What is my dry cleaning business worth?

Dry cleaners sell on owner earnings, at multiples below most service businesses. Whether cleaning is done on site (a plant) or at a drop-off store, and any environmental history, change the value a lot.

Avg SDE multiple

2.11×

Typical range

1.42–2.55×

Avg revenue multiple

0.77×

Median sale price

$254K

BizBuySell industry row: Dry Cleaners. Quartiles are from BizBuySell's dry-cleaning sold-business benchmarks (2021–2025), whose average is 2.09×. Range is BizBuySell's sold-business lower to upper quartile (median 1.91×). Source: BizBuySell — Business Valuation Multiples by Industry (businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026); BizBuySell — Dry Cleaning Business Valuation Benchmarks (sold 2021–2025).

Value your dry cleaning business

Let's estimate what your business is worth. Seven quick questions, no email needed.

Trade: Dry cleaning ·

Which state is it in?

Worked example

Hypothetical. A plant with two drop-off stores. Staff press and run the counter; the owner works part of the week.

Revenue $360,000, owner earnings (SDE) $130,000, 20 years, about 25% recurring, “I work in it part of the time”.
Start at the published 2.11× average.
20 years in business: +0.10×. Long, proven history.
Owner earnings $75K–$150K: -0.10×. Below the typical sold main-street business.
Adjusted multiple 2.11× × $130,000 = $274,000, range $186,000 – $334,000.
Revenue cross-check: $360,000 × 0.77× = $277,000.

What raises the price

Commercial or uniform accounts
Route or pickup-and-delivery customers
Newer, non-perc equipment
Staff who press and run the counter without the owner

What lowers it

Perc (perchloroethylene) contamination risk at the site
Old equipment
Falling walk-in volume
A short lease

Calculating SDE for a dry cleaning business

Start from net profit on your tax return or P&L, then add back:

Owner salary
Depreciation on equipment
Interest
One-time repairs

Only add back what a buyer can verify. See SDE explained: how to calculate owner earnings and add-backs for a full walkthrough.

If there are two working owners, the second owner's salary usually stays as a cost, because a buyer will need to replace that person.

Questions

What range do dry cleaners sell in?

On BizBuySell's dry-cleaning benchmark page, sold businesses ranged from about 1.42× (lower quartile) to 2.55× (upper quartile) owner earnings, with a median of 1.91×. The calculator starts from the industry-table average, which is a separate figure.

How this estimate works

We start from the published average multiple for businesses in this category that actually sold, adjust it for owner involvement, recurring revenue, track record and size, and apply it to your owner earnings. Read the full valuation methodology, including what we don't do.

Related trades

Compare other trades

Trade	Avg SDE multiple	Avg revenue multiple	Median sale price	Basis
Plumbing	2.61×	0.69×	$699,000	Trade row
HVAC	2.83×quartiles 1.99–3.33×	0.60×	$750,000	Trade row
Electrical	2.77×	0.63×	$1,009,000	Trade row
Landscaping	2.49×	0.72×	$449,950	Trade row
Pool service / routes	2.61×	0.83×	—	Sector average (no trade row)
Pest control	2.46×quartiles 1.69–3×	1.01×	$250,000	Trade row
Cleaning	2.25×	0.72×	$281,500	Trade row
Roofing	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Auto repair	2.85×	0.65×	$430,000	Trade row
Salon / barbershop	2.10×	0.52×	$117,375	Trade row
Restaurant	2.18×quartiles 1.34–2.53×	0.39×	$220,000	Trade row
Daycare / child care	3.28×quartiles 1.94–4.03×	0.88×	$380,000	Trade row
Dental practice	2.75×quartiles 1.6–3.37×	0.76×	$350,000	Trade row
Gym / fitness center	2.54×quartiles 1.72–3×	0.70×	$204,000	Trade row
Insurance agency	2.87×quartiles 1.88–3.44×	1.52×	$500,000	Trade row
Accounting / tax / bookkeeping	2.27×quartiles 1.61–2.66×	1.08×	$450,000	Trade row
Moving company	2.52×quartiles 1.8–3.11×	0.63×	$350,000	Trade row
IT services / MSP	3.22×quartiles 2.2–3.87×	1.08×	$726,800	Trade row
Locksmith	2.35×	0.75×	$300,000	Trade row
Pet grooming	2.30×quartiles 1.38–2.51×	0.63×	$152,500	Trade row
Laundromat	3.70×	1.33×	$250,000	Trade row
Car wash	4.87×	1.96×	$800,000	Trade row
Towing	3.28×	0.95×	$1,250,000	Trade row
Dry cleaning	2.11×quartiles 1.42–2.55×	0.77×	$253,500	Trade row
Coffee shop / cafe	2.27×	0.47×	$150,000	Trade row
Dog daycare / boarding	3.27×	1.08×	$412,500	Trade row
Concrete	2.54×	0.61×	$780,000	Trade row
Painting	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Garage door	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Handyman	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Tree service	2.61×quartiles 1.75–3.13×	0.83×	$350,000	Sector average (no trade row)
Appliance repair	2.61×quartiles 1.75–3.13×	0.83×	$350,000	Sector average (no trade row)
Junk removal	2.61×quartiles 1.75–3.13×	0.83×	$350,000	Sector average (no trade row)
Other main-street business	2.61×	0.83×	$350,000	General main-street range

Source: BizBuySell, Business Valuation Multiples by Industry, businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026; quartiles from BizBuySell's valuation benchmark pages (sold 2021–2025). Pool, tree service, appliance repair, and junk removal use the Service Businesses sector average. Roofing, painting, garage door, and handyman use the Building and Construction sector average. “Other” uses the Service Businesses sector. Junk removal is not the Junk and Salvage Yards row. Retrieved Oct 30–Nov 2, 2026.

Estimates for information only; not an appraisal or an offer. MainStreetKeys is not a business broker. Data retrieved Oct 30–Nov 2, 2026.