With fuel prices growing unstoppably, we have wondered what procedures and budget are needed to set up a gas station.
With the price of fuel on the rise seemingly unstoppable, many drivers believe that having a service station today is the “business of the century”. The truth is that the benefit of the owners is not proportional to the increase in price of their product; and that the paperwork and budget required to open a gas station are not within everyone’s reach…
Filling the fuel tank costs between 15 and 30 euros more than a year ago. It doesn’t matter if you read this today, tomorrow or the day after (perhaps the day after, the difference is even greater since experts predict that, shortly, we will reach 2 euros per liter of gasoline). Moreover, today, in Madrid, there are gas stations that already sell a liter at 1,999 euros (data from the official MITECO website).
Thus, the owner of a gas station seems to be an envied profile, but do you know all the procedures and requirements that he had to complete until he reached it? We see it…
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First step: feasibility study
Whether it is a gas station or any other business, the first thing is to do a feasibility study. This will allow us to calculate, approximately, what profitability will it be able to report. It is the way to know if the investment to be made is worth it or if it is too risky.
The experts at dieselogasolina.com recommend taking into account several aspects in this viability plan:
- Location. It is very important to assess where the service station will be located; know how many there are in the surroundings, how many vehicles circulate in the area; population…
- What services will lend There are stations that only offer fuel; others also have a laundry service, restoration… The more services, the more investment, but also the greater profit
- forecast of expenses and benefits
“This report will not only provide very useful information to confirm the viability of the gas station: it can also help a lot to get partners and investors who will ease the burden of facing the large investment that must be made”, say the portal’s experts.
They also warn that “this study does not guarantee the success of the gas station, but it may be the key so that it is not born dead and can avoid losing many thousands of euros”.
Investment: one million euros
In the last point of the feasibility report, the first expense will be the investment necessary to start up the gas station.
The figure may be higher or lower depending on many aspects such as size, location, facilities… But, in general, it is estimated that the necessary disbursement ranges between one million and one and a half million euros.
Requirements
To open a gas station in Spain no special concession is required, that is, any legal or natural person can do it.
Another thing is that getting the necessary permits is necessary and, above all, fast.
The first thing is to have a previous document that includes the details of the installation that we want to open. This report, which will be submitted for evaluation by the General Directorate of Highways, must summarize the characteristics of the project.
If the opinion is yes, then you could start with the construction project supervised by the corresponding professional association and a competent technician. At this point you should ask for the first building permits to the town council of the chosen locality.
It is then time to return to the General Directorate of Highways to which the document must be sent. complete project with all official documentation. This body will be in charge of granting an authorization to start the works.
From that moment on, the term to carry out the construction work is 18 months. A few weeks after the end of the works, the owner will have to go again to the General Directorate of Highways to request the opening license.
But wait, it doesn’t end here…
It is not enough that the General Directorate of Highways gives the go-ahead for the opening of the gas station; Before starting to provide service, the approval of the autonomous community in which it is located is necessary.
For this, it is necessary to prove in the Registry of the Territorial Service that the holder is in possession, among other things, of a contract that ensures fuel supply for at least three years.
It is also necessary to register the service in the Territorial Registry of Industry (essential requirement to have fuel tanks). In addition to registering the supplies of electricity, water…
Is a gas station really profitable?
Experts calculate that “many years” will have to pass in order to amortize the investment made to put a gas station into service. Obviously, whether they are more or less depends on the success that has been achieved, but no matter how well the business is going there will be no benefits until at least five years have passed.
“We must bear in mind that the sale of gasoline often does not account for the bulk of the profits, since in many cases agreements are reached with large oil companies that leave margins per liter that are usually around 10 cents of profit” , they explain from dieselogasolina.com.
The truth is that stores and other catering services tend to report more profits than suppliers. In part, because its price is higher than in other similar establishments.
This article was published in Autobild by Noelia López.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism