FastsignsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FASTSIGNS franchise requires a total initial investment of $215K – $377K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 12.0% charge-off rate across 437 loans[1]. Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $215K – $377K
- 47th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- 20th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 705
- 52nd pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 12.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business 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 3.8x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchising since 1986. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
91% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $215K – $377K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $817K), with an estimated 91% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line).
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 76/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 12.0% across 437 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- FASTSIGNS International, Inc.
- Parent company
- Propelled Brands Franchising, LLC
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 2542 Highlander Way, Carrollton, Texas 75006-2333
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $72.4M
- vs $98.2M prior year
Overview
About
FASTSIGNS franchisees operate sign-making and visual communication centers, producing custom signs, vehicle wraps, banners, and promotional graphics for local businesses. Day-to-day operations include client consultations, design work (in-house or outsourced), production on digital printers and vinyl cutters, and installation services. Most units function as B2B service providers serving contractors, retailers, and corporate clients within a protected territory.
- CEO
- Catherine Monson
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 46
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $35K | $55K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $130K | $273K |
| Total initial investment | $215K | $377K |
Source: FASTSIGNS 2025 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
$167K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
49%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
25 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $215K – $377K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $35K – $55K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 1.1 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $7K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $817K
- Avg p&l bottom line
- $269K
- Reported as P&L Bottom Line in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 90.7%
- Based on P&L Bottom Line / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- Actual results
- Sample size
- 684 units
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $60K→$48.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 3 / 5 · above
Compared against 360 Business Services brands
vs Business Services averages
How Fastsigns Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 705
- Opened
- 20
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Turnover rate
- 0.6%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +2.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +4.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 32
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 20 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
- 437
- Loan volume
- $142.8M
- Median loan
- $215K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 12.0%
- 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)
- 88.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 126
- Defaults
- 36
Vintage analysis
Fastsigns charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Fastsigns'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
- 35-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Mature franchise system with modest growth, undisclosed financial performance claims, and leadership litigation history presents moderate risk requiring careful franchisee reference validation.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 76 / 100 rating
- 01MINORSlow unit growth of only 2.3% YoY suggests market saturation or franchisee underperformance in a 705-unit system
- 02HIGHLitigation involving founder/leadership (Brad Brutocao and John Roth) at Floor & Décor raises governance and judgment concerns that may extend to FASTSIGNS operations
- 03MINORBreach of contract arbitration against Hassan Brothers LLC indicates potential franchisee disputes and possible franchisor enforcement issues
- 04MINORItem 19 (Financial Performance Representations) absent — the $1.11M avg revenue figure cannot be independently verified or attributed to specific unit types/locations
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 | Geographic area |
| 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 | Texas |
| Litigation count | 2 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- POS system
- CoreBridge Management System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CoreBridge Management System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
42 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
FASTSIGNS · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FASTSIGNS franchise?
The total investment to open a FASTSIGNS franchise ranges from $215K – $377K, 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 FASTSIGNS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the FASTSIGNS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $817K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is FASTSIGNS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, FASTSIGNS has a charge-off rate of 12.0% across 437 loans, meaning 12.0% 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 FASTSIGNS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FASTSIGNS has 705 total units in the United States, including 677 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 20 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FASTSIGNS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FASTSIGNS as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 76 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.