Blue Eagle Investigations Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
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]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $57K – $166K
- 25th pct Financial Ser…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 20.0%
- 34th 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 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 $57K – $166K including a $50K franchise fee, 20.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 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.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 38/100 (higher is better).
- 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.
- 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 15% below 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%
- percentage · 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% of gross sales |
| 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 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 Blue Eagle Investigations unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
19%
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
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.
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 average of 17.0%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
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 averages
How Blue Eagle Investigations Compares
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
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 3
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- 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)
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
Rapidly shrinking franchise network, active franchisor-franchisee litigation, undisclosed financials, and going concern issues create a high-risk investment with minimal transparency and declining unit viability.
Litigation (Item 3)
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)
ⓘ 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
- 06HIGHGoing concern status suggests franchisor financial instability despite collecting $100k upfront fees and 20% royalties
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 |
| 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
FDD download
Blue Eagle Investigations · FDD (2024) PDF
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 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 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 D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 38 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 Blue Eagle Investigations, 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.