Bottled water and cooler delivery route
Deliver 5-gallon bottles and rent coolers to workplaces on a regular route.
- $8k-40k
- Part-time
- Out and about
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
Official data
10,248 US businesses with employees in this field, +6.8% in a year
NAICS 532490 “Other commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
What it is
You buy bottled water from a licensed bottler or distributor and deliver it to offices and workplaces on a set weekly or biweekly route. You also rent or sell coolers and collect empty bottles.
Your first three steps
- Contact regional bottlers and water distributors to compare wholesale bottle prices, minimum orders and whether they offer reseller or franchise terms
- Pick a zip code or two with plenty of small businesses, and price your bottles and coolers against local competitors
- Sign up your first 5 to 10 customers with free first-delivery offers, then keep a simple log of stops, bottles and payments
Who pays
Offices, construction firms, warehouses, churches, schools and small businesses that want a steady supply of drinking water.
How it makes money
Price per bottle delivered, monthly cooler rental, and sometimes a delivery or bottle deposit fee. A dense route with several stops per street means more revenue per hour.
Skills that help
- Comfortable lifting and driving a van or truck
- Route planning and keeping a schedule
- Friendly customer service and basic selling
Watch out for
- Check state and local rules for selling and delivering drinking water, including any health department or business license requirements
- Commercial auto insurance and general liability insurance, since this is a vehicle and delivery business
- Heavy lifting: plan equipment like hand trucks and lift gates to protect your back
- Storage space for full and empty bottles, and check zoning or HOA/lease rules if you store them at home
- Cash flow: you pay for stock upfront and customers may pay on monthly invoices
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: bottled water and cooler delivery route
Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a bottled water delivery route?
Startup costs are typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your vehicle, opening stock, coolers and equipment such as hand trucks. These are estimates, and you pay for stock upfront, so check your cash flow before you begin.
How much can a water delivery route earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many customers are on your route, how often you deliver and how much you earn from cooler rentals. That is revenue before stock, fuel, insurance and other costs.
What rules should I check before delivering bottled water?
Check state and local rules for selling and delivering drinking water, including any health department or business license requirements. Also check commercial auto and general liability insurance, and zoning, HOA or lease rules if you plan to store bottles at home.
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