Bark BustersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bark Busters franchise requires a total initial investment of $78K – $117K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $78K – $117K
- 24th pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 61st pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 61st pct Pet Services
- Units
- 133
- 76th pct Pet Services
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Pet Services 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 $78K – $117K including a $50K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 58/100.
- 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
- Bark Busters North America, LLC
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 318 Diablo Road, Suite 265, Danville, CA 94526
- Auditor
- Iryna Accountancy Corporation
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.5M
- vs $3.3M prior year
Overview
About
Bark Busters franchisees operate a dog training business delivering in-home behavioral training services to residential clients. Day-to-day operations include conducting client consultations, executing 1-on-1 training sessions in clients' homes, managing scheduling and CRM, and handling marketing/lead generation. Revenue is generated on a per-session or package basis, with recurring revenue from follow-up sessions and training packages.
- CEO
- Carl Peterson
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 34
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $3K | $5K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $25K | $63K |
| Total initial investment | $78K | $117K |
Source: Bark Busters 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $78K – $117K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $5K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Pet Services averages
How Bark Busters Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 133
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 1.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +1.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +3.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 9
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 28 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 9 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 9
- Loan volume
- $1.6M
- Median loan
- $88K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Bark Busters's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 8 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 7 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 7-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Stagnant 133-unit system with near-zero growth, zero financial disclosure, and high fees creates meaningful profitability uncertainty and limited upside potential.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Iryna Accountancy Corporation
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 58 / 100 rating
- 01MINORSystem stagnation: Only 1.5% YoY unit growth indicates mature/declining franchise with minimal expansion momentum
- 02MINORNo financial transparency: Franchisor does not disclose average unit revenue or net income (Item 19), making ROI assessment impossible
- 03MEDHigh upfront cost relative to transparency: $77,900–$117,000 investment plus $49,500 franchise fee ($127,400–$166,500 total) with no disclosed earnings data to justify spend
- 04MED10% royalty on gross revenues is aggressive burden for service-based business with no disclosed average revenue baseline
- 05MINORHigh franchisee acquisition cost: $49,500 franchise fee suggests franchisor prioritizes fee revenue over franchisee profitability
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | ZIP codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 189 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- POS system
- CRM software system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CRM software system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
99 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bark Busters · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bark Busters franchise?
The total investment to open a Bark Busters franchise ranges from $78K – $117K, 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 Bark Busters franchise owners earn?
Bark Busters 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 Bark Busters's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bark Busters (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 Bark Busters franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bark Busters has 133 total units in the United States, including 128 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Bark Busters a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bark Busters as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 58 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.
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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.