Christian Brothers AutomotiveFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Christian Brothers Automotive franchise requires a total initial investment of $550K – $680K, including a $135K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.9M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 295 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $550K – $680K
- 38th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- $2.9M
- 22nd pct Automotive
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 302
- 32nd pct Automotive
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Automotive 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 4.7x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Only 0.0% of 295 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchising since 1996. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
51% cash-on-cash return (based on Gross Margin). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $550K – $680K including a $135K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $2.9M/year (median $2.7M), with an estimated 51% cash-on-cash return (based on Gross Margin). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 45/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 295 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 17725 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77094
- Auditor
- Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $137.2M
- vs $151.9M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate full-service automotive repair shops offering brake service, oil changes, transmission work, and general maintenance. Day-to-day operations include managing technicians, handling customer service, scheduling appointments, and overseeing vehicle diagnostics and repairs while adhering to CBA's service standards and operational protocols.
- CEO
- Don Carr
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 1982
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 30
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $135K | $135K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements | — | — | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Software | $255K | $280K | |
| Shuttle Vehicle | $30K | $50K | |
| Shuttle Vehicle Wrap | $2K | $3K | |
| Inventory | $11K | $12K | |
| Security Deposits | $5K | $5K | |
| Signs | — | — | |
| Insurance & Business License | $15K | $60K | |
| Marketing/Advertising | $35K | $40K | |
| New Store Opening Marketing/Advertising | $20K | $30K | |
| Pre-Opening Training Travel/Salary | $8K | $10K | |
| Other Payments | $5K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds During Initial 3 Months | $30K | $40K | |
| Total initial investment | $550K | $680K |
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
$460K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
71%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
17 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $550K – $680K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $122K – $135K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 50% of monthly Split Profits
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 3.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 2.0 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | 50% of monthly Split Profits |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $675 |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
| Renewal fee | $14K |
| Total fee load | 3.0% of rev |
A 3.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $2.9M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $2.7M
- Avg gross margin
- $315K
- Reported as Gross Margin in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 51.1%
- Based on Gross Margin / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- net_sales
- Sample size
- 280 units
- vs category median 70 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $1.3M→$6.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 9 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 221 Automotive brands
Revenue is 4.7x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Automotive averages
How Christian Brothers Automotive Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 302
- Opened
- 22
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 12.5%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +7.9%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +14.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 22
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 19
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 8 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
- Michigan
- 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
- 295
- Loan volume
- $110.6M
- Median loan
- $325K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 34
- Defaults
- 0
Vintage analysis
Christian Brothers Automotive charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Christian Brothers Automotive's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 25-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 295 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Christian Brothers Automotive presents elevated risk due to an extractive 50% royalty structure, pending litigation, undocumented financial claims, and anemic unit growth that contradicts profitability claims.
Litigation (Item 3)
8 case reference(s): 0 pending, 1 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Baker Tilly US, LLP
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnusually high royalty structure (50% of split profits) is unsustainable and creates misaligned incentives between franchisor and franchisee
- 02HIGHTwo active litigations including material arbitration over competing business violation suggests enforcement issues and franchise relationship deterioration
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (7.9% YoY) with 302 units indicates market saturation or franchisee struggles despite claimed $314k avg net income
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($550k-$680k) combined with 50% profit split creates extended break-even period and poor ROI structure
- 05HIGHNo Item 19 financial performance claim (Going Concern: False) means franchisor won't verify the $314,559 avg net income figure independently
- 06MED15-year term length locks franchisee into exploitative royalty structure with limited exit options
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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Houston, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
8 case reference(s): 0 pending, 1 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 125 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 420 hrs
- Training location
- On-site
- Time to open
- 33 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Tekmetric
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Tekmetric
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
41 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Christian Brothers Automotive · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Christian Brothers Automotive franchise?
The total investment to open a Christian Brothers Automotive franchise ranges from $550K – $680K, with an initial franchise fee of $135K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Christian Brothers Automotive franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Christian Brothers Automotive FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.9M. The median is $2.7M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Christian Brothers Automotive's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Christian Brothers Automotive has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 295 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Christian Brothers Automotive franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Christian Brothers Automotive has 302 total units in the United States, including 247 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 22 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Christian Brothers Automotive a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Christian Brothers Automotive as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 45 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 Christian Brothers Automotive, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Automotive franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Automotive 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.