How Your Car Wash Stacks Up: Current Benchmarks Every Operator Should Know

If you don’t know where you stand, 2026 planning becomes guesswork. The operators who outperform aren’t the ones who work the hardest - they’re the ones who manage to the right numbers.

These are the benchmarks every operator should be watching, straight from the Annual Planning Playbook framework.

Data is as of Q4 2025

Monthly Member Churn (Benchmark: 7.6%)

• Voluntary Churn: 4.7%
  
• Credit Card Failure Churn: 2.9%
  
  

If you’re over 9%, retention is your #1 priority. Below 7% and you're ahead of the field.

Why it matters:
There is no cheaper revenue strategy than reducing churn.

Retail-to-Member Conversion

• Small (<2,000 members): 2.4%
  
  
• Mid (2,000–4,000 members): 10%
  
  
• Large (4,000+ members): 11.1%
  
  

If you're converting under 5%, you’re potentially leaving hundreds of memberships on the table every month.

Active Members per Site (Benchmark: 2,527)

This tells you whether you’re maximizing your market.

Lifetime Value (Benchmark: $444 over 36 months)

Low LTV = retention problem or upgrade problem - usually both.

Average Monthly Revenue per Member (Benchmark: $29.60)

If you’re below this and your upgrades are weak, 2026 is the year to fix it.

How Operators Should Use These Benchmarks for 2026 Planning

Benchmarks help you decide:

• Where your biggest revenue gaps are
  
  
• What should be your #1 growth strategy
  
  
• How aggressive your marketing spend needs to be
  
  
• Where operational issues are hiding
  
  

Your goal isn’t to be perfect - it’s to know which 2–3 numbers will move your revenue fastest next year.

The Smartest Play for 2026

Pick one lever to anchor your strategy. Then use the other two to reinforce it.

 Download the full 2026 Planning Playbook below to map your primary growth driver and build your strategic roadmap.