Data Deep-Dive
Most Profitable Franchises 2026: Revenue from FDD Item 19
Quick answer
The highest-revenue franchise brands ranked live by FDD Item 19 gross sales, with investment ranges, royalties and SBA performance. Gross sales are not profit.
SBA charge-off rate by franchise category
The most profitable franchises in 2026 are not always the ones you recognize from highway billboards. Based on FranchiseVerdict's analysis of FDD Item 19 gross sales disclosures, the highest-grossing systems span home services, senior care, financial services, and quick-service restaurants — with comparable average gross sales ranging from $1.1M to $16.5M per location.
How we define "profitable"
Profitability in franchising is surprisingly hard to pin down. Most franchisors disclose gross revenue in FDD Item 19, but only a handful disclose net income. That means the franchise with $10M in revenue and 2% margins is technically less profitable than the one doing $2M at 20% margins — but the FDD only shows you the first number.
For this analysis, we ranked brands by average gross sales per location as disclosed in their most recent FDD. We then layered in investment cost, royalty rate, and SBA loan performance to give you a fuller picture. A franchise generating $8M in revenue but requiring a $6M investment is a very different proposition than one generating $3M on a $150K investment.
Top 10 most profitable franchises by revenue
The following table ranks franchise brands by average gross sales per location, based on the most recent FDD Item 19 disclosure. Brands whose figure is not a per-location average that can be compared (averaged per franchisee, company-owned units only, or a partial year) are listed after the ranked brands, unranked, with the figure as disclosed. Click any brand name to see its full FranchiseVerdict profile.
| Rank | Brand | Avg. Gross Sales | Investment Range | Royalty | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vital Care | $16.5M | $556K – $1.0M | N/A | Healthcare |
| 2 | City Wide Facility Solutions | $9.8M | $230K – $411K | 5.0% | Business Services |
| 3 | Chick-fil-A | $9.3MOutlet subset | $427K – $2.3M | 15.0% | Full-Service |
| 4 | Best Choice Roofing | $7.5MIncl. company outlets | $117K – $193K | 6.0% | Home Services |
| 5 | Byrider | $7.0M | $947K – $1.6M | 2.5% | Automotive |
| 6 | Window World | $5.8M | $123K – $363K | N/A | Home Services |
| 7 | Precision Garage Door Service | $5.7MOutlet subset | $164K – $360K | 6.0% | Home Services |
| 8 | Ford's Garage | $5.7MIncl. company outlets | $3.7M – $6.6M | 5.5% | Full-Service |
| 9 | Giordano's Restaurants | $1.8MOutlet subset | $1.6M – $2.1M | 6.0% | Full-Service |
| 10 | Mr. Electric | $1.1M | $160K – $357K | 6.0% | Home Services |
| — | Nick and Moe's | Not disclosed | $2.3M – $3.2M | 6.0% | QSR |
| — | Closets By Design | $9.9MPer franchisee, not per outlet | $154K – $511K | 7.3% | Home Services |
| — | Always Best Care | $3.2MPer franchisee, not per outlet | $90K – $146K | 6.0% | Senior Care |
| — | USA Insulation | $1.6MPer franchisee, not per outletIncl. company outlets | $304K – $477K | 5.0% | Home Services |
| — | 10X Health System | Not disclosed | $216K – $523K | 12.0% | Healthcare |
| — | Design Pro Remodeling | Not disclosed | $66K – $104K | 6.0% | Home Services |
| — | Go Painting | $509KPer franchisee, not per outlet | $137K – $180K | 7.0% | Home Services |
| — | Urban Air Adventure Park | Not disclosed | $3.1M – $5.8M | 7.0% | Entertainment |
| — | First Day Homecare | Not disclosed | $139K – $248K | 5.0% | Senior Care |
| — | Service Experts | $6.3MCompany-owned only | $146K – $285K | 6.0% | Home Services |
Royalty shows N/A where the FDD sets no single flat percentage of gross sales (for example a rate that varies by revenue category, or a fee charged per unit) — see the brand page for the full terms. Gross sales are not profit.
The home services surprise
This surprises most people: 4 of the top 10 highest-revenue franchises are home services brands. Vital Care leads the ranked list at $16.5M in average gross sales. The catch is that home services territories often cover larger geographic areas and may include multiple crews, so you are comparing a multi-unit operation to a single restaurant location.
Investment matters as much as revenue. Best Choice Roofing reports $7.5M (incl. company outlets) on a $117K – $193K investment. Compare that to Ford's Garage, which reports $5.7M (incl. company outlets) but requires $3.7M – $6.6M to open.
Revenue is not profit: what the numbers hide
Before you rush to open a home services franchise, understand what gross sales actually means. A Precision Garage Door Service territory generating $5.7M (outlet subset) in revenue might employ many technicians, multiple vehicles, and carry substantial overhead. The owner's take-home is a fraction of that top-line number, and the FDD does not say how large a fraction.
By contrast, Always Best Care reports $3.2M per franchisee in gross sales on a $90K – $146K investment with a 6.2% SBA charge-off rate across 45 loans. The margins on senior care tend to be thinner (labor-intensive model).
