Boat SittersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Boat Sitters franchise requires a total initial investment of $42K – $128K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 15.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $42K – $128K
- 3rd pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 23rd pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- 34th pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 0
- 0th pct Recreation & …
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Recreation & Entertainment 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
Started franchising in 2024. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $42K – $128K including a $25K franchise fee, 15.0% 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.
- Auditor 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
- Legal entity
- Boatsitters.com Incorporated
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Mark Brett
- CEO experience
- 37 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 458 Shore Road, Old Lyme, Connecticut 06371
- Auditor
- Nicola, Yester & Company, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Boat Sitters franchisees provide boat care, maintenance, and inspection services for boat owners. Day-to-day operations include scheduling client visits, performing safety inspections, conducting routine maintenance (cleaning, winterization, storage checks), and generating service reports. Revenue derives from initial inspection fees (subject to 15% royalty) and ongoing general services like maintenance and monitoring (subject to 6% royalty).
- CEO
- Mark Brett
- Headquarters
- CT
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 0
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Storage Unit | $0 | $500 | |
| Equipment | $1K | $2K | |
| Computer, Software, and Business Management System | $2K | $3K | |
| Service Vehicle | $0 | $8K | |
| Vehicle Wrap | $2K | $5K | |
| Start-up Marketing | $8K | $9K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months | $2K | $3K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $1K | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $500 | $3K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $200 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $1K | $3K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Multiple Territories)not refundable | $45K | $90K | |
| Estimated Initial Investment to Open Single Territory (Multiple Territories) | $17K | $38K | |
| Total initial investment | $104K | $191K |
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
- $42K – $128K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $1K – $3K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $90K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 17.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 15.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $200 |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Total fee load | 17.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Boat Sitters Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 0
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- Multi-unit owners
- 50.0%
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Pre-revenue or dormant franchise system with zero units, hidden financials, unprotected territory, and aggressive royalty structure presents substantial investment risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Nicola, Yester & Company, P.C.⚠ Going-concern note flagged
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
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 rating
- 01MINORZero existing franchise units suggests brand is pre-revenue or experiencing complete system collapse
- 02MEDFinancial metrics (revenue and net income) completely undisclosed — inability or unwillingness to provide Item 19 is major red flag
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk; multiple franchisees could saturate same market
- 04MINORDual royalty structure (15% + 6%) totaling up to 21% is exceptionally high and compounds profitability risk
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($25,000) relative to investment floor ($41,800) suggests front-loaded franchisor revenue model
- 06MEDNo disclosed franchisee count makes growth trajectory and system viability impossible to validate
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 | 5,000 |
| Online sales rights | 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 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New London, Connecticut |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Connecticut |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 3 hrs
- Training location
- corporate office or another location that we require
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- HarborTech
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: HarborTech
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Boat Sitters franchise?
The total investment to open a Boat Sitters franchise ranges from $42K – $128K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Boat Sitters franchise owners earn?
Boat Sitters 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 Boat Sitters's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Boat Sitters (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.
Is Boat Sitters a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Boat Sitters 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Boat Sitters, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Recreation & Entertainment franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Recreation & Entertainment category
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.