Garage LivingFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Garage Living franchise requires a total initial investment of $122K – $322K, including a $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.5% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.6M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 6.7% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $122K – $322K
- 45th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- 41st pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 6.5%
- 26th pct Home Services
- Units
- 51
- 43rd pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 6.7%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Home 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 7.2x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Bottom line
- Total investment $122K – $322K including a $60K franchise fee, 6.5% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.6M/year (median $1.4M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 29/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 6.7% across 15 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 19.5% CAGR over 3 years with 51 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Garage Living Franchise Systems USA, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 201 Chrislea Road, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada L4L 8N6
Overview
About
Garage Living franchisees operate garage organization, storage solutions, and home improvement retail/installation businesses serving residential customers. Day-to-day operations include design consultations, product sales, installation services, customer relationship management, and territory-based marketing to build recurring revenue from organizing and upgrading garage spaces.
- CEO
- Aaron Cash
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 26
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $52K | $212K |
| Total initial investment | $122K | $322K |
Source: Garage Living 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
$168K
10.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
67%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
18 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $122K – $322K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.5%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.5% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.4M
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 29 units
- vs category median 25
- Range (low → high)
- $444K→$3.8M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 7 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 7.2x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How Garage Living Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 51
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 94%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -2.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +19.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 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
- 15
- Loan volume
- $4.3M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 6.7%
- 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)
- 50.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Garage Living's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 8 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 7-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit base, undisclosed profitability, active litigation, and opaque royalty structure create material risk despite solid average revenue figures.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 29 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 2.0% YoY (51 units) indicates shrinking system momentum despite $1.6M average revenue
- 02MEDNo disclosed average net income makes ROI calculation impossible; cannot verify $121.5K-$321.6K investment justifies 5-year term
- 03HIGHActive litigation by franchisor against former franchisees over post-term covenants suggests enforcement disputes and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 04MINORDual royalty structure ($2K/month secondary markets) lacks transparency on which territories qualify and expected franchisee volume
- 05MEDHigh franchise fee ($60K) + investment range ($121.5K-$321.6K) combined with unit decline raises sustainability concerns
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Household-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 2 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 82 hrs
- POS system
- Cabinetvision, GLMS platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Cabinetvision, GLMS platform
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
42 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Garage Living · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Garage Living franchise?
The total investment to open a Garage Living franchise ranges from $122K – $322K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Garage Living franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Garage Living FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.6M. The median is $1.4M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Garage Living's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Garage Living has a charge-off rate of 6.7% across 15 loans, meaning 6.7% 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 Garage Living franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Garage Living has 51 total units in the United States, including 41 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Garage Living a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Garage Living as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 29 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.