Conserva Irrigation Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Conserva Irrigation is a home-services franchise providing sprinkler and irrigation installation, repair, and water-saving upgrades. Franchisees run a service operation handling inspections, seasonal maintenance contracts, and smart-controller upsells in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Conserva Irrigation franchise requires a total initial investment of $126K – $160K, including a $30K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $126K – $160K
- 48th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Home Services
- Units
- 210
- 75th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services avg · 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 $126K – $160K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAudited consolidated financials are for parent Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC (FYE 9/30/2025), not Conserva Irrigation alone. Net income shown is Net Income Attributable to Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC (17,253,651); Net Income Before Noncontrolling Interest was 16,900,580. Member's Equity 239,712,937; Noncontrolling Interest Deficit (649,584). Total liabilities derived as total assets minus member's equity minus noncontrolling interest.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 98/100 (higher is better).
- FLAG12 units terminated last reporting year (5.7% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Conserva Irrigation Franchisor, LLC
- Parent company
- Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Empower Brands Franchising, LLC
- Predecessor
- Conserva Irrigation Franchising, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2426 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060
- Auditor
- Smith-Howard
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $96.8M
- vs $102.2M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Zide
- Headquarters
- VA
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 32
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 37% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $126K – $160K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
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 |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Conserva Irrigation did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Conserva Irrigation unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
57%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Audited consolidated financials are for parent Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC (FYE 9/30/2025), not Conserva Irrigation alone. Net income shown is Net Income Attributable to Outdoor Living Brands Holdco, LLC (17,253,651); Net Income Before Noncontrolling Interest was 16,900,580. Member's Equity 239,712,937; Noncontrolling Interest Deficit (649,584). Total liabilities derived as total assets minus member's equity minus noncontrolling interest.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue and pl
- Sample size
- 66 franchisees
- vs category median 32 · large
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 8 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 321 Home Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.5% — below the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports gross revenue and pl rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 7.7% CAGR over 3 years across 210 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 averages
How Conserva Irrigation Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 210
- Opened
- 22
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 12
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.7%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +7.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +7.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 22
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 12
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 2
- Transfers (3yr)
- 21
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
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
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
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
- 18
- Defaults
- 2
- Typical loan rate
- 8.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 7.1%
- NAICS 221310
- Jobs supported
- 223
- 3.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 44%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 86% went to startups / new businesses, 14% to established operators
Top lenders financing Conserva Irrigation franchisees
Showing 3 of 18 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
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.
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
Conserva Irrigation presents moderate risk with solid unit economics but lacks transparency on franchisee financial performance and shows slowing growth momentum.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith-Howard
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ 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 98 / 100 verdict
- 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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 300,000 |
| 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 | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Virginia |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | VA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 30 hrs
- Training location
- Richmond, Virginia or via Virtual Platform
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- 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?
Conserva Irrigation 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 Item 19 in the Conserva Irrigation 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 Conserva Irrigation FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Conserva Irrigation's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Conserva Irrigation (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 Conserva Irrigation franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Conserva Irrigation has 210 total units in the United States, including 210 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 A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 98 out of 100 (higher is better), 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?
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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.