Criterium EngineersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Criterium Engineers franchise requires a total initial investment of $75K – $174K, including a $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $380K[2]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $75K – $174K
- 20th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $380K
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 29
- 25th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business 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 3.0x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchising since 1989. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 31 to 30 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $75K – $174K including a $55K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $380K/year.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 79/100.
- System contracting at -6.5% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Coast to Coast Engineering Services, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- ME
- HQ
- 5 Depot Street, Suite 23, Freeport, ME 04032
- Auditor
- The Swanson Group LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.4M
- vs $8.5M prior year
Overview
About
Criterium Engineers franchisees operate engineering consulting and inspection service businesses, likely performing structural assessments, building evaluations, and technical due diligence for commercial real estate transactions. Day-to-day work involves client site visits, technical reporting, project management, and maintaining professional engineering credentials and relationships.
- CEO
- David E. Leopold
- Headquarters
- ME
- Founded
- 1957
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 22
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $55K | $55K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $12K | $48K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $9K | $72K |
| Total initial investment | $75K | $174K |
Source: Criterium Engineers 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
$61K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
39%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
31 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $75K – $174K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $12K – $48K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $85K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- 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 | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1 |
| Transfer fee | $25 |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $380K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- Annual Revenue
- Sample size
- 32 units
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $17K→$1.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 3 / 5
- vs category median 3 / 5 · typical
Compared against 360 Business Services brands
vs Business Services averages
How Criterium Engineers Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 6.9%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -6.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -6.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 21 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 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $298K
- 50th percentile
- 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
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Criterium Engineers's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 2 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit base, withheld profitability data, high relative fees, and unclear franchisor financial health create material investment risk despite protected territories.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · The Swanson Group LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 79 / 100 rating
- 01MEDUnit count declined 6.5% year-over-year (29 units; suggests system contraction or franchisee struggles)
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 (prevents accurate ROI calculation and raises transparency concerns)
- 03MINORHigh franchise fee ($54,500) relative to average revenue ($379,720) creates breakeven pressure
- 04MINORRoyalty structure requires $5,000/month minimum ($60,000 annually) even at lower revenue levels, constraining profitability
- 05HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE (indicates potential franchisor financial instability)
- 06MINORSmall system size (29 units) means less brand recognition, shared resources, and higher vulnerability to economic downturns
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 |
| Territory type | Metropolitan area based on population |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maine |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 62 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 27 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
31 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Criterium Engineers · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Criterium Engineers franchise?
The total investment to open a Criterium Engineers franchise ranges from $75K – $174K, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Criterium Engineers franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Criterium Engineers FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $380K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Criterium Engineers's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Criterium Engineers (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 Criterium Engineers franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Criterium Engineers has 29 total units in the United States, including 31 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Criterium Engineers a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Criterium Engineers as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 79 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.
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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.