FRSTeam Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FRSTeam is a restoration franchise specializing in cleaning and restoring fabric, textiles, and electronics damaged by fire or water. Franchisees run the operations, serving insurance clients and managing pickup, processing, and delivery.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FRSTeam franchise requires a total initial investment of $139K – $554K, including a $65K – $75K franchise fee. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.0M[2]. 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
- $139K – $554K
- 53rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $2.0M
- 38th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 49
- 42nd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $139K – $554K including a $65K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $2.0M/year (median $1.5M). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 75/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 23.7% CAGR over 3 years with 49 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- FRSTeam, LLC
- Parent company
- Empower Brands Franchising, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- MidOcean BCAT Holdings, Inc.
- CEO title
- Brand President
- Jeff Waters
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 2520 Northwinds Parkway, Suite 375, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
- Auditor
- Smith-Howard
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $137.3M
- vs $140.1M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jeff Waters
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2005
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 11% above the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown4 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Setup Fee (FRSTaid 3.0)not refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Additional Software Setup Fee (per subsequent franchise)not refundable | $350 | $350 | |
| ERIS Software Licensenot refundable | — | — | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months of Operationnot refundable | — | — | |
| Total initial investment | $3K | $3K |
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
- $139K – $554K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $60K – $150K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $65K – $75K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 6% of monthly Gross Revenues or Minimum Monthl…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $510 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $38K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $1K – $59K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 125% above the cleaning & maintenance norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
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
$222K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
49%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
24 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one FRSTeam unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
49%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 FRSTeam units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$1.6M
on $8.1M purchase
Total debt
$6.5M
SBA $4.0M + senior + seller note
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
- Avg gross sales
- $2.0M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.5M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Revenue (Benchmarking Study CY2024) + FY2025 gross revenue tables
- Sample size
- 44
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $236K→$6.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- none
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 192 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Revenue is 5.8x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $2.0M/year in gross sales. Median is $1.5M — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 5.8x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% — below the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 23.7% CAGR over 3 years across 49 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 FRSTeam Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 49
- Opened
- 11
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +23.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +23.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 11
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 26 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
- California
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- New York
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $5.3M
- Median loan
- $405K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (6 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
FRSTeam shows moderate-to-high caution due to undisclosed financial performance data, franchisor going concern status, and lack of clarity on royalty minimums and unit profitability sustainability despite rapid growth.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith-Howard
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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 Financial Performance Representations disclosed — cannot independently verify claimed $432,786 average net income
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, indicating potential financial instability or viability questions about franchisor operations
- 03MINORHigh unit growth rate (30.6% YoY) may indicate aggressive recruiting masking underlying unit profitability or retention issues
- 04MINORWide investment range ($138,875–$553,500) suggests highly variable startup costs with unclear cost drivers and ROI predictability
- 05MINORMinimum Monthly Royalty structure (greater of 6% or MMR) not specified — could create unpredictable cash flow burden in low-revenue months
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 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Alpharetta, Georgia |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | GA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 132 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisee facility or designated facility in Denver, CO (exploring Dallas, TX)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FRSTaid 3.0
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FRSTaid 3.0
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
36 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
FRSTeam · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FRSTeam franchise?
The total investment to open a FRSTeam franchise ranges from $139K – $554K, with an initial franchise fee of $65K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do FRSTeam franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the FRSTeam FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.0M. The median is $1.5M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the FRSTeam 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 FRSTeam FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is FRSTeam's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for FRSTeam (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many FRSTeam franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FRSTeam has 49 total units in the United States, including 47 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 11 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FRSTeam a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FRSTeam as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 75 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
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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.