Aerus Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Aerus, formerly Electrolux, is a home-products franchise selling and servicing air and water purification and floor-care systems, largely through in-home demonstrations. Franchisees run a sales-and-service operation with reps and a retail-service location in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Aerus franchise requires a total initial investment of $31K – $418K, including a $1K – $3K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $31K – $418K
- 2nd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 48th pct Home Services
- Units
- 151
- 69th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services avg · 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 $31K – $418K including a $3K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 audited statements of Aerus Franchising, LLC (Delaware LLC), balance sheet as of 12/31/2025 in whole US dollars; clean/unqualified opinion by Brown Edwards (becpas.com, Bristol, TN). total_revenue = "SALES, net" $14,066,044 (2025); yr2 = $15,306,301 (2024). This is a product-distribution franchise: revenue is net product sales, not franchise-fee revenue. Per Item 6 / state addenda, ~$13.12M (91%) of the franchisor's revenue derived from required product purchases/leases by franchisees. other_revenue = interest income $4,455. No non-current liabilities; total liabilities = total current liabilities $2,288,765, reconciles with members' equity $3,874,503 to total assets $6,163,268.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better).
- FLAG8 units terminated last reporting year (5.3% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Aerus Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Aerus LLC
- Ultimate parent
- ActivePure Technologies, LLC
- Predecessor
- Electrolux LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Manager, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
- Joseph P. Urso
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 14841 Dallas Parkway, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75254
- Auditor
- Brown, Edwards & Company, L.L.P.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $14.1M
- vs $15.3M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joseph P. Urso
- Headquarters
- Texas
- Founded
- 2001
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 36
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about average for a home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown18 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Beyond Addendum Feenot refundable | $0 | $100 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $15K | |
| Furniture Fixtures and Equipment | $2K | $15K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $8K | |
| Initial Inventory (supplies, consigned products, spare parts) | $5K | $90K | |
| Pre-Opening Training Expenses | $1K | $7K | |
| Supplies (stationery, business cards, etc.) (for 3 months) | $100 | $600 | |
| Permits & Licenses | $50 | $200 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums (for first year) | $2K | $2K | |
| Architect Fees | $0 | $5K | |
| Other Professional Fees | $500 | $1K | |
| Site Lease (for 3 months) | $500 | $10K | |
| Utility Deposits | $350 | $450 | |
| Advertising and Promotion | $0 | $5K | |
| Signage | $1K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $3K | $50K | |
| Goodwill | $0 | $200K | |
| Total initial investment | $16K | $418K |
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
- $31K – $418K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $1K – $3K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $100 |
| Renewal fee | $100 |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $90K |
| Total fee load | 11.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Aerus did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Aerus unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
24%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Item 21 audited statements of Aerus Franchising, LLC (Delaware LLC), balance sheet as of 12/31/2025 in whole US dollars; clean/unqualified opinion by Brown Edwards (becpas.com, Bristol, TN). total_revenue = "SALES, net" $14,066,044 (2025); yr2 = $15,306,301 (2024). This is a product-distribution franchise: revenue is net product sales, not franchise-fee revenue. Per Item 6 / state addenda, ~$13.12M (91%) of the franchisor's revenue derived from required product purchases/leases by franchisees. other_revenue = interest income $4,455. No non-current liabilities; total liabilities = total current liabilities $2,288,765, reconciles with members' equity $3,874,503 to total assets $6,163,268.
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 11.0% — above the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System contracting at -19.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 averages
How Aerus Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 151
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 8
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.8%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -19.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -19.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 8
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 2
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 38 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Hawaii
- Michigan
- South Dakota
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- $2.9M
- Median loan
- $718K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (4 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Aerus presents HIGH RISK due to a contracting franchise system (−17.3% YoY), undisclosed unit economics, false going concern status, active franchisor litigation, and an unusually restrictive 1-year term that provides minimal franchisee security.
Litigation (Item 3)
One completed case (EnviroPro v. Aerus affiliates, settled 2019 for $350,000 paid by affiliate) and one recently settled arbitration against a former franchisee (Aerus Franchising v. Avacs, LLC & Joe Ardito, filed Feb 2025, settled Nov 2025) for post-term obligations/trademark infringement.
Largest disclosed settlement: $350,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Brown, Edwards & Company, L.L.P.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSystem declining sharply: 166 units down 17.3% YoY indicates contracting franchisee base and potential market saturation or performance issues
- 02MINORNo financial disclosure (Item 19): Franchisor refuses to disclose average unit revenue and net income, making ROI completely opaque and preventing informed investment decisions
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE: Red flag suggesting franchisor financial instability or accounting irregularities that undermine system viability
- 04HIGHActive litigation with franchisees: Pending 2025 arbitration by franchisor against former franchisee over post-term obligations suggests disputes over contract enforcement and exit terms
- 05MINORHistorical trademark/contract disputes: 2019 settled lawsuit involving breach of contract and trademark violation indicates systemic relationship conflicts with channel partners
- 06MINORExtremely short 1-year term: Unusual franchise term length provides minimal business stability, high renewal uncertainty, and extreme dependency on franchisor goodwill
- 07MEDHigh royalty burden at 8% with no performance data: Without disclosed earnings, franchisees cannot verify royalty sustainability relative to actual profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 11.0% 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 | 1 year |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 1 year |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 21 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 21 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One completed case (EnviroPro v. Aerus affiliates, settled 2019 for $350,000 paid by affiliate) and one recently settled arbitration against a former franchisee (Aerus Franchising v. Avacs, LLC & Joe Ardito, filed Feb 2025, settled Nov 2025) for post-term obligations/trademark infringement.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 32 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Dallas, Texas and designated Aerus Business locations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FOAS / FAST (proprietary accounting/software)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FOAS / FAST (proprietary accounting/software)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
124 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Aerus · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Aerus franchise?
The total investment to open a Aerus franchise ranges from $31K – $418K, with an initial franchise fee of $3K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Aerus franchise owners earn?
Aerus does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Aerus 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 Aerus FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Aerus's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Aerus (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 Aerus franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Aerus has 151 total units in the United States, including 148 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Aerus a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Aerus as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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 Aerus, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.