Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & MoreFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More franchise requires a total initial investment of $100K – $1.1M, including a $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $100K – $1.1M
- 10th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 24th pct Automotive
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 8th pct Automotive
- Units
- 14
- 10th 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
Franchising since 1989. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $100K – $1.1M including a $15K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 65/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Big Al's Franchising, Inc.
- Predecessor
- corporation
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Ralph L. Wetherington, Jr.
- CEO experience
- 2012 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 109 East 40th Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23504
- Auditor
- Colonial CPA Group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $48K
- vs $58K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
Big Al's Mufflers franchisees operate automotive service centers focused on muffler, brake, and general maintenance repair. Day-to-day operations include customer intake, vehicle diagnostics, parts installation, invoicing, and inventory management in a small-to-medium service bay setting.
- CEO
- Ralph L. Wetherington, Jr.
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 1988
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $3K | $480K | |
| Equipment | $33K | $465K | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $1K | $5K | |
| Lease and Utility Deposits | $5K | $8K | |
| Real Estate (Leased) | $2K | $5K | |
| Initial Inventory | $13K | $29K | |
| Office Supplies | $2K | $3K | |
| Working Capital | $15K | $20K | |
| Signage | $3K | $10K | |
| Initial Advertising | $10K | $10K | |
| Insurance | $375 | $500 | |
| Total initial investment | $100K | $1.0M |
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
- $100K – $1.1M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 9.5% 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 Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 7.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 33.3%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Transfer rate
- 0.9%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
A micro-system with undisclosed unit economics, no territorial protection, and franchisor financial concerns presents substantial risk; the absence of Item 19 data makes informed investment impossible.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Bankruptcy. Neither the Franchisor, nor any of its affiliates, predecessors or officers has been involved as a debtor in proceedings under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code required to be disclosed in this Item. 3 No cases, actions or other proceedings under the laws of foreign nations relating to bankruptcy
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Colonial CPA Group
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD Item 19 — impossible to validate ROI claims
- 02MINOROnly 14 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory suggests stagnant or declining brand
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, indicating potential financial instability at franchisor level
- 04MINORTerritory completely unprotected — franchisees face internal competition and cannibalization risk
- 05MINORWide investment range ($99K-$1.09M) with no clarity on what drives 11x cost variance
- 06MINORLow franchise fee ($15K) paired with high royalties (5.5%) may indicate franchisor relies on royalty extraction vs. franchisee success
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 30,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 10 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Tucson, Arizona |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 18 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 280 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant
- POS system
- Point of Sale Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Point of Sale Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
13 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More franchise?
The total investment to open a Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More franchise ranges from $100K – $1.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More franchise owners earn?
Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More 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 Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More (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 Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More has 14 total units in the United States, including 15 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Big Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 65 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.