Many car wash facilities include a intangible component of value, often called business value, in addition to the real estate (bricks and mortar) value component. Many appraisal practitioners inappropriately refer to this "going concern" value as “fee simple value” only, which is a clear violation of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

Business enterprise value is a value enhancement that results from items of intangible personal property such as marketing and management skill, an assembled work force, working capital, trade names, franchises, patents, trademarks, non-realty related contracts or leases, and some operating agreements. Going-concern value is the value created by a proven property operation with income sufficient to pay a fair return to all the agents of production.

Valuing the real estate and the business value separately is important for litigation purposes, tax matters, selling purposes, and mortgage financing (especially SBA financing). Although our appraisals typically include an indication of the value of the business as a whole, it is important to note that some lenders will loan on only the value of real estate, building, and equipment (bricks and mortar) components of the property. If the lender were forced to take posession and liquidate the car wash, they would typically not operate the property in the interim. Given that there would be no business value associated with a non-operating car wash, all that would be left for the bank to sell is the value of the physical components of the property.