Blue Eagle Investigations Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $57K – $166K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Blue Eagle Investigations is a private investigation franchise providing surveillance, background checks, and fraud investigations. Franchisees run local operations, managing investigators, cases, and client relationships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Blue Eagle Investigations franchise requires a total initial investment of $57K – $166K, including a $50K – $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 20.0% 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 scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $57K – $166K
- 32nd pct Financial Ser…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 20.0%
- 48th pct Financial Ser…
- Units
- 17
- 30th pct Financial Ser…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Financial Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Financial Services 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 $57K – $166K including a $50K franchise fee, 20.0% 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 38/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -3 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 3 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG3 units terminated last reporting year (17.6% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Blue Eagle Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Blue Eagle Investigations, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2024 FDD
- Predecessor
- Blue Eagle Investigations, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Stu Macfarlane
- CEO experience
- 29 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- KS
- HQ
- 6709 W 119th St., #125, Overland Park, KS 66209
- Auditor
- Agler & Gaeddert, Chartered
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $65K
- vs $131K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Stu Macfarlane
- Headquarters
- KS
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 18% above the typical financial services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Initial Training | $0 | $600 | |
| Travel, Lodging, Food, and Other Expenses While Training | $500 | $2K | |
| Real Estate Improvements | — | — | |
| Equipment and Supplies | $0 | $2K | |
| Computer and Mobile Phone | $0 | $1K | |
| Software | $0 | $1K | |
| Software from Us | $540 | $3K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $30K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $200 | $10K | |
| Opening Inventory | $2K | $5K | |
| Advertising - 3 months | $0 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $3K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $56K | $166K |
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
- $57K – $166K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $100K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 20.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 22.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 20.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $25K |
| Inventory (initial) | $2K – $5K |
| Total fee load | 22.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Blue Eagle Investigations 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 Blue Eagle Investigations 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: 2024 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 22.0% — above the Financial Services median of 16.5%.
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 expanding at 33.3% CAGR over 3 years across 17 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% 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 Financial Services medians
How Blue Eagle Investigations Compares
Category median of published Financial Services 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 17
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 18.8%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 94%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -15.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +33.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Projected new
- 5
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 5.9%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 17.6%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 17.6%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 17 states 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.
17
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
1 current owner across 1 state.
- KS 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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
Blue Eagle Franchising, LLC v. Blue Eagle of Michigan LLC and Steven Taylor (Case No. 23LA09795, Johnson County District Court, Kansas, filed November 28, 2023) - franchisor filing to enforce promissory note
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Agler & Gaeddert, Chartered
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 states audited financial statements (FYE 12/31/2023, 2022, 2021) are attached as Exhibit B, but the statement pages are blank/not present in the extracted text (attached as images, not OCR'd). No franchisor balance sheet, income, revenue, net worth, or auditor figures recoverable. Note: franchisor is Blue Eagle Franchising, LLC (org. 2018, KS); affiliate Blue Eagle Investigations, Inc. (MO, 1994) is not a predecessor.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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 38 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDFranchise system contracting sharply (-15.8% unit decline YoY) signals widespread franchisee dissatisfaction or failure
- 02HIGHActive litigation by franchisor against franchisee indicates enforcement disputes and potential relationship breakdown
- 03MED20% royalty on gross sales is extremely high for a service business with undisclosed profitability metrics
- 04MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure despite $100k franchise fee—impossible to assess realistic ROI
- 05MINORHigh initial investment ($56.8k–$165.5k) paired with unknown revenue/net income creates blind investment scenario
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 22.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Overland Park, Kansas |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | KS |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Blue Eagle Franchising, LLC v. Blue Eagle of Michigan LLC and Steven Taylor (Case No. 23LA09795, Johnson County District Court, Kansas, filed November 28, 2023) - franchisor filing to enforce promissory note
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Paola, Kansas and/or Blue Eagle Investigations investigator locations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 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 Blue Eagle Investigations franchise?
The total investment to open a Blue Eagle Investigations franchise ranges from $57K – $166K, 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 Blue Eagle Investigations franchise owners earn?
Blue Eagle Investigations 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 Blue Eagle Investigations?
Blue Eagle Investigations is franchised by Blue Eagle Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is Blue Eagle Investigations, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Blue Eagle Investigations 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 Blue Eagle Investigations FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Blue Eagle Investigations's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Blue Eagle Investigations (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 Blue Eagle Investigations franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Blue Eagle Investigations has 17 total units in the United States, including 16 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Blue Eagle Investigations a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Blue Eagle Investigations as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 38 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
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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.