How much cash should an auto detailing business keep?

A detailing business gets paid when the car is done, by card, the same day. Dealer and fleet accounts pay on terms. Ceramic coatings and premium jobs bring big tickets, while supplies and equipment are bought ahead. Weather and season shape the calendar.

Payroll per run, all-in $ How often you run payroll Fixed bills per month (rent, loans, insurance, software) $ Days your customers take to pay, on average days Cash in the bank today $

Minimum to keep

Two payroll runs plus one month of fixed bills

Comfortable level

Covers costs while you wait for customers to pay, plus one month

Weeks your cash covers

If no customer paid you

The starting numbers are an example. Replace them with yours.

How cash moves in an auto detailing business

Retail customers pay on the day, so cash comes in fast.
Dealer and fleet accounts often pay monthly invoices on terms.
Coatings and paint correction need costly products bought before the job.
Winter and rainy weeks cut demand in many areas.

Why the usual rule falls short

Two detailers each bring in $25,000 a month. One works only with retail customers who pay on the day. The other does half its work for dealers on 30-day terms. The second carries a month of that work before it gets paid.

How the calculator works

Result	Formula
Minimum to keep	2 × payroll per run + 1 month of fixed bills
Comfortable level	Monthly costs × (days to collect ÷ 30 + 1)
Weeks your cash covers	Cash ÷ weekly costs

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Also for detailing owners, see the auto detailing business monthly financial report.