Criterium Engineers Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Criterium Engineers is a professional engineering franchise providing building inspections, assessments, and consulting for owners, buyers, and HOAs. Franchisees run local practices, managing engineers and delivering inspection reports.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Criterium Engineers franchise requires a total initial investment of $75K – $174K, including a $55K – $85K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% 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
- $75K – $174K
- 24th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 8th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 30
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business 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 $75K – $174K including a $55K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSConsolidated statements of Coast to Coast Engineering Services, Inc. d/b/a Criterium Engineers and Affiliate. Total revenues of $8,437,019 (FY2024) are dominated by contract and project revenues ($7,556,573); total franchise revenues were only $880,446 (franchise fees $9,950, royalties and other fees $810,967, administrative services and other $59,529). Most recent audited statements in the FDD are as of December 31, 2024 with comparative 2023 (the cover references FY2025 but no FY2025 statements appear in the provided text).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better).
- DECLINESystem 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Coast to Coast Engineering Services, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Coast to Coast Inspection Services, Inc. (formerly Home Inspection Consultants)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President and Director
- David E. Leopold
- Incorporated in
- ME
- HQ
- 5 Depot Street, Suite 23, Freeport, ME 04032
- Auditor
- The Swanson Group LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.4M
- vs $7.5M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- David E. Leopold
- Headquarters
- ME
- Founded
- 1989
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 22
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 55% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $75K – $174K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $12K – $48K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $85K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- tiered · 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 | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $0 |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $250 – $3K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Criterium Engineers 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 Criterium Engineers unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
78%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
Consolidated statements of Coast to Coast Engineering Services, Inc. d/b/a Criterium Engineers and Affiliate. Total revenues of $8,437,019 (FY2024) are dominated by contract and project revenues ($7,556,573); total franchise revenues were only $880,446 (franchise fees $9,950, royalties and other fees $810,967, administrative services and other $59,529). Most recent audited statements in the FDD are as of December 31, 2024 with comparative 2023 (the cover references FY2025 but no FY2025 statements appear in the provided text).
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Item 19 type
- revenue
- Sample size
- 32
- vs category median 35
- Range (low → high)
- $17K→$1.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · typical
Compared against 296 Business 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 8.0% — below the Business Services average of 11.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System contracting at -6.5% 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 Business Services averages
How Criterium Engineers Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 30
- 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 (3-yr)
- +3.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -6.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
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
- limited sample (4 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Declining unit base, withheld profitability data, high relative fees, and unclear franchisor financial health create material investment risk despite protected territories.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · The Swanson Group LLC
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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 76 / 100 verdict
- 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)
- 03MINORRoyalty structure requires $5,000/month minimum ($60,000 annually) even at lower revenue levels, constraining profitability
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE (indicates potential franchisor financial instability)
- 05MINORSmall 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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 1,000,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Portland, Maine |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | ME |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 36 hrs
- Training location
- Virtually via Zoom or at franchisor offices and franchisee location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves within one week
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
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?
Criterium Engineers 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 Criterium Engineers 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 Criterium Engineers FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
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 30 total units in the United States, including 29 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 A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 76 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.