Resources

Training, advocacy, member market insights — the U.S. industry association.

CLA's news arm — operator interviews, equipment trends, store profiles.

Free CLA investor guide for first-time buyers.

Reference book on owning and operating a modern laundromat.

Podcast, YouTube, and a free 'Buy Your First Laundromat' course.

Podcast and coaching from a multi-store owner.

Conversations on ownership, technology, and operations.

Largest U.S. business-for-sale marketplace.

Business-for-sale listings with broker contacts.

Commercial real estate marketplace — listings with the building included.

Government-backed loans for acquisition, equipment, working capital, and owner-occupied real estate.

SBA's published list of the highest-volume 7(a) lenders — start with one that funds laundromats.

Specialty SBA lender with a laundromat practice.

Alliance Laundry — heavy-duty commercial washers/dryers.

Iowa-built commercial washers and dryers.

Alliance Laundry — vended commercial laundry equipment.

Soft-mount washer-extractors and dryers.

Commercial laundry equipment and service network.

Whirlpool-backed commercial vended washers/dryers.

Commercial top-load washers: roughly 10–15 years of hard use. Front-load washers and washer-extractors: 15–20+ years if maintained. Commercial tumble dryers: 15–25 years — the cabinet outlasts almost everything else, but motors, belts, bearings, gas valves, and controls get replaced along the way. A store with machines older than ~15 years is not automatically bad, but you should budget for rolling replacement.

New commercial top-load washer, installed: roughly $1,200–$2,500 per machine depending on brand, capacity, and payment system. Cheaper up front than front-loaders, but they use much more water per cycle, so utility cost usually catches up.

20–30 lb front-loaders: roughly $4,000–$8,000 installed. 40–60 lb: roughly $8,000–$15,000 installed. 80 lb and up: $15,000–$30,000+. High-efficiency front-loaders use 30–40% less water than top-loaders, which can pay back the higher price on a water-heavy store.

Single-pocket 30–50 lb gas dryers: roughly $3,500–$6,000 installed. Stacked dryers (two pockets in one cabinet): roughly $6,000–$10,000 installed. Add gas line, venting, and electrical work if the store's infrastructure isn't already sized for the new equipment.

Real replacement cost is the machine + delivery + rigging (moving old ones out, new ones in) + plumbing/gas/electrical + payment-system install + tax. Rule of thumb: add 20–35% on top of equipment sticker price for a realistic installed cost. For a full re-equip of a mid-sized store, buyers commonly see $150,000–$400,000+ all-in.

You rarely replace everything at once. Most buyers plan a rolling refresh: replace the oldest / most-broken machines first, then work through the store over 2–5 years. If more than about half the machines are past useful life, treat it as a full re-equip and price the deal accordingly.

Contact 2–3 local commercial laundry distributors (not the manufacturer directly) and ask for a written quote for the exact replacement mix you'd want. Distributors handle install, service, and often financing. The CLA (Coin Laundry Association) member directory is a good starting point for finding reputable distributors in your area.

Valuation framework written for laundromat buyers.

Member-access market reports by trade area.

Choose a bank that has actually closed laundromat 7(a) loans — they pre-underwrite your deal.

Reviews the lease, purchase agreement, and assignment. Non-negotiable.

Verifies the seller's revenue and expenses against bank statements and tax returns.

Specialty commercial policies — many general agents won't write coin laundry.

Draft offer at your recommended price with standard contingencies.

Prioritized list of documents to request before going under contract.

Itemized checklist tied to the flags in your report.

Lender-ready one-pager with normalized SDE and DSCR.