Pro edition
Break-Even Calculator.
The board on the demo prints one number per tier. This works the same arithmetic for the cases that actually come up — and it shows the negative results, which is the half a wash company normally leaves out.
Daily commuter, wet season — 6 washes a month
Pacific Northwest winter. Road film accumulates fast.
| Tier | Singles cost | Plan cost | Plan saves | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $72.00 | $25.00 | $47.00 | Plan |
| Wheels | $96.00 | $32.00 | $64.00 | Plan |
| Shield | $126.00 | $39.00 | $87.00 | Plan |
| The Works | $156.00 | $45.00 | $111.00 | Plan |
Regular — 3 washes a month
Roughly weekly-ish. The typical member.
| Tier | Singles cost | Plan cost | Plan saves | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $36.00 | $25.00 | $11.00 | Plan |
| Wheels | $48.00 | $32.00 | $16.00 | Plan |
| Shield | $63.00 | $39.00 | $24.00 | Plan |
| The Works | $78.00 | $45.00 | $33.00 | Plan |
Occasional — 2 washes a month
Fortnightly. This is where it gets close.
| Tier | Singles cost | Plan cost | Plan saves | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $24.00 | $25.00 | −$1.00 | Singles |
| Wheels | $32.00 | $32.00 | $0.00 | Either |
| Shield | $42.00 | $39.00 | $3.00 | Plan |
| The Works | $52.00 | $45.00 | $7.00 | Plan |
Rare — 1 wash a month
Monthly. Singles win on every tier.
| Tier | Singles cost | Plan cost | Plan saves | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $12.00 | $25.00 | −$13.00 | Singles |
| Wheels | $16.00 | $32.00 | −$16.00 | Singles |
| Shield | $21.00 | $39.00 | −$18.00 | Singles |
| The Works | $26.00 | $45.00 | −$19.00 | Singles |
Two cars
Plans are per vehicle, read off the plate. A two-car household is two plans, so the household break-even is simply each car judged separately — a car that goes through twice a month does not subsidise one that goes through six times.
Break-even per tier, for reference: Basic 3 · Wheels 2 · Shield 2 · The Works 2.
Seasonal
A plan that is worth it in February is often not worth it in August. Pausing and resuming costs nothing here, and the arithmetic below is the reason people do it.
| Months | Typical washes | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Nov–Mar | 5 | Plan |
| Apr–May | 3 | Plan |
| Jun–Sep | 2 | Close — check your tier |
| Oct | 3 | Plan |
Moving up a tier
- Moving up a tier only pays if you would have bought the extra service anyway. A sealant you do not want is not a saving.
- The higher tiers have a LOWER break-even in washes, because the monthly rises more slowly than the single price. That is real, and it is why the top tier is the best value for frequent washers.
- If you are within one wash a month of your break-even, stay on singles. Months vary and singles never cost you anything you did not use.
- Pause rather than cancel if you are going away for a month. Resuming keeps your plate on file.
Ask these at any wash
- Is the plan per vehicle or per person? Per person is rare and worth confirming.
- How is cancellation done — a link, or a phone call? A phone call is a retention script.
- Can the plan be paused, and does pausing cost anything?
- Does the price on the sign include tax, or is that added at the gate?
- What is the single-wash price for the same tier? If it is not posted, you cannot compute the break-even.
Figures derive from the tier prices on the demo board. Change those and every number on this page changes with them.