The best revenue-to-investment ratios
If you care about capital efficiency rather than raw revenue, the picture shifts considerably. Here are the brands in this list with the highest revenue-to-investment ratios (comparable average gross sales over the top of the investment range):
- Best Choice Roofing — $7.5M (incl. company outlets) revenue on $117K – $193K investment (39.0x ratio)
- City Wide Facility Solutions — $9.8M revenue on $230K – $411K investment (23.9x ratio)
- Vital Care — $16.5M revenue on $556K – $1.0M investment (16.4x ratio)
- Precision Garage Door Service — $5.7M (outlet subset) revenue on $164K – $360K investment (15.9x ratio)
- Window World — $5.8M revenue on $123K – $363K investment (15.9x ratio)
These ratios look extraordinary because they represent territory-level revenue against initial franchise investment. The ongoing costs of labor, materials, vehicles, and overhead are not reflected. Still, the capital required to get started in home services is dramatically lower than restaurants or entertainment concepts.
What about SBA loan performance?
High revenue does not guarantee you can repay your startup loans. We cross-referenced our revenue rankings with SBA 7(a) charge-off data to flag brands where the revenue looks great but the loan performance tells a different story:
- Closets By Design reports $9.9M per franchisee in average sales but has a 17.1% SBA charge-off rate across 45 loans. That elevated charge-off rate despite strong revenue suggests margin problems.
- Urban Air Adventure Park requires $3.1M – $5.8M to open and has a 3.3% charge-off rate across 175 SBA loans. The capital at risk is large.
- Mr. Electric reports $1.1M in revenue with a 22.8% SBA charge-off rate across 136 loans. That is above the national franchise average of 16.0%.
Among the highest-revenue brands, City Wide Facility Solutions pairs $9.8M in average gross sales with a 0.0% SBA charge-off rate on 32 loans.
How to evaluate profitability for any franchise
This ranking is a starting point. To actually assess profitability before you invest:
- Read the Item 19 disclosure carefully. Some brands report average gross sales, others report median, and others report only gross sales for the top quartile. Averages can be heavily skewed by a few top performers. Check whether the FDD discloses expenses alongside revenue.
- Use the FranchiseVerdict screener to filter brands by revenue, investment, category, and risk grade. The screener lets you find brands that match your capital and risk tolerance.
- Cross-reference with SBA data. Visit the brand's SBA profile to check loan performance. A high-revenue franchise with a high charge-off rate is a red flag that something is not translating from revenue to owner income.
- Talk to current franchisees. Item 20 of every FDD lists franchisee contact information. Call at least 10 and ask about actual take-home pay after all expenses. Our contacts product provides verified contact details for hundreds of brands.
Methodology
Revenue figures in this article are sourced from FDD Item 19 financial performance representations filed with state franchise regulators. "Average gross sales" represents the mean gross revenue per franchise location or territory as disclosed by the franchisor. Not all franchisors disclose revenue data; many of the FDD-backed brands in our database include no Item 19 disclosure. Investment ranges are from FDD Item 7. SBA charge-off rates are calculated from SBA 7(a) loan data obtained through FOIA requests. For our full methodology, see the methodology page.
The bottom line
Profitability is harder to measure than revenue, and the franchise industry's transparency problem makes it harder still. Many franchise brands do not disclose revenue at all, and even fewer disclose net income. The brands on this list generate impressive top-line numbers, but revenue without margin data is an incomplete picture. A $21.8M territory with 5% margins and a $7.8M territory with 15% margins produce similar owner income — yet they look very different on a revenue ranking. Always cross-reference revenue with SBA charge-off rates and talk to actual franchisees about take-home pay before investing.
Related franchise research
Continue your research with our 7-Eleven franchise analysis, Ace Hardware franchise analysis, and best food franchises guide.
Research this brand further
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the most profitable franchise to own?
- Based on FDD Item 19 gross sales data, the highest-grossing franchise brands in our ranking include Vital Care ($16.5M average gross sales), City Wide Facility Solutions ($9.8M average gross sales), Chick-fil-A ($9.3M (outlet subset) average gross sales). Keep in mind that gross sales is not the same as owner profit, since most FDDs disclose revenue but not net income.
- How much do the most profitable franchise owners make?
- Owner income varies dramatically by brand and category. Most FDDs do not disclose net income, only gross revenue.
- Are food franchises or non-food franchises more profitable?
- The data tells a different story than most people expect. Iconic food brands like Chick-fil-A report large revenue ($9.3M (outlet subset) average gross sales), but 4 of the top 10 highest-revenue franchises in our ranking are home services brands rather than restaurants. Vital Care leads the ranking at $16.5M. Gross sales are not profit.
- What franchise has the best return on investment?
- An FDD does not disclose ROI; the closest measure it supports is gross sales relative to initial investment. On that measure, Best Choice Roofing ($7.5M (incl. company outlets) on a $117K – $193K investment, roughly a 39.0x ratio) and City Wide Facility Solutions ($9.8M on a $230K – $411K investment, roughly a 23.9x ratio) top our ranking. These territory-level ratios exclude ongoing labor, materials, and overhead, and gross sales are not profit, but the startup capital required is far lower than restaurants.
- What is the difference between franchise profit and franchise revenue?
- Revenue (gross sales) is the total money a franchise location collects before any expenses. Profit (net income) is what remains after subtracting royalties (typically 4-8%), ad fund fees (1-5%), labor, materials, rent, insurance, and debt service.