California PoolsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A California Pools franchise requires a total initial investment of $73K – $126K, including a $45K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.7M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $73K – $126K
- 16th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $2.7M
- 45th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 24
- 29th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- N/A
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 27.4x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Bottom line
- Total investment $73K – $126K including a $45K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $2.7M/year (median $1.1M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 44/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- California Pools Franchise Inc.
- Incorporated in
- WY
- HQ
- 141 East Mercer Street, Suite A1, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620
- Auditor
- SingerLewak LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.3M
- vs $2.7M prior year
Overview
About
California Pools franchisees operate swimming pool construction, renovation, maintenance, or related services (likely contracting/retail). Day-to-day activities typically include client consultations, project management, crew coordination, equipment sales/installation, and customer service for residential or commercial pool projects.
- CEO
- Ryder Steimle
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 6
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $10K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $23K | $71K |
| Total initial investment | $73K | $126K |
Source: California Pools 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$273K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
255%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
5 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $73K – $126K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- the greater of $1,000 or 4.5% of Gross Revenues
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 4.7%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $28K |
| Renewal fee | $23K |
| Total fee load | 4.7% of rev |
A 4.7% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $2.7M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.1M
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 21 units
- vs category median 25
- Range (low → high)
- $55K→$25.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 27.4x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How California Pools Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 24
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Turnover rate
- 12.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -4.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $395K
- Median loan
- $395K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Small, stagnant system with undisclosed profitability, absent going concern status, and high relative royalty burden presents material risk despite protected territory.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · SingerLewak LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Net Income) disclosed — cannot validate actual profitability against $72,940-$126,340 investment
- 02MEDOnly 24 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory — suggests limited scale and potentially stagnant expansion
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability or uncertainty about franchisor's viability
- 04MINORHigh royalty burden (4.5% of gross) on average $2.73M revenue ($122,865/year) with $45,000 upfront fee creates 6-year payback hurdle
- 05MINORWide investment range ($72,940-$126,340 variance of 73%) suggests inconsistent unit economics or undefined startup costs
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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 94 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- POS system
- Poologics
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Poologics
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
36 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
California Pools · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a California Pools franchise?
The total investment to open a California Pools franchise ranges from $73K – $126K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do California Pools franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the California Pools FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.7M. The median is $1.1M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is California Pools's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for California Pools (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 California Pools franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, California Pools has 24 total units in the United States, including 24 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is California Pools a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates California Pools as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 44 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
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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.