A sunny Saturday and a rainy Tuesday can differ tenfold in cars. The schedule has to flex, and the hours have to be recorded.
An express tunnel that washes 90 cars an hour on a hot Saturday may do 20 on a wet Tuesday. A rule of thumb helps: write down the number of people per cars-per-hour band, and use the forecast on Thursday to build the weekend schedule. A short list of on-call people who can be called in raises coverage without raising fixed labor.
| Cars per hour | Crew on the line | Cashiers |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | 3 | 1 |
| 30 to 60 | 5 | 1 |
| Over 60 | 8 | 2 |
When it starts to rain, managers may cut hours. Some states and cities require reporting time pay, which means that an employee who shows up and is sent home early gets paid for at least part of the scheduled shift. Check your rule. Where it applies, record the time the employee was told to go home and the reason.
Customer tips at a hand-wash location usually go to a pool. Managers should not share in it. The employer cannot keep tips. Record the daily pool and the split method, and give employees a sheet showing how their share was calculated.
Car washes hire teenagers. Federal rules limit the hours of 14 and 15 year olds, for example no more than 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, and set work only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. in summer). Certain equipment is off limits to minors. State rules may be stricter, so check before scheduling a student.
Employees who cover two locations should clock in at each. Overtime counts all hours for the same employer, so a person who works 25 hours at one site and 22 at another is in overtime.
New employees should learn the equipment and the chemicals before they work alone. Time spent in required safety training is working time. Keep a signed record of the topics covered and the date. Safety data sheets must be accessible for the products you use, and workers should know where to find them. A record of training lowers risk and makes the first week of a new hire smoother.
Car wash demand follows the weather more than the calendar. The first dry day after rain or snow is often the busiest of the week, and a rainy Saturday can be quieter than a sunny Tuesday. The fictional table below shows a full-service site staffing to forecast cars.
| Day | Weather | Cars forecast | Cars per labor hour | Labor hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rain | 120 | 8 | 15 |
| Tuesday | Clearing | 380 | 8 | 48 |
| Wednesday | Sunny | 300 | 8 | 38 |
| Saturday | Sunny | 650 | 8 | 81 |
| Sunday | Showers | 220 | 8 | 28 |
Tuesday needs three times Monday’s hours. Keep a pool of part-time staff who can come in on short notice, and check your state’s reporting-time pay rules before sending people home when a storm rolls in.
Some states have laws aimed specifically at car washes because of past wage violations. California requires car wash employers to register each year with the Labor Commissioner and to post a surety bond, and to keep detailed records. New York’s Car Wash Accountability Act also requires registration and a surety bond.
Car washes also deal with water rules. Wash water usually goes to the sanitary sewer, and local utilities often require a discharge permit and maintained sand or oil separators. Some areas limit water use during droughts or require reclaim systems.
Dryers, towel crews and vacuum lanes work outside in the sun. Several states have outdoor heat rules. California requires shade, fresh water, rest when needed and a written heat illness prevention plan, and Washington and Oregon have similar rules. Even where no state rule applies, OSHA can cite heat hazards under its general duty clause. Schedule rotations between sun and shade posts on hot days.
Unlimited wash memberships smooth out demand, because members come more often and in more varied weather. They also change what a busy day means. A sunny Saturday might bring 40 percent members who need only a quick check-in, which takes less labor per car than a full-service sale.
Track cars per labor hour by day and site, split between members and single washes if your system allows. When the number drops, the cause is usually too many people scheduled on a slow day, not a slow crew. Use the trend to set staffing levels for each forecast band.
The tip belongs to the employee and should be paid out with wages, with any actual card fee handled according to the rules.
You can, but check reporting time requirements.
Yes, if your state requires meal and rest periods, and recording shows compliance.
In some states, yes. California and New York both require car wash employers to register and post a surety bond. Check your state labor department.
In states with heat rules, such as California, Washington and Oregon, yes: shade, water and rest are required when it gets hot. Elsewhere, it is still a safety duty under OSHA’s general duty clause.
Under federal law, employees who customarily and regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips can be paid a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour if tips make up the rest of the minimum wage. Several states, including California, do not allow a tip credit.
Yes. Car wash employees are generally non-exempt, so hours over 40 in a workweek need overtime at one and a half times the regular rate, with any nondiscretionary bonuses included.
Expect the first clear day after a storm to be among the busiest of the month. Keep part-time staff on a call list, and post the extended schedule as early as the forecast allows.
Weekly overtime math
Where overtime starts each day
Wages as a share of revenue
Book a demo and we will set up a staffing table and a weekend schedule.
This page is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice. Rules differ by state, city and contract, and they change. Check with a qualified professional before you act. Numbers in examples are made up.