Car wash and servicing
Washing, interior cleaning and polishing cars. Online platform rates in Dhaka run Tk 1,790-5,700 per car, and a pressure washer starts at Tk 7,250.
- Last reviewed: 19 September 2026
- Version 1
Car wash and servicing
- Starting capital
- ৳60,000 – ৳6,00,000 Editorial estimate
- Manpower
- 2 – 6 people
- First sale
- 15 – 60 days Editorial estimate
- Break-even
- 3 – 8 months Editorial estimate
- Kind of work
- Workshop · Easy
About the business
Washing cars, cleaning the interior and polishing. A water line, a power point, a pressure washer, a foam gun, a vacuum and a few brushes and cloths is the whole kit. The machine is the biggest single cost: a 1400W pressure washer sells for Tk 7,250 to Tk 10,990. The customer base is real and counted. BRTA records up to May 2026 show 432,114 registered private passenger cars, 113,914 jeeps, 134,588 microbuses and 172,383 pick-ups, heavily concentrated in Dhaka and Chattogram. On 16 September 2026 the service platform Sheba.xyz was charging, in Dhaka, Tk 1,790-2,825 for a car interior deep clean, Tk 2,290-3,490 for a polish and Tk 3,500-5,700 for detailing (cleaning plus polishing); taken into a workshop, a full clean and polish is Tk 4,990-8,000. Sheba states that price varies slightly by vehicle type and model, that the customer must supply water and electricity, and that a Tk 300 visiting charge applies if no service is taken. This is repeat work - the same car comes back every month or two, and that is where the business is. Note that BRTA licenses motor vehicle repair workshops separately (Form-40), so moving beyond washing into servicing brings that licence into play.
Unit economics
| Item | Range | Evidence | Suggest a correction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly working capital | ৳45,000 – ৳1,70,000 | Editorial estimate | |
| Selling price | ৳300 – ৳8,000 / unit | Market quote | |
| Variable cost | ৳90 – ৳1,800 / unit | Editorial estimate | |
| Gross margin | 70% – 77.5% | Editorial estimate | |
| Time to first revenue | 15 – 60 days | Editorial estimate | |
| Break-even time | 3 – 8 months | Editorial estimate | |
| Cash cycle | 0 – 30 days | Editorial estimate | |
| Waste / loss | 10% – 25% | Editorial estimate | |
| Daily capacity | 4 – 15 | Editorial estimate |
What you need to start
- A 1400W / 105-125 bar pressure washer: on Daraz, Tk 7,250 (HB-262), Tk 7,349 (Catorex), Tk 7,931 (WOKIN), Tk 9,568 (MPT), Tk 10,791 (Tolsen). Plus a foam gun, vacuum cleaner, polisher, water tank and pump.Equipment
- Trade licence from the city corporation or municipality: form Tk 10, licence book Tk 50, standard tax Tk 30, stamp Tk 150-300, licence fee Tk 100-60,000 by trade type, plus VAT and signboard fee. Issued in 3-5 working days.Licence
- Motor vehicle repair workshop licence from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA): application Form-40, licence Form-41. Not needed for washing alone, needed once you service engines or machinery. BRTA does not publish the fee or validity separately on its site.Licence
- Interior deep cleaning and polishing are learned skills. Hybrid and electric cars are growing: in October 2025 ELF Lubricants ran hands-on training in Dhaka for 50 mechanics on hybrid battery care, electric motor testing and high-voltage safety.Skill
- A steady supplier for shampoo, foam, wax, polishing compound, microfibre cloths and brushes. Buying once a month brings the rate down.Supplier
- An open bay or shed with a steady water line, drainage for dirty water, power and room to turn a car. Cars must be able to enter and leave the road easily.Workspace
How the work is done
- 1Find a site. A car wash needs two things above all: a steady water supply and a drain for the dirty water out. There must be room off the road for cars to pull in and out.
- 2Take the trade licence from the city corporation or municipality: form Tk 10, book Tk 50, standard tax Tk 30, stamp Tk 150-300 and a licence fee by trade type, issued in 3-5 working days.
