Bluefrog Plumbing + DrainFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise requires a total initial investment of $144K – $346K, including a $60K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.2M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 33.3% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $144K – $346K
- 53rd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- 35th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 35
- 35th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 33.3%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Home 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
Each dollar invested generates 4.8x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
33.3% of SBA loans charged off across 15 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
The system contracted 17% year-over-year. Investigate why units are closing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $144K – $346K including a $60K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $1.2M/year.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 97/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 33.3% across 15 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- 14 units terminated last reporting year (40.0% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- BLUEFROG PLUMBING AND DRAIN, LLC
- Parent company
- Stellar Brands, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- MPK Equity Partners, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Jessica Wescott
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2929 Carlisle St., Suite 100, Dallas, Texas 75204
- Auditor
- HM&M Group, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.6M
- vs $1.6M prior year
Overview
About
BlueFrog Plumbing + Drain franchisees operate local plumbing and drain cleaning services, dispatching technicians to residential and commercial clients for repairs, maintenance, and emergency services. Franchisees manage scheduling, customer acquisition, technician payroll, and marketing within their service area. Core revenue comes from service calls, emergency repairs, and maintenance contracts.
- CEO
- Jessica Wescott
- Headquarters
- TX
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 35 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee (Standard Market Territory - Non-Conversion)not refundable | $60K | $67K | |
| Franchise Fee (Standard Market Territory - Conversion)not refundable | $23K | $30K | |
| Technology Fee (Non-Conversion)not refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Technology Fee (Conversion)not refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Real Estate / Rent (Non-Conversion) | $2K | $9K | |
| Real Estate / Rent (Conversion) | $0 | $9K | |
| Signage & Graphics (Non-Conversion) | $500 | $2K | |
| Signage & Graphics (Conversion) | $500 | $2K | |
| Office Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (Non-Conversion) | $15K | $63K | |
| Office Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (Conversion) | $0 | $23K | |
| Service Tools, Equipment, and Initial Inventory (Non-Conversion) | $3K | $6K | |
| Service Tools, Equipment, and Initial Inventory (Conversion) | $3K | $6K | |
| Point-of-Sale System (Non-Conversion)not refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Point-of-Sale System (Conversion)not refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Technology Systems Components (Non-Conversion) | $505 | $2K | |
| Technology Systems Components (Conversion) | $5 | $1K | |
| Training Feenot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Training Expenses for 3 people | $2K | $5K | |
| Vehicle (Non-Conversion) | $3K | $65K | |
| Vehicle (Conversion) | $3K | $6K | |
| Total initial investment | $195K | $589K |
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.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$129K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
43%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
28 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $144K – $346K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $38K – $75K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $67K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of Percentage-Based Royalty Fee (6% of initial $1…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Greater of Percentage-Based Royalty Fee or Minimum Royalty Fee |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $399 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $6K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 9 units
- vs category median 25 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $324K→$2.6M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 3 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 4.8x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 35
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 14
- Terminated
- 14
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 40.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -16.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Transfer rate
- 5.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 40.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 40.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 22 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Rhode Island
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $3.0M
- Median loan
- $222K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 33.3%
- 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)
- 66.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 9
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 9 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.
A 33.3% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining franchise system with aggressive fee structure, unprotected territories, and undisclosed profitability metrics presents meaningful risk for franchisee capital recovery.
Litigation (Item 3)
Commonwealth of Virginia, ex rel. State Corporation Commission v. Restoration 1 Franchise Holding, LLC and Andor Kovacs (Case No. SEC-2014-00028). Settled on July 16, 2014. Allegation: offering and selling a Restoration 1® franchise in Virginia after Virginia registration lapsed. Settlement terms: paid $1,000 to defray investigation costs, agreed to attend franchise sales compliance training, and agreed never to violate the Virginia Retail Franchise Act in the future. No admission or denial of allegations.
Largest disclosed settlement: $1,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · HM&M Group, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 97 / 100 rating
- 01MEDUnit count declined 16.7% YoY (35 units) — indicates system contraction and potential franchisee struggles
- 02MEDNo average net income disclosed — inability to verify profitability claims or validate the $1.17M avg revenue translates to viable earnings
- 03MINORUnprotected territory — franchisees face direct competition from other BlueFrog locations and brand cannibalization risk
- 04MINORTiered royalty structure with $500-$1,500 monthly minimum floor — aggressive fee collection even during slow revenue months
- 05HIGH2014 litigation by affiliate (Restoration 1) for selling unregistered franchises — indicates compliance and disclosure concerns within parent company operations
- 06MINORHigh initial investment ($144k-$345k) combined with declining unit performance — raises ROI and market saturation questions
- 07MINORVague Item 19 data — average revenue provided but no median, range, or franchisee profitability breakdown limits transparency
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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Geographic area |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 400,000 |
| 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Commonwealth of Virginia, ex rel. State Corporation Commission v. Restoration 1 Franchise Holding, LLC and Andor Kovacs (Case No. SEC-2014-00028). Settled on July 16, 2014. Allegation: offering and selling a Restoration 1® franchise in Virginia after Virginia registration lapsed. Settlement terms: paid $1,000 to defray investigation costs, agreed to attend franchise sales compliance training, and agreed never to violate the Virginia Retail Franchise Act in the future. No admission or denial of allegations.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 48 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 4 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Time to open
- 5 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
41 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise?
The total investment to open a BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise ranges from $144K – $346K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.2M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN has a charge-off rate of 33.3% across 15 loans, meaning 33.3% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN has 35 total units in the United States, including 35 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 97 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.