DoodyCallsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A DoodyCalls franchise requires a total initial investment of $64K – $83K, including a $49K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $392K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 6.3% charge-off rate across 16 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $64K – $83K
- 15th pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- $392K
- 16th pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 88
- 72nd pct Pet Services
- SBA default
- 6.3%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Pet 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 5.3x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
The system grew 19% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $64K – $83K including a $49K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $392K/year (median $179K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 17/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 6.3% across 16 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 59.3% CAGR over 3 years with 88 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- DoodyCalls Franchising SPE LLC
- Parent company
- AB Assetco LLC
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7120 Samuel Morse Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, Maryland 21046
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $104K
- vs $191K prior year
Overview
About
DoodyCalls franchisees operate a pet waste removal and yard cleanup service, visiting residential clients on recurring schedules (typically weekly or bi-weekly) to scoop and dispose of dog waste. Day-to-day work involves route management, customer acquisition/retention, scheduling, and direct service delivery or team supervision. Revenue scales with customer count and service frequency.
- CEO
- Thomas Swift, Jr.
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2000
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 27
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $3K | $8K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $13K | $27K |
| Total initial investment | $64K | $83K |
Source: DoodyCalls 2024 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
15.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
77%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
16 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $64K – $83K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $8K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- greater of: (a) 7.5% of Gross Revenue; or (b) the Minimum…
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $350 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $392K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $179K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 39 units
- vs category median 12 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $14K→$1.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 75 Pet Services brands
Revenue is 5.3x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Pet Services averages
How DoodyCalls Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 88
- Opened
- 17
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 2.3%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +19.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +59.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 24 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
- 16
- Loan volume
- $2.1M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 6.3%
- 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)
- 66.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 100.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into DoodyCalls's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 4 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 11 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 7-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Moderate-to-caution risk: Pet waste removal is recession-resistant, but opaque profitability metrics, undisclosed minimum royalties, and lack of earnings claims create uncertainty around actual franchisee ROI and unit sustainability.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 17 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD — cannot assess actual profitability or ROI; $392k revenue does not guarantee acceptable earnings
- 02MINORMinimum Royalty Fee structure not specified — franchisees could owe 7.5% of revenue regardless of profitability, creating cash flow pressure
- 03MEDHigh initial investment ($64-83k) relative to disclosed average revenue ($392k) yields thin margins if net income is materially lower than gross
- 04MINORRapid unit growth (19.4% YoY) without profitability disclosure raises sustainability concerns — growth may mask franchisee struggles
- 05MINORNo Item 19 (Earnings Claims) means franchisor provides zero financial performance guarantees; results highly variable and unverified
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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Household and Zip Code based |
| 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 | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 31 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 12 hrs
- POS system
- PoopNET
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: PoopNET
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
56 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
DoodyCalls · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a DoodyCalls franchise?
The total investment to open a DoodyCalls franchise ranges from $64K – $83K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do DoodyCalls franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the DoodyCalls FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $392K. The median is $179K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is DoodyCalls's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, DoodyCalls has a charge-off rate of 6.3% across 16 loans, meaning 6.3% 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 DoodyCalls franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, DoodyCalls has 88 total units in the United States, including 54 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 17 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is DoodyCalls a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates DoodyCalls as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 17 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.