Crushr Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $150K – $383K
- Disclosed sales
- $315K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- on 29 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Crushr is a B2B franchise that sends a mobile compaction truck to crush businesses' dumpster waste on site, cutting haul-away costs and pickups. Franchisees run a route-based service selling to commercial clients and operating the compactor truck.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Crushr franchise requires a total initial investment of $150K – $383K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $315K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 29 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
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 scored5 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $150K – $383K
- 58th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $315K
- 5th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 56th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 98
- 63rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $150K – $383K including a $50K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $315K/year.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 86/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 29 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +13 franchised outlets in the latest year (17 opened, 4 closed); 1 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 58.3% CAGR over 3 years with 98 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Smash Brothers, LLC
- Predecessor
- Smash-It (used September 2017 - August 2019 before transition to Crushr marks)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- K. Scott Dennison
- Incorporated in
- KY
- HQ
- 13147 Middletown Industrial Blvd., Louisville, KY 40223
- Auditor
- Dean Dorton (deandorton.com)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.9M
- vs $8.0M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Crushr IP
- SB Ops I
- FD Leasing
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- K. Scott Dennison
- Headquarters
- KY
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 33
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 57% above the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50K | $50K | |
| Onboarding Training Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Local Area Advertising Requirement (3 months) | $2K | $2K | |
| Rent (3 months) | $300 | $2K | |
| Utility Security Deposits | $0 | $500 | |
| Installed Vehicle | $58K | $260K | |
| Installed Vehicle Transportation | $3K | $6K | |
| Technology Fee (3 months) | $2K | $2K | |
| Computer and Office Equipment and Supplies | $100 | $1K | |
| Travel Expense for Initial Training | $2K | $4K | |
| Insurance (3 months) | $3K | $12K | |
| Professional Fees | $3K | $5K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $250 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $25K | $35K | |
| Total initial investment | $150K | $383K |
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
- $150K – $383K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 41% below the cleaning & maintenance norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 Crushr 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
$297K
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 Crushr 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $315K
- Per unit/yr · from the Item 19 franchised-cohort breakdown (no single system-wide average disclosed)
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 sales and income statement
- Sample size
- 50 outlets
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $11K→$1.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 47 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 191 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $315K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.2x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% (near the Cleaning & Maintenance 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 expanding at 58.3% CAGR over 3 years across 98 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 Cleaning & Maintenance medians
How Crushr Compares
Category median of published Cleaning & Maintenance 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 98
- Opened
- 17
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.1%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +58.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +58.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Reacquired
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 1
- 0.01 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 30
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 1.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 25 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
- Hawaii
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
52 current owners across 25 states.
- TX 5
- TN 4
- CO 3
- IL 3
- MA 3
- MI 3
- NY 3
- OH 3
- AL 2
- CA 2
- FL 2
- GA 2
- +13 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 1 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 29
- Loan volume
- $6.3M
- Median loan
- $283K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- on 29 loans · 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 10
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 9.9%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 12.0%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 131
- 2.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 62%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 97% went to startups / new businesses, 3% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in other waste collection, franchised businesses charge off at 12.0% vs 12.3% for independents — franchising is associated with 2% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Crushr franchisees
Showing 3 of 10 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Crushr from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 66%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.91%
- Lender concentration
- 62.1%
- Job velocity
- 2.1 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 6.2%
- NAICS 562119
- Jobs supported
- 131
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 62% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 18 | $3.4M | 0.0% |
| 2 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 2 | $515K | N/A |
| 3 | Peoples Bank | 2 | $419K | N/A |
| 4 | Lake Michigan CU | 1 | $283K | N/A |
| 5 | Commerce Bank | 1 | $228K | N/A |
| 6 | Frost Bank | 1 | $300K | N/A |
| 7 | TD Bank, National Association | 1 | $25K | 0.0% |
| 8 | First Commonwealth Bank | 1 | $361K | N/A |
| 9 | Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB | 1 | $475K | N/A |
| 10 | Cadence Bank | 1 | $245K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| COColorado | 4 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 4 | 0 | -- |
| CACalifornia | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| KYKentucky | 2 | 0 | -- |
| LALouisiana | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MIMichigan | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| OROregon | 2 | 0 | -- |
| SDSouth Dakota | 2 | 0 | -- |
| CTConnecticut | 1 | 0 | -- |
| DCWashington DC | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 29 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Crushr presents moderate-to-caution risk due to unverified financial performance claims, opaque revenue data, slow unit growth, and franchisor stability concerns that undermine confidence in the $197,359 net income figure.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Dean Dorton (deandorton.com)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Total revenues for FY2024 = $5,946,823, comprised of Franchise related revenue $5,415,153 and Services revenue $531,670 (down from $8,001,692 in FY2023). Audited statements of income for Smash Brothers, LLC, years ended Dec 31, 2024 and 2023.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 86 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue disclosure despite Item 19 financial claims — cannot verify the $197,359 net income figure or validate ROI
- 02MEDHigh initial investment ($149,950–$383,050) with 8% royalty creates breakeven risk if actual revenues underperform disclosed averages
- 03MINORModest unit growth (15.9% YoY on 98 units = ~14 net adds) — slower than franchise industry standards; suggests saturation or recruitment difficulty
- 04MEDRoyalty structure ($0–$1,000/mo minimum) is vague and may hide variable costs or undisclosed fees that erode stated profitability
- 05MINORNo 'going concern' disclosure raises questions about franchisor financial stability and long-term support
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Minimum 2,500 businesses identified by NAICS codes |
| 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | KY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 56 hrs
- Training location
- Louisville, Kentucky (OJT); online/virtual (classroom); franchisee's market (field sales)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor approves storage site for Installed Vehicle
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
53 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 Crushr franchise?
The total investment to open a Crushr franchise ranges from $150K – $383K, 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 Crushr franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Crushr FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $315K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Crushr?
Crushr is franchised by Smash Brothers, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Crushr 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 Crushr FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Crushr's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Crushr has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 29 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Crushr franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Crushr has 98 total units in the United States, including 95 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 17 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Crushr a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Crushr as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 86 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
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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.