Enter store hours per week, operating mode (unattended, partial attended, fully attended, attended + WDF), local wage rate, and benefits load. The calculator returns monthly labor cost, labor as a percent of revenue, and the cost differential of each operating mode. Healthy ranges: unattended 0–3% of revenue, partial attended 8–14%, fully attended 18–28%, attended + WDF 22–34%.
Operating Mode Tradeoffs
Unattended — lowest cost, highest equipment damage risk, no WDF revenue, harder customer service. Partial attended (peak hours only) — best ROI on labor for most stores, captures WDF demand without 24-hour staff. Fully attended — highest labor cost, lowest equipment damage, premium-pricing capable. Attended + WDF — labor heavy but unlocks 30–50% revenue lift from WDF service. The calculator quantifies the math for your specific store.
WDF Labor Math
WDF requires roughly 8–12 minutes of labor per processed pound (intake, sorting, drying, folding, packaging, customer notification). At $18/hour fully-loaded labor cost, that's $2.40–$3.60 per pound just in labor. WDF priced at $1.50/pound is unprofitable; WDF priced at $2.00/pound breaks even at best; WDF priced at $2.50+/pound is the floor for healthy operations. The calculator surfaces this clearly so you can price for profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wage rate should I use?
Your state minimum wage is the floor. Most attended laundromats pay $1–$3 above minimum to reduce turnover. Add 18–25% for benefits, payroll taxes, and workers comp to get fully-loaded cost. The calculator includes BLS state averages for laundromat attendant wage as a default.
Does it handle multi-store chains?
Calculator handles one store at a time. Premium WashBizHub members can roll up multi-store labor reporting and benchmark each store against chain average and industry benchmark.
What does it cost?
Free. Save and export by signing in with a free WashBizHub account.