ACE DuraFlo Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $147K – $415K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
ACE DuraFlo is a home services franchise that restores pipes in place using its patented ePIPE epoxy lining process instead of full repiping. Franchisees run local operations, managing pipe-restoration jobs and accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ACE DuraFlo franchise requires a total initial investment of $147K – $415K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (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: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $147K – $415K
- 57th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 56th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 11
- 21st pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $147K – $415K including a $35K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Controlled by same persons as Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC
- Predecessor
- Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Operating Member (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Technology Officer and Managing Member
- Larry Gillanders
- CEO experience
- 25 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Nevada
- HQ
- 3122 West Alpine Street, Santa Ana, California 92704
- Auditor
- CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.8M
- vs $1.3M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Larry Gillanders
- Headquarters
- California
- Founded
- 1999
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 66% above the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown9 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $35K | |
| Real Property and Fixtures | $3K | $15K | |
| Compressor | $15K | $51K | |
| Equipment Package | $35K | $72K | |
| Plumbing Tools, Supplies and Epoxy | $10K | $13K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $50K | |
| Signage | $2K | $4K | |
| Misc. Opening Costs, including Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $12K | $25K | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $35K | $150K | |
| Total initial investment | $147K | $415K |
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
- $147K – $415K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $150K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 9.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
ACE DuraFlo makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one ACE DuraFlo 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 annual revenue, 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.
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: 2022 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.5% (near the Cleaning & Maintenance median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -52.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 7% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Cleaning & Maintenance medians
How ACE DuraFlo Compares
Category median of published Cleaning & Maintenance 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 2022 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 11
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 9.1%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 91%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 7.1%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -52.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -52.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 0
- Termination rate
- 9.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 9.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
4 current owners across 4 states.
- CA 1
- OH 1
- SC 1
- TX 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
ACE DuraFlo presents HIGH RISK due to a contracting franchise system (−9.1% YoY), complete absence of financial performance data, unprotected territories, and a cost structure misaligned with a declining 11-unit network.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
Item 3 states: "No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item."
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSystem declining 9.1% YoY (11 units total) suggests weak franchise model viability
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (Item 19) prevents ROI assessment and indicates potential franchisor transparency issues
- 03MINORNo protected territory creates direct competition risk and cannibalization between franchisees
- 04MINORHigh franchise fee ($34.9K) relative to small system size and declining unit count signals potential revenue dependency on recruitment
- 05MED8%/6% tiered royalties on undisclosed revenue base makes profitability modeling impossible for prospects
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2022 · 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Based on population, increments of 250,000 up to one million |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Orange County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Nevada |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 states: "No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item."
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- Training location
- Santa Ana, California
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 20 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
4 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 ACE DuraFlo franchise?
The total investment to open a ACE DuraFlo franchise ranges from $147K – $415K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do ACE DuraFlo franchise owners earn?
ACE DuraFlo makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns ACE DuraFlo?
ACE DuraFlo is franchised by ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC. The FDD names no parent company. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Controlled by same persons as Pipe Restoration Technologies, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2022 filing.
What is Item 19 in the ACE DuraFlo 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 ACE DuraFlo FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ACE DuraFlo's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ACE DuraFlo (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 ACE DuraFlo franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, ACE DuraFlo has 11 total units in the United States, including 10 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is ACE DuraFlo a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ACE DuraFlo as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent ACE DuraFlo, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Cleaning & Maintenance franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Cleaning & Maintenance category
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.