- 3Decide early whether you only wash or also service. Engine or mechanical work brings BRTA's motor vehicle repair workshop licence (Form-40); plain washing does not.
- 4Buy the kit: a pressure washer (1400W, 105-125 bar, Tk 7,250 to Tk 10,990), a foam gun, a vacuum cleaner, a water tank and pump, and a polishing machine.
- 5Put the rate list on a board: plain wash, interior clean, polish and full detailing at separate prices. Price by car size; do not charge a sedan and a Noah or Hiace the same.
- 6Train two capable hands. Interior deep cleaning and polishing are learned skills; rushed work damages paint, and then you pay for it.
- 7Sign monthly contracts with nearby offices, rent-a-car companies and apartment building garages. Monthly contracts, not walk-ins, are what steady the income.
- 8Add a doorstep wash, but state up front that the owner supplies water and power - that is exactly the condition the online platforms print.
- 9Log every car's number, the job done and the money taken. Knowing how often each car returns lets you ring the owner before he thinks of it.
- 10Do the arithmetic before joining an online platform. Sheba's car services category carries a maximum commission of 25 percent plus 15 percent VAT - the orders come, but work out what is left for you first.
Seasons
- JanNormal
- FebNormal
- MarNormal
- AprNormal
- MayNormal
- JunNormal
- JulNormal
- AugNormal
- SepNormal
- OctNormal
- NovNormal
- DecNormal
Where it works well
- Strong fitChattogram · A port and commercial city with the second-largest vehicle population after Dhaka, plus many pick-ups and covered vans.
- Strong fitDhaka · The largest share of the country's private cars and microbuses sits here, along with the densest concentration of office fleets and rent-a-car operators.
- Strong fitGazipur · Factory fleets plus cheap frontage on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway make it easy to set up a bay.
- Strong fitNarayanganj · An industrial belt with both owners' private cars and factory pick-ups, and close to Dhaka.
- PossibleCox's Bazar · Rental cars and microbuses run heavily in the tourist season, and hotel contracts are possible.
- PossibleCumilla · On the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, where long-distance cars and microbuses stop to get washed en route.
- PossibleKhulna · A divisional city where government and private office vehicles give steady wash work.
- PossibleRajshahi · A divisional and university city; car numbers are low, so motorcycle washing has to run alongside.
- PossibleSylhet · Remittance households own relatively more private cars and are willing to spend on them.
Risks and cautions
- HighDependency: Water and power: lose either and the work stops. A pressure washer needs electricity, and low line pressure makes washing impossible. This is exactly why the online platforms make the customer guarantee water and power before a doorstep job. In a city summer, a water shortage and load-shedding together can wipe out half a day's work.
- MediumOther: The risk of damaging the car. The wrong compound or a coarse pad lifts the clear coat; water in the wrong place during an interior wash kills wiring. One such incident on an expensive car costs more than several months of profit. Sheba states in writing that it is not liable for pre-existing damage; a small bay has no such shield.
- MediumCompliance: Where the dirty, oily water goes is something the city corporation notices. Discharging straight into the drain or letting it pool on the road draws complaints and fines. And the moment you move past washing into engine or mechanical work, you cannot run without BRTA's motor vehicle repair workshop licence (Form-40).
- MediumDemand: The customer base is limited and concentrated. There were 432,114 registered private cars nationally up to May 2026, against 4,980,747 motorcycles. Only 9,387 new private cars were registered in 2025, fewer than the year before. Outside Dhaka and Chattogram the density of cars is too low to carry a wash bay on its own; there you must wash motorcycles too.
Videos and interviews
21:55
5:54
11:00
4:44Stories about this business
From pandemic car disinfection to car wash: nearly 600 clients a month in one Gulshan car park
Naspro began in mid-2020 disinfecting cars in the Unimart Gulshan 2 car park and moved into car washing and detailing as that demand faded. With 15 staff it now serves nearly 600 clients a month, but space limits it to four cars at a time.
- Reasons
- Good location, Poor location
Entrepreneurs in this business
The people running this business today — you can visit them, ask questions and learn.
