FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

ITEMS 5–7 · FDD 2017

How much is a SERVPRO franchise?

Per SERVPRO's 2017 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $55K (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $93K–$206K (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 10.0% of gross sales (Item 6).

Franchise fee · Item 5

$55K

one-time, to buy in

Royalty · Item 6

10.0%

of gross sales, ongoing

Total investment · Item 7

$93K–$206K

franchisor's own estimate

SERVPRO vs cleaning & restoration medians25 systems benchmarked
Cost lineSERVPROSector median
Initial franchise fee ITEM 5$55K$50K
Ongoing royalty ITEM 610.0%7.0%
Total initial investment ITEM 7$93K–$206K$128K–$236K

MEDIANS: LATEST REAL FDD FILINGS OF 25 CLEANING & RESTORATION SYSTEMS · FULL CLEANING & RESTORATION BENCHMARK →

Breakeven framingwhat it costs · what it drags

The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 10.0% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD, and this brand publishes no Item 19 earnings data to anchor it.

To open (Item 7)

$93K–$206K

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$55K

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

10%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$1M/yr

Your figure — this brand discloses no Item 19 earnings; validate with current & former owners.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$100K

10% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$1M

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.

Build a real pro-forma for SERVPRO with an independent CPA

SERVPRO cost questions, answered from the filing

How much is a SERVPRO franchise?

Per SERVPRO's 2017 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $55K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $93K–$206K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.

What royalty does SERVPRO charge?

SERVPRO charges an ongoing royalty of 10.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2017 FDD. The median across 25 cleaning & restoration systems tracked here is 7.0%.

Does SERVPRO tell you what franchisees earn?

No — SERVPRO's 2017 FDD makes no Item 19 earnings claim, so any revenue figure you hear comes from sales conversations, not disclosure documents. Validate with current and former franchisees.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing SERVPRO's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →