Duraclean Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $109K – $174K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 18.8%
- on 21 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Duraclean is a franchise providing carpet, upholstery, and tile cleaning plus water-damage restoration for homes and businesses. Franchisees run a service operation managing crews, scheduling, and cleaning and restoration jobs in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Duraclean franchise requires a total initial investment of $109K – $174K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 18.8% charge-off rate across 21 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2025 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - a newer filing may exist
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 scored3 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $109K – $174K
- 41st pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 56th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 102
- 64th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- 18.8%
- % 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 $109K – $174K including a $30K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 18.8% across 21 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -3 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 3 closed) (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -6.1% 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
- Duraclean International, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chairman, CEO and Treasurer
- Vincent J. Caffarello
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 1585 Barclay Blvd., Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
- Auditor
- Porte Brown LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5M
- vs $1.5M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Vincent J. Caffarello
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 1930
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 28
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 17% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $7K | $21K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $72K | $124K |
| Total initial investment | $109K | $174K |
Source: Duraclean 2025 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
- $109K – $174K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $7K – $21K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $61K – $61K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Duraclean makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Duraclean 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 annual revenue, ad fund rate, 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.
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
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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% (near the Cleaning & Maintenance median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -6.1% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Duraclean 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
- 102
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.9%
- Company-owned
- 10
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 90%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.2%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -6.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -6.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 1
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 2.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 28 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
81 current owners across 28 states.
- IL 7
- MI 6
- NY 6
- SC 6
- IA 5
- MA 5
- CA 4
- GA 4
- NJ 4
- PA 4
- FL 3
- IN 3
- +16 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 21
- Loan volume
- $2.8M
- Median loan
- $50K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 18.8%
- on 21 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)
- 81.2%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 17
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 7.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 16.6%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 45
- 5.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 40%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 33% went to startups / new businesses, 67% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in carpet and upholstery cleaning services, franchised businesses charge off at 16.6% vs 18.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 10% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Duraclean franchisees
Showing 3 of 17 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 Duraclean from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 2.1%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 69%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.71%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $17K
- Lender concentration
- 40.0%
- Job velocity
- 5.4 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 26.5%
- NAICS 561740
- Jobs supported
- 45
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 40% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First State Bank | 2 | $626K | N/A |
| 2 | Fulton Bank, National Association | 1 | $110K | 100.0% |
| 3 | TD Bank, National Association | 1 | $50K | 0.0% |
| 4 | BayFirst National Bank | 1 | $50K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| WIWisconsin | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NHNew Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NJNew Jersey | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| NYNew York | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 18.8% — 17% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Duraclean presents elevated risk due to a contracting unit base, undisclosed financial performance metrics, unprotected territory, and a financial structure that may not support adequate franchisee profitability.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Porte Brown LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
other_revenue of $106,698 represents Item 8 revenue from sale of equipment, supplies and chemicals to franchisees (a component of total contract revenue of $1,468,407 for FY2024). 2024 audit opinion unmodified; 2023/2022 qualified re: omitted lease accounting (ASU 2016-02).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 3.2% year-over-year indicates shrinking franchise system and potential market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure in Item 19 prevents accurate ROI assessment and hides performance data from prospects
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk where franchisor can place additional franchisees in your market, cannibalizing revenue
- 04MINORTiered royalty structure with $83 minimum means unprofitable months still require payment, reducing cash flow flexibility
- 05MEDInitial investment of $108,704–$174,004 with no disclosed average revenue makes payback period impossible to calculate
- 06MINOR5-year term is shorter than industry standard (10 years), creating renewal uncertainty and less time to recoup investment
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 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 5 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 120 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Cook County, Illinois |
| Governing law | IL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Buffalo Grove, IL (corporate headquarters) or online/webinar
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 0 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Duraclean Business Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Duraclean Business Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
81 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 Duraclean franchise?
The total investment to open a Duraclean franchise ranges from $109K – $174K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Duraclean franchise owners earn?
Duraclean makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Duraclean?
Duraclean is franchised by Duraclean International, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Duraclean 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 Duraclean FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Duraclean's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Duraclean has a charge-off rate of 18.8% across 21 loans, meaning 18.8% 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 Duraclean franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Duraclean has 102 total units in the United States, including 92 franchised units and 10 company-owned units.
Is Duraclean a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Duraclean as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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.