Color World Painting Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $107K – $168K
- Disclosed sales
- $149K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Color World Painting is a home services franchise offering residential and commercial painting plus minor repairs and power washing. Franchisees run local operations, managing crews, estimates, and customer accounts within a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A COLOR WORLD PAINTING franchise requires a total initial investment of $107K – $168K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average revenue per territory was $149K. This franchisor reports Item 19 per territory rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2024 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - figures are from a filing two or more years old
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $107K – $168K
- 38th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $149K
- Per territory, not per outlet
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Home Services
- Units
- 46
- 43rd pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services median · 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 $107K – $168K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage revenue per territory of $149K/year. Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 35/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -5 franchised outlets in the latest year (12 opened, 17 closed); 5 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAG3 units terminated last reporting year (6.5% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Color World New Franchise Systems, LLC
- Parent company
- Color World Topco LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2024 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Authority Brands, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2024 FDD
- Predecessor
- Color World Franchise Systems, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Stewart Vernon
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7120 Samuel Morse Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, MD 21046
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $429.5M
- vs $375.4M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Color World New Housepainting
- Color World Painting
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 6
14 other brands on this site name Authority Brands, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- ASP - AMERICA’S SWIMMING POOL COMPANYC
- Benjamin Franklin PlumbingA
- DRYMEDICA
- DoodyCallsA
- Homewatch CareGiversC
- LAWN SQUADB
- MISTER SPARKYA
- MONSTER TREE SERVICEB
- Mosquito SquadA
- ONE HOUR HEATING & AIR CONDITIONINGA
- SCREENMOBILEA
- THE JUNKLUGGERSC
- The Cleaning AuthorityB
- WOOFIE’SB
Portfolio: Authority Brands
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2024 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Stewart Vernon
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 11
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 18% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Start-Up Business Outfitting Feenot refundable | $8K | $8K | |
| Holiday Outfitting Feenot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Pre-Opening/Grand-Opening Marketing Feenot refundable | $7K | $7K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $0 | $2K | |
| Office and Computer Equipment; Hardware and Software | $1K | $4K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $8K | |
| Vehicle Wrap | $1K | $5K | |
| Initial Technology Feesnot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses to Attend Training | $1K | $5K | |
| Travel Reimbursement for Onsite Trainingnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Insurance | $2K | $7K | |
| Office Rent and Set-up; Deposits | $0 | $4K | |
| Additional Funds | $20K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $107K | $168K |
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
- $107K – $168K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 75% below the home services norm.
Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for COLOR WORLD PAINTING until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$172K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one COLOR WORLD PAINTING unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
- Avg gross sales
- $149K
- Per territory, per year — not per outlet
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Revenue (by territory quartile and by franchisee quartile and by years in operation)
- Sample size
- 36 territories
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $27K→$390KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 64 of the 2024 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $55K→$294K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%, per territory
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 319 Home Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
The average territory generates $149K/year in gross sales.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 6/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -19.6% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 medians
How Color World Painting Compares
Per territory, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Home Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 46
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 17
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 37.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -19.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -19.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 14
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 5
- 0.11 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 5
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 0.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 11 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
- California
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
26 current owners across 11 states.
- FL 6
- NY 4
- TX 4
- OH 3
- KY 2
- SC 2
- AL 1
- CO 1
- MI 1
- NC 1
- NE 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Contracting franchise system with undisclosed profitability metrics and high relative fees creates elevated risk despite no litigation history.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Financials are the audited consolidated statements of the franchisor's affiliate and performance guarantor, Authority Brands Inc. (formerly Villa BidCo, Inc.); the franchisor's separate financials are not included. Figures stated in thousands; Total revenues for FY2023 = $429,524K (Franchise service fees $170,280K, Franchise sales fees $13,965K, Residential services $211,880K, Other revenues $33,399K). FY2023 net loss $(59,534)K.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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 35 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 10% YoY (46 units) indicates system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 — inability to assess actual profitability despite $149K avg revenue
- 03MINORHigh minimum royalty structure (6% or minimum) creates cash flow risk for lower-revenue locations
- 04MINORFranchise fee of $49,500 represents 33% of average revenue in first year, requiring significant ramp time
- 05MINORNo going concern statement suggests franchisor financial stability concerns
- 06MINORSmall system size (46 units) limits brand recognition and support infrastructure scalability
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 2024 · 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 territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 75,000 |
| 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 | 40 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Columbia, Maryland |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 280 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Online/Webinar (pre-training); Columbus, Ohio (in-person)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks online and designated CRM software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks online and designated CRM software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
26 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a COLOR WORLD PAINTING franchise?
The total investment to open a COLOR WORLD PAINTING franchise ranges from $107K – $168K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do COLOR WORLD PAINTING franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the COLOR WORLD PAINTING FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $149K. Important context: Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns COLOR WORLD PAINTING?
COLOR WORLD PAINTING is franchised by Color World New Franchise Systems, LLC. Its parent company is Color World Topco LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Authority Brands, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the COLOR WORLD PAINTING 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 COLOR WORLD PAINTING FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is COLOR WORLD PAINTING's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for COLOR WORLD PAINTING (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 COLOR WORLD PAINTING franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, COLOR WORLD PAINTING has 46 total units in the United States, including 45 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is COLOR WORLD PAINTING a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates COLOR WORLD PAINTING as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 35 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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 COLOR WORLD PAINTING, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.