Automotive franchises: oil change and car wash costs
Put 4 automotive franchises side by side: opening costs span $192K to $11.85M.
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| Brand | , lowest and highest estimate | , paid once | , ongoing fee | Headline salesItem 19, before costs | Marketing fundItem 6, on top of the royalty | US locationsItem 20, at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Valvoline Instant Oil Change2026 FDD, service center on leased land | $192K to $640K | $30,000 | 6% from year three | $1.84M a yearaverage of 891 locations, 2024 to 2025 | Fee on adjusted gross revenue: no more than 2%, with a yearly cap. | 2,039up 445 since 2023 |
 Jiffy Lube2026 FDD, free-standing service center | $211K to $510K | $35,000 | 4% | $1.11M a yearaverage of 1,732 locations, 2025 | 1.5% of gross sales | 2,083up 41 since 2023 |
 Take 5 Oil Change2025 FDD, newly built oil change center | $912K to $2.05M | $45,000 | 7% | $1.24M a yearaverage of 323 locations, 2024 | 5% of gross sales | 1,142end of 2024 |
 Tommy's Express Car Wash2026 FDD, tunnel car wash | $3.48M to $11.8M | $50,000 | 4% | $2.08M a yearaverage of 25 locations, 2025 | 1% of gross sales | 260end of 2025 |
A brand must give you its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) before you buy; every figure comes from the brand's latest one. After opening, you keep paying the brand either a share of sales or a set amount as the royalty. K means thousand and M means million. Each of the 4 brands gives sales or earnings figures in its FDD; open a brand page to see them.
Headline sales mean the Item 19 number a brand reports for itself, before costs. Which stores and which year sit behind it differ by brand, shown on its page. Placed like for like in the average unit volume rankings.
Head to head: compare automotive franchises
- from $211Kvsfrom $192KJiffy Lube vs Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeCost to open, Item 7, 2026 FDDs
- from $912Kvsfrom $192KTake 5 Oil Change vs Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeCost to open, Item 7, 2025 and 2026 FDDs
- from $211Kvsfrom $912KJiffy Lube vs Take 5 Oil ChangeCost to open, Item 7, 2026 and 2025 FDDs
- from $912Kvsfrom $3.48MTake 5 Oil Change vs Tommy's Express Car WashCost to open, Item 7, 2025 and 2026 FDDs
What does it cost to open an automotive franchise?
In this group, the middle entry cost is $561,624. The cheapest way in is Valvoline Instant Oil Change at $192,375, while Tommy's Express Car Wash can reach $11,846,697. Initial franchise fees start at $30,000 and top out at $50,000.
Car wash franchise cost and oil change franchises
An oil change franchise is built around a few service bays. Tommy's Express is the only car wash brand in this group with an FDD on file. Because it must have its own lot, plus a long tunnel, a car wash is highest in this group.
Weighing up automotive franchises?
A franchise consultant can shortlist automotive franchises that fit your cash and your area.