Conserva IrrigationFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Conserva Irrigation franchise requires a total initial investment of $126K – $160K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $773K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 22.2% charge-off rate across 47 loans[1]. Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $126K – $160K
- 47th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $773K
- 26th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Home Services
- Units
- 210
- 68th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 22.2%
- system-wide median varies by category
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 5.4x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
22.2% of SBA loans charged off across 47 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
118% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDA). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $126K – $160K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $773K/year (median $543K), with an estimated 118% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDA).
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 55/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 22.2% across 47 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 25.0% CAGR over 3 years with 210 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Conserva Irrigation Franchisor, LLC
- Parent company
- Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2426 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060
- Auditor
- Smith + Howard PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $96.8M
- vs $102.2M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate irrigation system installation, maintenance, and repair services, focusing on water conservation solutions for residential and commercial properties. Day-to-day work includes customer consultations, equipment installation, seasonal maintenance contracts, and troubleshooting calls. The business model emphasizes recurring service revenue through maintenance contracts and upselling smart irrigation technology.
- CEO
- Scott Zide
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 32
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $61K | $80K |
| Total initial investment | $126K | $160K |
Source: Conserva Irrigation 2026 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
$97K
12.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
59%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
21 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $126K – $160K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 0.8 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $490 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
A 6.5% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $773K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $543K
- Avg ebitda
- $169K
- Reported as EBITDA in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 118.4%
- Based on EBITDA / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 66 units
- vs category median 25 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $79K→$5.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 5.4x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How Conserva Irrigation Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 210
- Opened
- 22
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +7.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +25.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 21
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 20 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 47
- Loan volume
- $7.8M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 22.2%
- 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)
- 77.8%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 22.2%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 18
- Defaults
- 2
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Conserva Irrigation'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
- 8-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 22.2% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Conserva Irrigation presents moderate risk with solid unit economics but lacks transparency on franchisee financial performance and shows slowing growth momentum.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith + Howard PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 55 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed — actual franchisee profitability cannot be independently verified
- 02MINORModest unit growth of 7.7% YoY suggests market saturation or challenges in recruitment/retention
- 03MINORHigh royalty ceiling (8%) combined with $1,000 monthly minimum creates revenue floor pressure during seasonal downturns
- 04MINORInitial investment ($125,800–$159,500) requires 9–12 months of revenue to break even at average net income levels
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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 30 hrs
- POS system
- CRM Enterprise
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CRM Enterprise
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
46 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Conserva Irrigation · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Conserva Irrigation franchise?
The total investment to open a Conserva Irrigation franchise ranges from $126K – $160K, 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 Conserva Irrigation franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Conserva Irrigation FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $773K. The median is $543K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Conserva Irrigation's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Conserva Irrigation has a charge-off rate of 22.2% across 47 loans, meaning 22.2% 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 Conserva Irrigation franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Conserva Irrigation has 210 total units in the United States, including 168 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 22 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Conserva Irrigation a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Conserva Irrigation as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 55 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 Conserva Irrigation, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Home Services franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Home Services 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.