As the owner of a car wash at home you will find yourself with overheads that are really low as start-up costs and you won’t have any occupational costs.
While starting a small business is exciting and can be a bit scary, it is imperative that you have all the correct documentation in mind early in your new business opening to avoid legal charges.
Licenses and permits to open a Car Wash Service or Car Wash at home
When opening a car wash at home You must consider a series of factors such as the type of washing, either by hand or automatic and the price to make it economically viable, profitability and of course the return on investment.
For example, car wash by hand requires a small initial investment, but the cost of labor must be considered, while automatic or self-service car wash requires less labor but the machinery can have a high cost.
However, regardless of your choice, your business plan must include the application of state business licenses and permits.
Keep in mind that each state varies with respect to the licenses required, therefore you can locate the requirements on the official website of the small business administration.
By entering the city, state and county, it will determine the documentation you need for your business.
For example in California, more precisely in Oakland you would need to manage the seller’s permit in addition to the fact that you need the Doing Business As or DBA.
If you chose a partnership or corporation as the structure of the company, you must present the documentation at the state secretary. Well, keep in mind that almost all states require licenses or permits of some kind to offer services including car washing.
Zoning permit:
Many counties and cities have the need for you to apply for a zoning permit, as the car wash has a water drain that interferes with local laws regulating discharge.
For example in California and in Oakland Owners of a car wash facility are required by law to carefully review the state’s waste discharge requirements before operating the business, and the same is true in Florida where there are strict laws on this type of venture.
However, as you plan to open your business on private property, you should review city ordinances before establishing the business.
Office license:
For example, in Florida, in Broward County they will require a home office license in addition to the occupational license, so you should check with the city government and county offices before buying all the necessary equipment to make sure you can operate smoothly.
Corporate filing fee:
You may also have to pay a corporate filing fee, which while you will need to spend extra money for it, in the long run could help you prevent a lawsuit on your personal assets because creating a business as a sole proprietor means that you and the company company are an entity.
So if a client sues your company and wins, you could lose your assets, but in the case of a corporation, only the business would be sued and your personal assets will remain protected.
Insurance: You need to buy a garage insurance policy, since in this way you will have the peace of mind that in the event of an accident with a client’s car you will have coverage.
Well, most clients know that you must have insurance to trust you and your business. Therefore, you should contact a local insurance agent to find out what options are best for you.
Tips for opening a car wash at home
After having started the local legal procedures for the opening of the car wash at home, you will be ready for the approval process.
To do this, you should contact the planning department, the police department, the community affairs department, the water authority, the environmental affairs department and others depending on the government structure and the location of your business.
Project approval:
If you can’t get approval, it will be difficult when the public hearing occurs.
Well, the lack of approval implies a public hearing, which sometimes is enough for you to obtain approval.
However, although it is rare, sometimes it takes one or two public hearings before the planning board and one or more before the municipal board, for which it is important that you determine the votes before the hearing.
Then you will need a written approval to carry out the project and once this is done, the permitting process will begin.
Emissions test:
On Cumberland Inspections are conducted at garages, service stations, and dealerships to ensure compliance with state safety regulations.
For this, periodic inspections of the practices and facilities are carried out.
Sewer permit:
The sewer or discharge permit is granted by the local municipality or the local water authority. Sometimes if the place where your business operates is near a state warehouse, the state will be part of the approval process.
Approval of this permit is subject to review by a building inspector or other department depending on the county.
Water service approval:
The entities that participate in the decision on the sufficient quantity of water supply, pipes and suitable connections for the car wash are the local municipality, the fire department and the water authority.