Auto-Lab ExpressFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Auto-Lab Express franchise requires a total initial investment of $146K – $345K, including a $28K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $146K – $345K
- 16th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 24th pct Automotive
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 8th pct Automotive
- Units
- 1
- 0th pct Automotive
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Automotive avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- Total investment $146K – $345K including a $28K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 86/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Auto-Lab Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Wilson Holdings, L.L.C.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Stephen R. Wilson
- Incorporated in
- MI
- HQ
- 6001 N. Adams Road, Suite 255, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304
- Auditor
- Schlaupitz Madhavan, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $784K
- vs $892K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
Auto-Lab Express franchisees operate automotive diagnostic and maintenance service centers, performing vehicle inspections, fluid services, battery replacement, belt/hose work, and minor repairs. Daily operations involve customer intake, technician management, inventory control, and service scheduling in a fixed retail location.
- CEO
- Stephen R. Wilson
- Headquarters
- MI
- Founded
- 2011
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing · 13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $14K | $28K | |
| Equipment and Fixturesnot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Inventory | $10K | $15K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $15K | $50K | |
| Training Expenses | $3K | $5K | |
| Pre-Opening Expenses | $10K | $20K | |
| Professional Services Costs | $3K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $4K | $4K | |
| Signage | $20K | $80K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $500 | $500 | |
| Real Estate Costs | $0 | $15K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $15K | $20K | |
| Insurance (3 months) | $3K | $3K | |
| Total initial investment | $146K | $345K |
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
- $146K – $345K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $14K – $28K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $600 |
| Transfer fee | $14K |
| Renewal fee | $14K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Automotive averages
How Auto-Lab Express Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 8 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
This is a critically underdeveloped franchise with a single unit, hidden financials, and potential franchisor going-concern issues—indicating either a failed rollout or deliberate opacity around performance metrics.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Schlaupitz Madhavan, P.C.
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 86 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 1 unit in entire system indicates either brand-new franchise or severe underperformance/collapse
- 02MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosures (average revenue/net income) prevents ROI validation and suggests franchisor cannot/will not disclose performance
- 03HIGHGoing Concern = False indicates potential financial distress at franchisor level, threatening support infrastructure
- 04MINORHigh investment range ($145,750-$344,500) with no performance benchmarks creates unquantifiable risk
- 05MINOR6% royalty on weekly gross sales is burdensome when profitability data is hidden
- 06MINOR15-year term is lengthy given system has only 1 operating unit and no growth trajectory
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Oakland County, Michigan |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Michigan |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 82 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 72 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Time to open
- 5 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- Auto-Lab Business Management System (ALBMS®)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Auto-Lab Business Management System (ALBMS®)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
26 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Auto-Lab Express · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Auto-Lab Express franchise?
The total investment to open a Auto-Lab Express franchise ranges from $146K – $345K, with an initial franchise fee of $28K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Auto-Lab Express franchise owners earn?
Auto-Lab Express 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 Auto-Lab Express's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Auto-Lab Express (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 Auto-Lab Express franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Auto-Lab Express has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Auto-Lab Express a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Auto-Lab Express as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 86 out of 100, 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
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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.