overlapping but not identical inventory; worth a second saved alert. |
| LoopNet | Commercial real estate marketplace; the place to look when you want to buy the building along with the business. |
| BusinessBroker.net | Broker-listed businesses searchable by state; smaller inventory but listings tend to come with a broker who has financials ready. |
| DealStream | Open marketplace with businesses, real estate, and equipment; quality varies, so vet listings carefully. |
How Much Does a Laundromat Cost to Buy?
Most existing laundromats sell for $50,000 to $500,000+, and the spread comes down to three things: verified net income, remaining lease term, and equipment age. A store netting $40,000 a year with 8 years left on the lease and 12-year-old machines might list around $140,000 to $180,000. The same net income with a fresh 15-year lease and 3-year-old equipment could justify $200,000+. Buyers pay for durability, not just cash flow. For a sense of what owners actually clear, see how much laundromats make.
The purchase price is not the whole check. Budget for due diligence and closing costs, a lease deposit or assignment fee, working capital, and near-term equipment replacement if machines are past 10 years old. A single commercial front-loader runs into five figures at the large end, so a store that needs 10 machines replaced soon is really priced $100,000+ higher than the sticker. Our laundromat equipment cost guide breaks down machine-by-machine pricing.
Building new instead of buying costs more upfront (typically $250,000 to $500,000+ for build-out and equipment) but gets you new machines and a lease you negotiated yourself. Franchising splits the difference, trading royalties for brand and support; compare the tradeoffs in our laundromat franchise guide.
| Cost Item | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Existing laundromat, small (secondary market, unattended) | $50,000-$150,000 |
| Existing laundromat, mid-size (established, attended) | $150,000-$300,000 |
| Existing laundromat, large or prime metro location | $300,000-$500,000+ |
| New build-out from scratch (construction + equipment) | $250,000-$500,000+ |
| Full equipment replacement (retooling an aging store) | $150,000-$400,000 |
| Due diligence and closing costs (inspection, legal, escrow) | $5,000-$15,000 |
| Lease deposit and assignment fees | $5,000-$20,000 |
| Working capital reserve (first 3-6 months) | $10,000-$30,000 |
How Laundromats Are Valued
| Metric | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Net income (SDE) multiple | 3.5x-5x annual net |
| Gross revenue multiple | 1x-2x annual gross |
| Cash-on-cash return | 15-25%+ for healthy stores |
| Equipment value share | Machines under 5 years old retain roughly 50-70% of replacement cost |
How to Evaluate a Laundromat Before Buying
Laundromats are cash-heavy businesses, which means reported income is only as good as the documents behind it. The single best verification tool is the water bill. Sellers can inflate a profit-and-loss statement, but they can't fake two years of utility records. A commercial top-loader uses roughly 30-40 gallons per cycle and a front-loader 15-25 gallons, so you can work backward from water usage to estimated cycle counts, multiply by the store's wash pricing (standard loads run $2.00-$4.00, large front-loaders $4.00-$8.00), and compare against claimed revenue. If the water bill says the store does 60% of the revenue the seller claims, believe the water bill.
The lease is the second make-or-break item. A laundromat is nearly impossible to relocate, so you want 10+ years of remaining term including renewal options, and total rent ideally under 25-30% of gross revenue. Get the landlord's written consent to assign the lease before you close, not after. Then inspect the equipment: commercial washers typically last 10-15 years and dryers 15-20, so ask for model numbers and serial plates, look up manufacture dates, and price out replacements for anything past year 10.
Finally, study the demographics. Laundromats do best in dense areas with a high share of renters, since renters are far less likely to have in-unit laundry. Check population within a 1-mile radius, renter percentage, and nearby apartment stock without in-unit machines. Fold all of this into a written plan before you make an offer; our laundromat business plan guide has a template built for exactly this.
Red Flags That Should Kill a Deal
Most bad laundromat purchases fail on issues that were visible before closing. If you hit any of the following and the seller can't resolve it with documents, walk away. There will always be another listing.
The most common trap is the unverifiable-cash-income pitch: a seller claiming the store earns far more than the books show because 'it's a cash business.' Never pay for income that can't be proven with tax returns, merchant statements, and utility bills. You'd be paying a 4x multiple on money that may not exist, and you can't finance phantom income either; lenders will value the store on documented earnings only.
- Seller won't provide 2-3 years of tax returns, water/gas/electric bills, or card-payment reports
- Month-to-month lease, or fewer than 5 years remaining with no renewal options
- Water usage trending down year over year (the business is shrinking, whatever the P&L says)
- Most equipment 15+ years old with no replacement reserve priced into the deal
- Rent above ~30% of verified gross revenue
- A new laundromat under construction or recently opened within a mile
- Deferred maintenance you can see: broken machines, water stains, dim signage, bad reviews mentioning out-of-order equipment
Use LaundroMaps to Research a Market Before You Buy
Before you get attached to any listing, map the competition. LaundroMaps catalogs 13,000+ verified laundromats across all 50 states, with hours, services, and ratings on each listing. Start with our state directory to see how many laundromats operate in your target city, or use the laundromat near me search centered on the store's address to see every competitor within a 1-2 mile radius, which is the distance most customers will actually travel.
