The Screening Standard

The Car Wash Land Buy Box

Every site we source is screened against these criteria — with traffic, census, flood, and parcel data — before it ever reaches a developer. This is what good ground looks like.

Site & Dimensions

  • ✓Lot size: 0.5 to 1 acre, usable & mostly rectangular (1 acre ideal)
  • ✓Road frontage: 65 ft minimum on the main road (more is better)
  • ✓Lot depth: 200–220 ft to fit tunnel + stacking
  • ✓Vacuum capacity: room for 8–10 vacuum spaces
  • ✓Position: corner lots and signalized access preferred

Traffic & Demographics

  • ✓Daily traffic (AADT): 12,000+ vehicles per day (15,000+ ideal)
  • ✓Speed limit: 30–45 mph past the site (not 50+)
  • ✓Traffic side: on the going-home side of the commute
  • ✓Median HH income: $50,000+ within 3 miles ($75,000+ preferred)
  • ✓Density & growth: strong rooftops and growth within 1–3 miles

Context & Competition

  • ✓Retail anchors: near Walmart, grocery, QSR, high-traffic retail
  • ✓Competition: no competing tunnel within 1 mile, same traffic pattern
  • ✓Multifamily nearby: apartments within the trade area are a plus
  • ✓Small-town play: growing towns with zero tunnel washes = strong opportunity

Zoning & Due Diligence

  • ✓Zoning: commercial with car wash by right (or rezone feasible)
  • ✓Site checks: setbacks, easements, stormwater, floodplain, signage
  • ✓Utilities: water/sewer capacity for tunnel operations

How We Work

Every site is screened against these criteria with traffic, census, flood, and parcel data before it reaches a developer. Landowners pay no fees. Agents keep their clients. Scouts work under written JV agreements. Not a licensed brokerage; introductions only — developers negotiate, and every transaction closes through a licensed title company.

Have a site that fits 10 of these boxes?

We want to see it. Fifteen minutes is all it takes to find out how your site scores — and whether a developer is looking for exactly your ground.

📅 Book a Free 15-Min Call ↓ Download the Buy Box (PDF) Submit a Land Site