General questions
A self-service dog wash machine is a fully enclosed, easy-to-use washing system that allows customers to wash their dogs themselves using built-in warm water, shampoo, dryers and simple touch-screen controls. These machines are designed for high-traffic commercial environments and operate without staffing, making them a highly scalable and cost-effective addition to your site.
Customers love the convenience, and businesses benefit from predictable income with minimal ongoing involvement.
Self-service dog wash machines perform best in high-footfall, dog-friendly locations. Some of our current partners include pet shops, grooming businesses, doggy day care centres, country parks, leisure destinations, fuel forecourts, petrol stations, car washes, garden centres, farm shops, secure dog walking fields, and beyond.
However, there’s no strict rule. Any dog-friendly business or outdoor location that attracts dog owners can be suitable. If customers already visit your site with their dogs, a self-service dog wash becomes a natural, high-value add-on.
No – sourcing a site isn’t something we do on your behalf and it’s an important part of the process to get right yourself. What we’re happy to do is make sure you’re fully equipped to approach the right business with confidence.
Everything you need is already on our website and in our downloadable brochure – machine costs, what’s included, and the benefits for both the business and their customers.
We’d recommend familiarising yourself with this information and shaping your pitch around the specific business you’re approaching, since what matters to a pub or cafe isn’t the same as what matters to a farm shop, a garden centre, or a doggy day care.
Once you’ve reached an agreement with a host site, you come to us to source your machine, and we handle everything from there.
Several of our partners started exactly this way, with no site to begin with. Waggy Wash Club is one of our case studies – the business owners researched their area, found a location, and secured it independently before coming to us.
Some more great partner examples who’ve done the same or similar: The Village Dog Wash, Pristine Paws, Pawfectly Clean Cymru, and Wash That Dog.
Choosing whether to buy or lease a commercial dog wash machine depends on your business goals, cash flow, and long-term plans.
Commercial leasing of a dog wash machine
Commercial leasing is ideal for businesses that want to minimise upfront costs while still generating immediate revenue. Monthly lease payments are predictable and are often covered by just one wash per day. Commercial leasing also allows you to trial the concept with lower financial risk.
Buying a dog wash machine
Purchasing outright is best suited to businesses focused on long-term returns. Buying gives you full ownership, maximum margin, and complete control over branding and pricing. Many businesses that buy recover their investment within 12-18 months due to low operating costs and consistent demand.
Both options allow you to set your own customer pricing and tailor the machine to your location.
A commercial dog wash machine can be extremely profitable when placed in the right location. Profitability varies significantly by location, footfall, and usage. As a guide, some of our highest performing sites generate up to £1,650-£5,000 per month, though results depend on your specific site and marketing activity to promote your machine.
Running costs are low, with water, electricity and consumables usually totalling under £1 per wash. With no staffing required and minimal maintenance, this creates a high-margin, recurring revenue stream for your business.
Planning permission is one of the most common questions we receive.
In most cases, planning permission is not required, especially for indoor or covered installations. Outdoor dog wash machines may require basic permissions relating to drainage, electrical connections, or signage. Our team works with you to assess your site and guide you through any requirements, ensuring a smooth and compliant installation.
When you install a self-service dog wash machine with The Dog Wash Company, everything is handled from start to finish. Installation includes full delivery, professional setup and commissioning, a 12-month warranty, and ongoing technical support. You’ll also receive integrated management and payment software, access to consumables with discounted refills, and marketing support designed to drive customer awareness and usage.
This turnkey approach means you can start generating revenue immediately with minimal operational effort.
Dog wash machines can be customised to suit your business. Purchased machines can be fully branded with your colours, logo and graphics, while leased machines follow a collaborative branding approach to maintain consistency while aligning with your site.
Pricing is also fully flexible, allowing you to set customer charges that suit your market and location.
Getting started is simple. You can download our brochure or contact our team directly to discuss your site. You also have the option of booking a consultation call to chat through options for your site specifically. We’ll review your location, assess installation requirements, outline projected revenue, and provide a no-obligation quote tailored to your business. From initial enquiry to live installation, we guide you through every step.
If your business attracts dog owners and you’re looking for a low-maintenance, high-margin revenue opportunity, a self-service dog wash machine could be the perfect fit. With flexible buy or lease options, minimal running costs and strong customer demand, it’s one of the most effective ways to monetise footfall while enhancing customer experience.
Explore your options to buy or lease today and see how easily a self-service dog wash machine can work for your site.
Book your free, no-obligation call with our team to get started today!
Dog wash machine specifics
The cost of our self-service dog wash machine depends on your preferred setup and whether you choose to lease or purchase.
Leasing starts from £360 per month for our Standard Machine and £375 per month for our Standard Machine with Screen Backsplash, which is often covered by just one wash per day.
Outright purchase prices are £16,000 + VAT for our Standard Machine model and £16,750 + VAT for our Standard Machine with Screen Backsplash.
If you’re unsure which option is best for your site, book a consultation call and we’ll chat it through with you.
