Dryer Vent Wizard Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Dryer Vent Wizard is a home-services franchise specializing in dryer-vent cleaning, repair, and inspection to improve safety and efficiency. Franchisees run a mobile, route-based service handling residential and commercial jobs in a territory, often owner-operated.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Dryer Vent Wizard franchise requires a total initial investment of $85K – $163K, including a $50K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 2.0% charge-off rate across 49 loans[1]. 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
- $85K – $163K
- 25th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 163
- 72nd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- 2.0%
- % 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 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 $85K – $163K including a $50K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 21 financial statements are the audited combined financial statements of Neighborly Assetco LLC (the franchisor's direct parent and guarantor of the Franchise Agreement), not of the franchisor Dryer Vent Wizard SPV LLC itself. Figures are in $000's; 2025 total revenues and income of $480,797K comprise Franchise service fees and related revenue of $353,906K plus Sales of products and services of $126,891K.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 2.0% across 49 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Dryer Vent Wizard SPV LLC
- Parent company
- Neighborly Assetco LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Neighborly Company (Dwyer Franchising LLC)
- Predecessor
- Dryer Vent Wizard LLC; American Franchise Systems LLC; Dryer Vent Wizard Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Kevin Busch
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1010 North University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas 76707
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $480.8M
- vs $461.7M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Kevin Busch
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 39
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 60% below the typical cleaning & maintenance 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) | $5K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $30K | $74K |
| Total initial investment | $85K | $163K |
Source: Dryer Vent Wizard 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
- $85K – $163K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of (a) 10% of Gross Sales or (b) applicable minim…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 12.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $13K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 12.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Dryer Vent Wizard 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 Dryer Vent Wizard unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
56%
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
Item 21 financial statements are the audited combined financial statements of Neighborly Assetco LLC (the franchisor's direct parent and guarantor of the Franchise Agreement), not of the franchisor Dryer Vent Wizard SPV LLC itself. Figures are in $000's; 2025 total revenues and income of $480,797K comprise Franchise service fees and related revenue of $353,906K plus Sales of products and services of $126,891K.
- Median gross sales
- $165K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Sales (historical)
- Sample size
- 73 outlets
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $15K→$1.1M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $64K→$533K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 192 Cleaning & Maintenance 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 12.0% — above the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Gross Sales (historical) rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 10.9% CAGR over 3 years across 163 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 averages
How Dryer Vent Wizard Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 163
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 9
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +10.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 8
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 9
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 5
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 8 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
- 49
- Loan volume
- $7.7M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 2.0%
- 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)
- 98.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 20.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 11
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 8.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 40.5%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 168
- 2.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 69%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 86% went to startups / new businesses, 14% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in appliance repair and maintenance, franchised businesses charge off at 40.5% vs 21.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 85% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Dryer Vent Wizard franchisees
Showing 3 of 11 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 Dryer Vent Wizard'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
- 13-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 2.0% — 88% 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
Moderate-to-cautious risk: service-based dryer vent cleaning franchise with growth potential undermined by opaque profitability data, aggressive royalty floor, and parent company regulatory baggage.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed against the franchisor. One affiliate (Window Genie predecessor FOR Franchising LLC) Consent Order with California Commissioner of Business Oversight in 2017 for failure to submit two advertisements; $5,000 penalty paid.
Largest disclosed settlement: $5,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
No bankruptcy involving the franchisor. Several KKR portfolio companies disclosed: Marelli Holdings (2025), The Collected Group LLC (2021, emerged), Envision Healthcare (2023, emerged), Genesis Care (2023, emerged), IPI Legacy Liquidation (2023, emerged), Café Coffee Day (insolvency 2024, overturned on appeal).
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
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 76 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed despite $240k avg revenue claim — cannot verify profitability or validate royalty burden
- 02MINORRoyalty structure (10% or minimum fee) is punitive; at $240k revenue, 10% royalty ($24k) plus operating costs may severely compress margins
- 03HIGHParent company litigation history (Window Genie, Molly Maid) signals compliance culture issues and regulatory attention across portfolio
- 04MINOR12.2% YoY growth is modest for a service franchise in expanding market; does not indicate runaway demand
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 12.0% 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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 125,000 |
| 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | McLennan County, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed against the franchisor. One affiliate (Window Genie predecessor FOR Franchising LLC) Consent Order with California Commissioner of Business Oversight in 2017 for failure to submit two advertisements; $5,000 penalty paid.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 35 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 30 hrs
- Training location
- Waco or Irving, Texas (or virtual); field training at franchise owner training centers
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee (with franchisor site selection guidelines and approval)
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Onverity
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Onverity
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
76 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Dryer Vent Wizard · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Dryer Vent Wizard franchise?
The total investment to open a Dryer Vent Wizard franchise ranges from $85K – $163K, 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 Dryer Vent Wizard franchise owners earn?
Dryer Vent Wizard 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 Dryer Vent Wizard 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 Dryer Vent Wizard FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Dryer Vent Wizard's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Dryer Vent Wizard has a charge-off rate of 2.0% across 49 loans, meaning 2.0% 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 Dryer Vent Wizard franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Dryer Vent Wizard has 163 total units in the United States, including 163 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Dryer Vent Wizard a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Dryer Vent Wizard 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?
If you represent Dryer Vent Wizard, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.