Frequently asked questions

Expect several. The wash building needs a permit under the Florida Building Code, its steel package arrives with an engineer's sealed drawings matched to the wind the code assigns that site, the fire marshal reviews the plans for the Florida Fire Prevention Code, and the city or county approves the site plan and zoning. Water, sewer and stormwater connections are reviewed by the local utility and county, so start those conversations early.

Sometimes, but a FEMA flood zone raises the required finished-floor height, and that affects the slab, the drains and the equipment room. Pull the flood map for the parcel and ask the county's floodplain office what elevation applies before the wash is laid out.

As long as the conveyor and the equipment along it, plus space at the entrance for prep and at the exit for drying. The equipment supplier's layout sets that length, so choose the equipment package before the building is drawn rather than after.

Spray, mist and wash chemicals reach every surface inside the bays, and the building rarely dries out completely. Protection starts with coated or galvanized framing, an interior liner panel that keeps water off the structure, fasteners rated for wet service and trim that sheds water instead of trapping it. Good ventilation helps every one of those last longer.

Usually not. The conveyor, brushes, arches, pumps and pay stations come from a wash equipment supplier, and the steel building is designed around their drawings. The building contractor needs those drawings to place openings, pads, drains and the equipment room correctly.

Often, yes. Warm, wet air against a cold roof panel condenses and drips onto cars that were just cleaned. Insulated panels or an insulated roof with a liner below keep the inside surfaces warmer, and in cold climates insulation also helps keep water lines from freezing.

More than a flat floor. It slopes to trench drains, ties into reclaim or settling tanks, carries pads for the equipment and hides the conduit and water lines the wash needs. All of that is located from the equipment drawings and set before any concrete is placed.