Sobuj CNG Engineering Workshop
Car wash and servicing
A CNG and auto repair workshop in Mymensingh Sadar
Mymensingh Sadar, Mymensingh
- Sells products
Monju Motors and Garage
Car wash and servicing
A car repair and maintenance garage in Mymensingh Sadar
Mymensingh Sadar, Mymensingh
- Sells products
Tasin CNG Engineering Works
Car wash and servicing
A CNG fitment centre in Mymensingh Sadar
Mymensingh Sadar, Mymensingh
- Sells products
Hira Engineering Workshop
Car wash and servicing
A vehicle repair workshop in Mymensingh Sadar
Mymensingh Sadar, Mymensingh
- Sells products
Diamond Car Clinic
Car wash and servicing
A car repair workshop on the Dhaka - Tangail Highway
Gazipur Sadar, Gazipur
- Sells products
Tarek Mechanical Engineering Workshop
Car wash and servicing
A car repair workshop in Sitakunda
Sitakunda, Chattogram
- Sells products
Where to buy
রহিমআফরোজ বাংলাদেশ লিমিটেড
Car batteries, tyres and lubricants through its dealers
The country's largest lead-acid battery maker (LUCAS, GLOBATT, SPARK); also distributes car batteries, tyres and lubricants and supplies solar and diesel generator solutions.
Arzed Chamber, 13 Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212Used by 7 businesses
নির্মাণ টেকনোলজিস
High-pressure washers and car cleaning equipment
Sells commercial vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, carpet and sofa cleaning machines, high-pressure washers and car cleaning equipment, including Karcher and Nilfisk.
Road 15, Sector 11, Uttara, Dhaka, BangladeshUsed by 2 businesses
আইডিয়াল সলিউশন লিমিটেড
High-pressure washers for washing cars
Supplies floor scrubbers, vacuum cleaners, high-pressure washers and material-handling equipment.
House 331, Road 22, Mohakhali DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206, BangladeshUsed by 2 businesses
ধলাইখাল যন্ত্রাংশ বাজার
Vehicle parts for servicing
Old Dhaka market of about 4,000 spare parts workshops, with parts for vehicles through to machinery.
Dholaikhal, Old DhakaUsed by 2 businesses
নবাবপুর যন্ত্রাংশ বাজার
Vehicle spare parts
Described as the largest spare parts market in Bangladesh, on Nawabpur Road, Old Dhaka.
Nawabpur Road, Old DhakaUsed by 2 businesses
Sources
- Collected: 16 Sept 2026
Supports: Starting capital · বাংলাদেশ
সিটি কর্পোরেশন থেকে ট্রেড লাইসেন্স প্রাপ্তির ধাপ সমূহ
Collected: 16 Sept 2026Supports: Starting capital, Time to first revenue · বাংলাদেশ
What changed
No corrections have been published yet.
Questions and answers
No questions yet. You can be the first to ask.
Similar businesses
Home & local servicesAC and refrigerator servicing
Servicing and repairing air conditioners and refrigerators at the customer's address. March to June is overloaded and winter is near dead, so annual maintenance contracts are what carry the year.
- Capital
- ৳60k – ৳4 lakh
- People
- 1 – 6
- First income
- 7 – 30 days
Home & local servicesComputer and compose shop
Income comes from government service applications, not from typing. The fixed land-service charges are Tk 200-300 for a mutation, Tk 100-150 for a porcha and Tk 20 for a printed dakhila.
- Capital
- ৳60k – ৳3 lakh
- People
- 1 – 4
- First income
- 7 – 45 days
Home & local servicesSeptic tank and drain cleaning
Emptying septic tanks and clearing drains. One Dhaka firm puts its starting price near Tk 7,000. But people die doing this work, from the gas, inside the tank.
- Capital
- ৳50k – ৳25 lakh
- People
- 2 – 6
- First income
- 10 – 45 days
Home & local servicesPest control service
Controlling insects and rodents in homes, restaurants and warehouses. Annual contracts make the income predictable, and the work is illegal without a licence.
- Capital
- ৳50k – ৳3 lakh
- People
- 2 – 6
- First income
- 15 – 60 days