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Funding for your situation

Opening a laundromat franchise: the fee, the build and the runway.

What opening a laundromat franchise really takes in cash and how a funding request is built around it.

✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.

What makes this moment different

A franchise comes with a playbook and a bill. For a laundromat franchise, the franchise fee, the build-out and the opening inventory all come due before the first sale. The machines run at capacity on weekends, and the building next door has the right plumbing.

Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.

Typical useFee, build and opening runway
TimelineSame-day decision on a complete file; funding typically the next business day after signing
CreditMinimum FICO is 500; better credit means better offers
DocumentsAbout three months of business bank statements and a short application

The documents that usually matter most for a laundromat are an equipment quote and a lease for the new space, alongside the bank statements.

Weather and school breaks shift visits modestly, and wash-and-fold services smooth the year. For a laundromat, that rhythm decides when a funding request reads best and how it should be repaid.

What it looks like on the ground: the machines run at capacity on weekends, and the building next door has the right plumbing.

Compliance touchpoints for a laundromat often include building permit and plumbing and gas permits, which can come up when the request involves a new site, a purchase or a significant change.

What opening usually involves

Franchise fee and training (illustrative) ($105,000)

People are paid on a schedule that does not wait for new revenue to ramp.

Build-out and venting ($120,000)

Paid to a contractor before opening, often in draws that start before any revenue.

Washers and dryers ($160,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

Card and payment systems ($15,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

Working capital for the opening runway ($60,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

A worked example: opening a laundromat franchise

Cost itemIllustrative amount
Franchise fee and training (illustrative)$105,000
Build-out and venting$120,000
Washers and dryers$160,000
Card and payment systems$15,000
Working capital for the opening runway$60,000
Cushion for overruns and slow early weeks (about 10%)$46,000
Total to open$506,000

Sizing check. If the full repayment shown in an offer were $658,000 over about 26 weeks, the weekly debit would be about $25,308. Against illustrative monthly deposits of $605,000 (about $139,615 a week), that is roughly 18% of weekly deposits. Your own offer states the real repayment amount in dollars; run your numbers on the factor rate calculator before you accept anything.

Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.

What funders read on a file like this

The franchise agreement and the franchisor's estimate of opening costs
Your own deposits, credit and obligations
The lease for the franchise site
Deposit stability and card versus coin mix
Utility cost as a share of deposits

These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.

Your checklist before you apply

Three months of business bank statements
A completed application
A government-issued ID for the owner
An equipment quote
A lease for the new space
The franchise agreement and the opening-cost estimate

A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.

What to watch out for

Using the franchisor's low estimate as the plan, with no cushion
Forgetting required reserves or inventory minimums
Signing a lease before funding is lined up

Compare before you decide

Business term loans: A fixed schedule for a larger, longer project, if the file supports it.
Working capital loans: Lump-sum capital sized on your deposits, for a defined need with a clear payback.
Equipment financing: Built around the equipment itself, which often keeps the payment tied to what it earns.
Business line of credit: A reusable pool you draw on and repay, useful when costs arrive in pieces.
How funders read a laundromat: Industry-specific notes on what the file needs.
Laundromat funding guide: The full industry guide, with every product and topic.
Laundromat funding in Florida: State-level funding page for this industry.
Funding for a franchise: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Business term loans: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Factor rate calculator: Run your own numbers before accepting an offer.
More funding situations: Other growth, operating and recovery moments.

Common questions

Can I fund a laundromat franchise?

Funding is sized on your own file, not the franchise brand. A term loan or working capital may fit depending on the pieces.

Does the franchisor finance part of it?

Some do. Whatever they provide goes into the plan; the rest is what a funder reviews.

What does Merchant Fund Express need to start?

Application and three months of business bank statements, plus the franchise agreement and the site lease once you have them.

What credit score do I need?

The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.

See what you qualify for

Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.

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