Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
bluefrog Plumbing + Drain is a plumbing and drain services franchise for residential and commercial customers. Franchisees run local operations, dispatching technicians for repairs, drain cleaning, and emergency work and managing scheduling.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN franchise requires a total initial investment of $144K – $346K, including a $60K – $67K franchise fee. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $144K – $346K
- 56th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 35
- 37th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home 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 $144K – $346K including a $60K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAudited statement of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. Operating revenues comprise royalty fees ($838,124), franchise fees ($312,222), brand fund ($272,706), technology fees ($152,171), and other ($586). Franchisor is a subsidiary of Stellar Brands, LLC; audit report dated March 18, 2025 (Dallas, Texas).
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 29/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- 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
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jessica Wescott
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 9% above the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown35 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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $144K – $346K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $38K – $75K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $67K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of Percentage-Based Royalty Fee or Minimum Royalt…
- 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 |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN 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 BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
27%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Audited statement of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. Operating revenues comprise royalty fees ($838,124), franchise fees ($312,222), brand fund ($272,706), technology fees ($152,171), and other ($586). Franchisor is a subsidiary of Stellar Brands, LLC; audit report dated March 18, 2025 (Dallas, Texas).
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Median gross sales
- $546K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 3
- vs category median 32 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $391K→$1.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 321 Home Services brands
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 8.0% (near the Home Services average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (0.0% 3-year CAGR) with 35 units.
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 Home Services averages
How Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 35
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- 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 (3-yr)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 14
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- 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 · 16 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
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
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
- 9
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 9.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 20.0%
- n=454 loans
- Jobs supported
- 81
- 2.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 31%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 85% went to startups / new businesses, 15% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contract, franchised businesses charge off at 20.0% vs 14.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 38% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain franchisees
Showing 3 of 9 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
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.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
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)
One action: Commonwealth of Virginia ex rel. State Corporation Commission v. Restoration 1 Franchise Holding, LLC and Andor Kovacs (affiliate, not franchisor). Settlement in 2014 for offering franchise after VA registration lapsed; $1,000 paid to defray investigation costs.
Largest disclosed settlement: $1,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · HM&M Group, LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 29 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 16.7% YoY (35 units) — indicates system contraction and potential franchisee struggles
- 02MINORUnprotected territory — franchisees face direct competition from other BlueFrog locations and brand cannibalization risk
- 03MINORTiered royalty structure with $500-$1,500 monthly minimum floor — aggressive fee collection even during slow revenue months
- 04HIGH2014 litigation by affiliate (Restoration 1) for selling unregistered franchises — indicates compliance and disclosure concerns within parent company operations
- 05MINORHigh initial investment ($144k-$345k) combined with declining unit performance — raises ROI and market saturation questions
- 06MINORVague 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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 450,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| 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 | No |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One action: Commonwealth of Virginia ex rel. State Corporation Commission v. Restoration 1 Franchise Holding, LLC and Andor Kovacs (affiliate, not franchisor). Settlement in 2014 for offering franchise after VA registration lapsed; $1,000 paid to defray investigation costs.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 4 hrs
- Training location
- Dallas, Texas, or virtually
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 5 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
28 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?
BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN 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 BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN 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 BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for BLUEFROG PLUMBING + DRAIN (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 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 D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 29 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?
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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.