Alternatively, check out our complete FAQ Guide to self-service dog wash machines.
Self-service dog wash machines perform best in high-footfall, dog-friendly locations. Some of our current partners include pet shops and grooming businesses, doggy day care centres, country parks and leisure destinations, fuel forecourts, petrol stations and car washes, garden centres and farm shops, as well as secure dog walking fields.
That said, any dog-friendly business or area can be suitable. If your site attracts dog owners or outdoor customers, a self-service dog wash can be a highly practical and profitable add-on service, creating an additional revenue stream while enhancing customer convenience.
Revenue varies by location, usage, and marketing activity – as a guide, our best performing sites have generated £1,650-£5,000 per month.
Running costs are low, with water, electricity and consumables usually totalling under £1 per wash. As a result, many partners recover their investment within 12-18 months while benefiting from a reliable, low-maintenance revenue stream.
This is one of the most common questions we’re asked. In most cases, planning permission is not required, particularly for indoor or covered installations. Outdoor units may need basic permissions related to drainage, electrical connections, or signage.
We’ll guide you through this process and work with you to ensure your installation is compliant and hassle-free. Contact us below or book a free, no-obligation consultation call today!
A standard dog wash setup requires approximately 2.5m x 1.5m, along with access to water, drainage and electricity.
We assess your site to recommend the best placement for visibility, ease of access and customer flow.
To keep your install day running smoothly, there are 3 key areas your site needs to have prepared in advance: electrics, water, and drainage.
Electrics: Your electrical connection must be in place and ready before install day. Our machines require a dedicated supply similar to other high-use site equipment, including:
- 240V single phase, 32amp supply commando socket
- Live, neutral & earth
- A local means of isolation via a rotary isolator
- Recommended cable size: 6mm 3 core SWA
- Recommended socket height: 1800mm / 1.8m
We always recommend using an approved electrician, and ensuring suitable protection (such as RCD protection where appropriate) is fitted, given the machine is public-facing equipment operating in a wet environment.
Water (cold feed): Our machines use a built-in heater, so only a single cold feed inlet is required:
- Cold mains supply, typically 2-4 bar (30-60 PSI)
- A water feed routed as close as possible to the right-hand side of the machine
- A 1/2 inch screw-fit water outlet ready for connection on install day
Waste / drainage: Because wash water has been used on dogs, it needs to be disposed of differently to standard runoff, so drainage needs to be planned correctly:
- One foul waste (sewage) feed located underneath the unit – the machine is supplied with a 32mm plastic waste pipe (1.8m long)
- A 40-50mm waste inlet fed into foul drainage
Importantly, wash water must go to foul (sewage) drainage – not surface or storm water systems.
Need more detail?
Our full Installation Guide covers all of this in more depth and is shared with you directly during the sales and onboarding process – it’s also available on request at any time.
Running costs are minimal. The machine uses standard water and electricity supplies, and overall operating costs are typically under £1 per wash, including utilities and consumables.
This makes the dog wash a cost-effective, high-margin service with no staffing requirements.
To ensure maximum uptime and consistent performance, our machines are built for reliability and ease of use. We provide:
- Warranty on parts and labour
- Ongoing technical support and servicing
- Remote diagnostics and monitoring
- Access to spare parts and consumable
Yes. Branding is available, with a slightly different approach depending on your setup.
Purchased machines can be fully branded with your colours, logo and graphics.
Leased machines follow a more collaborative branding approach, ensuring consistency while still aligning with your business identity.
This helps the unit integrate seamlessly into your site while remaining highly visible to customers.
Yes. With both leased and purchased machines, you can set your own customer pricing. This gives you full control over margins and allows you to tailor pricing to your location and customer base.
Yes. We offer flexible leasing and finance options through trusted partners, typically over three to five year terms, allowing you to install a dog wash with low upfront costs and predictable monthly payments.
When you install one of our self-service dog wash machines, everything is handled for you from start to finish. Installation includes full delivery, professional setup and commissioning, a 12-month warranty, and ongoing technical support to ensure your machine operates reliably from day one. You’ll also receive integrated management and payment software, access to consumables with discounted refills, and marketing support designed to help drive customer awareness and usage. This all-in-one setup means you can begin generating revenue immediately with minimal operational effort.
Getting started is simple. You can download our brochure above, check out our complete FAQ Guide to self-service dog wash machines, or contact our team directly in the form below to discuss your site. We’ll review your location, assess installation requirements, outline potential revenue, and provide a no-obligation quote tailored to your business and space. Our team will guide you through every step, making it easy to add a profitable self-service dog wash to your site.
Book your free, no-obligation call with our team to get started today!
Yes – a fully refundable £500 deposit secures your machine and begins processing your installation, payable before your finance application is submitted.
Delivery & Returns
This applies to orders placed through our online shop: consumables and wear-and-tear parts only, not machine installations.
We ship with Royal Mail’s 48-hour service, £6.99 per order. Visit our shop to browse.
Payment gateway is stripe
