Fish Window Cleaning Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FISH Window Cleaning is a franchise providing low-rise window cleaning, plus pressure washing and gutter service, for homes and businesses. Franchisees run a crew-based operation managing recurring commercial and residential accounts in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FISH WINDOW CLEANING franchise requires a total initial investment of $107K – $125K, including a $50K – $75K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 21.4% charge-off rate across 49 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $107K – $125K
- 38th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 270
- 77th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- 21.4%
- % 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 $107K – $125K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFY2024 consolidated revenues: Royalty income $9,665,012; Franchise sales $944,530; Technical support fees $652,983; Advertising fees $1,358,460; Sale of merchandise $148,081. Total $12,769,066.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 21.4% across 49 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Fish Window Cleaning Services, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
- S. Michael Merrick
- CEO experience
- 1998 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- MO
- HQ
- 217 Chesterfield Towne Centre, Chesterfield, Missouri 63005
- Auditor
- Fine + Associates, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $12.8M
- vs $12.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- S. Michael Merrick
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 1998
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 44
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 63% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $75K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses to Attend Training | $2K | $3K | |
| Equipment Package | $9K | $11K | |
| Office Package | $11K | $13K | |
| Initial Business Development and Marketing | $11K | $17K | |
| Vehicle | $1K | $2K | |
| Vehicle Modification | $4K | $4K | |
| Attorneys' Fees | $500 | $2K | |
| Office Space - 3 Months | $5K | $6K | |
| Insurance Premiums | $2K | $5K | |
| Business Licenses, and Membership Dues | $100 | $900 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $14K | $36K | |
| Total initial investment | $107K | $173K |
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
- $107K – $125K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $14K – $36K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $75K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $11K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FISH WINDOW CLEANING 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
69%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
FY2024 consolidated revenues: Royalty income $9,665,012; Franchise sales $944,530; Technical support fees $652,983; Advertising fees $1,358,460; Sale of merchandise $148,081. Total $12,769,066.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 252
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $39K→$2.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $259K→$775K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 1 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
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 6.0% — below the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+2.3% 3-year CAGR) with 270 units.
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 Fish Window Cleaning Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 270
- Opened
- 16
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 11
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.1%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +2.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +2.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 16
- Closed (3yr)
- 11
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 17
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 6.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 19 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
- Illinois
- Michigan
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
- $4.8M
- Median loan
- $95K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 21.4%
- 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)
- 78.6%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 28
- Defaults
- 9
- Typical loan rate
- 6.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 15.4%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 235
- 4.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 18%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in janitorial services, franchised businesses charge off at 15.4% vs 22.8% for independents — franchising is associated with 32% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Fish Window Cleaning charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Fish Window Cleaning franchisees
Showing 3 of 28 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 Fish Window Cleaning'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
- 15-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 21.4% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 21.4% — 34% 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
Fish Window Cleaning presents moderate-to-caution risk: sluggish unit growth, undisclosed financials preventing due diligence, employment litigation exposure, and a punitive royalty floor that could strain marginal performers.
Litigation (Item 3)
Pope et al. v. Fish Window Cleaning, Inc. - FLSA joint employer claim dismissed in favor of franchisor 2017; settled with plaintiffs for $14,200 total; concluded.
Largest disclosed settlement: $14,200
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Fine + Associates, P.C.
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 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth of only 1.9% YoY suggests mature or declining system momentum with 270 units showing minimal expansion
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure (Avg Revenue and Net Income not disclosed) prevents validation of ROI claims and franchisee profitability benchmarks
- 03HIGHJoint employment and wage violation litigation (Pope et al.) indicates potential labor classification mismanagement or compliance issues that could expose franchisees to liability
- 04MINORRoyalty structure based on 'greater of Gross Sales or Applicable Minimum Performance Standard' is punitive—franchisees pay minimums even if revenue lags, reducing flexibility
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% 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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 75,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Missouri |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | MO |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Pope et al. v. Fish Window Cleaning, Inc. - FLSA joint employer claim dismissed in favor of franchisor 2017; settled with plaintiffs for $14,200 total; concluded.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 43 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 47 hrs
- Training location
- St. Louis, MO headquarters and franchisee territory
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Fish Proprietary System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Fish Proprietary System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
93 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
FISH WINDOW CLEANING · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FISH WINDOW CLEANING franchise?
The total investment to open a FISH WINDOW CLEANING franchise ranges from $107K – $125K, 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING franchise owners earn?
FISH WINDOW CLEANING 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is FISH WINDOW CLEANING's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, FISH WINDOW CLEANING has a charge-off rate of 21.4% across 49 loans, meaning 21.4% 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FISH WINDOW CLEANING has 270 total units in the United States, including 269 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 16 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FISH WINDOW CLEANING a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FISH WINDOW CLEANING as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 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 FISH WINDOW CLEANING, 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.