Then profile each nearby competitor the way a customer would. Are any open 24 hours while your target closes at 9pm? Do they offer wash-and-fold or pickup and delivery while your target is self-service only? What are their ratings, and what do reviews complain about? A 3.5-star target surrounded by 4.5-star competitors is a turnaround project, not a passive investment, and it should be priced like one. Conversely, a tired store in a dense renter neighborhood with weak competition is exactly the setup value buyers look for.
For the bigger picture on demand, store counts, and industry revenue trends, our laundromat industry statistics roundup covers the national numbers worth citing in a business plan or loan application.
Financing a Laundromat Purchase
Most laundromat buyers don't pay all cash. The SBA 7(a) loan program is the standard route for business acquisitions: expect a 10-20% down payment, terms up to 10 years for a business purchase (up to 25 years if real estate is included), and a requirement that the store's documented cash flow covers the debt payments. This is another reason verified financials matter; the bank underwrites the same tax returns and utility bills you reviewed in due diligence.
Seller financing is unusually common in laundromat deals because so many sellers are retiring owners. It's typical to see sellers carry 20-50% of the price over 3-7 years, which lowers your cash needed at closing and keeps the seller invested in an honest handoff. Equipment financing through distributors is a third tool, useful when you're buying a solid location that needs $100,000+ of machine replacement; distributors routinely finance new washers and dryers over 5-7 year terms. Whichever mix you use, lenders and sellers alike will want to see a written plan, so build one with our laundromat business plan guide before you apply.
Scout Your Target Market First
Browse 13,000+ verified laundromats by state or search around any address to map the competition before you make an offer.
Laundromats for Sale: FAQs
Common questions from first-time laundromat buyers
How much does a laundromat cost to buy?
Most existing laundromats sell for $50,000 to $500,000+, priced at roughly 3.5 to 5 times annual net income. Small unattended stores in secondary markets can go for under $100,000, mid-size established stores typically run $150,000 to $300,000, and large stores in dense metros can exceed $500,000. Add $20,000 to $65,000 on top for closing costs, deposits, and working capital.
Are laundromats a good investment?
They can be. Laundromats offer steady cash demand, no inventory, minimal staffing, and cash-on-cash returns of 15-25%+ when bought at a fair multiple. The risks are equally concrete: expiring leases, aging equipment that costs six figures to replace, and new competition. The difference between a good and bad laundromat investment is almost always due diligence, not luck.
How much do laundromat owners make?
The average laundromat generates roughly $30,000 to $100,000+ per year in net income, with the wide range driven by store size, rent, whether the store is attended, and add-on services like wash-and-fold. Large multi-service stores in dense markets can net more, but $30K-$100K is the realistic band for most single-store owners.
How do I find laundromats for sale near me?
Check the big marketplaces first: BizBuySell, BizQuest, LoopNet, BusinessBroker.net, and DealStream all carry laundromat listings searchable by state. Then go off-market: contact business brokers in your area, ask commercial laundry equipment distributors which owners are retiring, and send letters directly to owners of older stores in your target neighborhoods.
Can I buy a laundromat with no money down?
It's rare. SBA 7(a) acquisition loans require roughly 10-20% down, and sellers who offer financing typically carry only 20-50% of the price, so you still need the remainder at closing from cash or a bank loan. The closest realistic path is combining a motivated seller who carries a large note with an SBA loan for the balance, but plan on bringing at least 10-15% of the purchase price in cash plus working capital.
What multiple do laundromats sell for?
The industry standard is 3.5 to 5 times annual net income (seller's discretionary earnings). As a cross-check, sale prices usually land between 1 and 2 times gross annual revenue. Stores with long leases, newer machines, and fully documented income sell at the top of the range; month-to-month leases and 15-year-old equipment push multiples toward the bottom or below it.
Does LaundroMaps list laundromats for sale?
No. LaundroMaps is a directory of 13,000+ verified laundromats across all 50 states, not a business-for-sale marketplace. Buyers use our directory to research competition in a target market: how many laundromats operate nearby, their hours, services, and customer ratings. For actual listings, use marketplaces like BizBuySell or work with a business broker.
Is it better to buy an existing laundromat or build a new one?
Buying an existing store is usually cheaper and faster: $50,000-$500,000+ with revenue from day one and a track record you can verify. Building new costs $250,000-$500,000+ before your first customer, but you get new equipment, a lease you negotiated, and no inherited problems. First-time owners generally do better buying an existing store with verified financials.
What should I check before buying a laundromat?
Three things above all: the water bills (they verify revenue in a way a P&L can't), the lease (aim for 10+ years remaining with rent under 25-30% of gross), and equipment age (washers last 10-15 years, dryers 15-20, and replacements cost six figures for a full store). Also review 2-3 years of tax returns and map every competitor within a 1-2 mile radius.