1-Tom-Plumber Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $516K – $2.8M
- Disclosed sales
- $1.6M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 12 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
1-Tom-Plumber is a plumbing and drain services franchise handling repairs, drain cleaning, and emergency water work for homes and businesses. Franchisees run local operations, dispatching technicians and managing scheduling and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A 1-Tom-Plumber franchise requires a total initial investment of $516K – $2.8M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.6M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored6 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $516K – $2.8M
- 87th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- 19th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Home Services
- Units
- 43
- 40th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $516K – $2.8M including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.6M/year.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +14 franchised outlets in the latest year (19 opened, 5 closed) (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 311.1% CAGR over 3 years with 43 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- 1 Tom Plumber Global LLC
- Parent company
- Clintar, Inc. (d/b/a EverSmith Brands)
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- EverSmith Brands Holding Company (controlled by Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V, L.P. and V-A, L.P. / The Riverside Company)
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- have offered franchises under the
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- Ohio
- HQ
- 6700 Forum Dr, Ste 150, Orlando, Florida 32821-8013
- Auditor
- Rudler, PSC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.2M
- vs $2.3M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Kitchen Guard Franchising
- MilliCare Franchising
- The Seals Franchising
- U.S
- and its predecessor have offered Clintar Commercial Outdoor Services franchises s
- TruServe Groundscare
- Restoration Specialties Franchise Group
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 6
3 other brands on this site name EverSmith Brands Holding Company (controlled by Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V, L.P. and V-A, L.P. / The Riverside Company) as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Portfolio: The Riverside Company (private-equity sponsor)
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ken Hutcheson
- Headquarters
- Florida
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 19
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 885% above the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown22 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Real Estate | — | — | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $500 | $15K | |
| Less Landlord Contributions | $0 | $500 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $2K | $13K | |
| Equipment Package | $315K | $1.7M | |
| Architects and Engineering | — | — | |
| Other Professional Fees | $2K | $2K | |
| Opening Inventory | $1K | $1K | |
| Opening Supplies | $19K | $95K | |
| Computers, software, Telecommunication, networking | $2K | $10K | |
| Interior and Exterior Signs | $0 | $15K | |
| Training and Pre-Opening Expenses | $3K | $6K | |
| Pre-Opening Labor & Travel | $4K | $20K | |
| Market Introduction | $5K | $20K | |
| Insurance | $500 | $1K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $250 | |
| Deposits and permits | $1K | $1K | |
| Security System | $742 | $742 | |
| Lease Deposit | $0 | $2K | |
| Total initial investment | $516K | $2.8M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $516K – $2.8M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $100K – $800K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1K |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $1K – $1K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 168% above the home services norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for 1-Tom-Plumber until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$2.1M
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one 1-Tom-Plumber unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per unit/yr · from the Item 19 franchised-cohort breakdown (no single system-wide average disclosed)
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical gross sales
- Sample size
- 20 outlets
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $543K→$3.8MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 51 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
Compared against 319 Home Services brands
Revenue is only 0.9x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.6M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 0.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 0/10 — minimal disclosure beyond the required average. Hard to judge the distribution of outcomes across units.
Operator retention
System expanding at 311.1% CAGR over 3 years across 43 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Home Services medians
How 1-Tom-Plumber Compares
Category median of published Home Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 43
- Opened
- 19
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Turnover rate
- 10.8%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 86%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 19 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
19
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 12
- Loan volume
- $4.0M
- Median loan
- $330K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 12 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 12 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 12 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- Limited · 12 loans
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 9
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 9.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 20.0%
- n=454 loans
- Jobs supported
- 81
- 2.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 17%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 92% went to startups / new businesses, 8% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contract, franchised businesses charge off at 20.0% vs 14.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 38% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing 1-Tom-Plumber franchisees
Showing 3 of 9 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for 1-Tom-Plumber from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.23%
- Lender concentration
- 16.7%
- Job velocity
- 2.0 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 13.6%
- NAICS 238220
- Jobs supported
- 81
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 17% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizens Bank | 2 | $740K | N/A |
| 2 | First Resource Bank | 2 | $458K | N/A |
| 3 | KeyBank National Association | 2 | $250K | N/A |
| 4 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 1 | $350K | N/A |
| 5 | Hancock Whitney Bank | 1 | $325K | N/A |
| 6 | CRF Small Business Loan Company, LLC | 1 | $340K | N/A |
| 7 | Capital Bank, National Association | 1 | $877K | N/A |
| 8 | Cadence Bank | 1 | $335K | N/A |
| 9 | BancFirst | 1 | $344K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| MNMinnesota | 2 | 0 | -- |
| OKOklahoma | 2 | 0 | -- |
| WAWashington | 2 | 0 | -- |
| ALAlabama | 1 | 0 | -- |
| CACalifornia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 1 | 0 | -- |
| GAGeorgia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| KYKentucky | 1 | 0 | -- |
| TXTexas | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
1 Tom Plumber Global Inc. v. Blue Ridge Plumbing and Drain LLC, et al. (S.D. Ohio, Case No. 1:25-cv-00396). Filed June 13, 2025 by franchisor against franchisee and guarantors to enforce non-compete, confidentiality, and collect royalties; franchisee counterclaimed for breach, defamation, tortious interference, abuse of process. Referred to mediation.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Rudler, PSC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 60 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive litigation involving non-compete/royalty collection suggests enforcement disputes and franchisee disputes
- 02MINORHigh investment range ($515K–$2.8M) with 6% royalty creates significant break-even pressure without earnings data
- 03MINORRapid unit growth (60.9% YoY) may indicate aggressive recruitment masking underlying unit economics or retention issues
- 04MEDOnly 43 total units indicates nascent system with limited track record and operational maturity
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | defined by zip codes / population |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 3 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Orlando, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 Tom Plumber Global Inc. v. Blue Ridge Plumbing and Drain LLC, et al. (S.D. Ohio, Case No. 1:25-cv-00396). Filed June 13, 2025 by franchisor against franchisee and guarantors to enforce non-compete, confidentiality, and collect royalties; franchisee counterclaimed for breach, defamation, tortious interference, abuse of process. Referred to mediation.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 70 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 44 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate Headquarters or other designated location / Franchisee Central Office
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee selects, franchisor accepts/rejects
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ServiceTitan (with Quickbooks)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ServiceTitan (with Quickbooks)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
30 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a 1-Tom-Plumber franchise?
The total investment to open a 1-Tom-Plumber franchise ranges from $516K – $2.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do 1-Tom-Plumber franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the 1-Tom-Plumber FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.6M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns 1-Tom-Plumber?
1-Tom-Plumber is franchised by 1 Tom Plumber Global LLC. Its parent company is Clintar, Inc. (d/b/a EverSmith Brands). The ultimate parent named in the FDD is EverSmith Brands Holding Company (controlled by Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V, L.P. and V-A, L.P. / The Riverside Company). Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the 1-Tom-Plumber FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the 1-Tom-Plumber FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is 1-Tom-Plumber's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for 1-Tom-Plumber (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many 1-Tom-Plumber franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, 1-Tom-Plumber has 43 total units in the United States, including 37 franchised units and 6 company-owned units. 19 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is 1-Tom-Plumber a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates 1-Tom-Plumber as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.