Happier at Home Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Happier at Home is a senior care franchise providing non-medical in-home care, companionship, and household help. Franchisees run local agencies, recruiting caregivers and managing scheduling, client care, and billing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Happier at Home franchise requires a total initial investment of $101K – $143K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). 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
- $101K – $143K
- 54th pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 3rd pct Senior Care
- Units
- 19
- 47th pct Senior Care
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Senior Care 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 $101K – $143K including a $49K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFY2025 audited Statement of Operations: Franchise Fee $395,556 + Royalty Income $708,805 + Miscellaneous Income $73,255 = Total Income $1,177,616 (vs $931,450 in 2024). Audited by Amidon & Villeneuve, CPA's P.C., opinion dated Feb 4, 2026.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 66/100 (higher is better).
- 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
- Happier at Home, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Bayview MSR Opportunity Master Fund, L.P.
- CEO title
- President, Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer
- Deborah Bernacki
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 31 Oak Meadow Trail, Pittsford, NY 14534
- Auditor
- Amidon & Villeneuve, CPA's P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.2M
- vs $931K 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.
Affiliated brands
- of ours that operated a business similar to the one you will operate
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Deborah Bernacki
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 53% below the typical senior care franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $35K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $32K | $59K |
| Total initial investment | $101K | $143K |
Source: Happier at Home 2026 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
- $101K – $143K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- formula · 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 | $425 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $12K |
| Inventory (initial) | $200 – $600 |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Happier at Home 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 Happier at Home unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
95%
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
FY2025 audited Statement of Operations: Franchise Fee $395,556 + Royalty Income $708,805 + Miscellaneous Income $73,255 = Total Income $1,177,616 (vs $931,450 in 2024). Audited by Amidon & Villeneuve, CPA's P.C., opinion dated Feb 4, 2026.
- Median gross sales
- $593K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 13 outlets
- vs category median 22
- Range (low → high)
- $225K→$988K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 79 Senior Care 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 Senior Care average of 7.7%.
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 expanding at 171.4% CAGR over 3 years across 19 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 Senior Care averages
How Happier at Home Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 19
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Turnover rate
- 15.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +171.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +171.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 3
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Ceased ops
- 21.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 11 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
- Indiana
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 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $566K
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 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
- 2
- 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
Early-stage, lightly-regulated franchise system with recent state enforcement action, undisclosed profitability metrics, and minimal unit count raises substantial concerns about franchisor compliance, franchisee ROI, and system sustainability.
Litigation (Item 3)
State of Washington Consent Order (effective July 30, 2025): offered and sold franchise in Washington without effective registration; agreed to cease and desist and pay $1,000 investigative costs.
Largest disclosed settlement: $1,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Amidon & Villeneuve, CPA's P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 66 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORRecent regulatory enforcement action in Washington (July 2025) for unlicensed franchise sales indicates compliance issues and potential systemic problems in franchise offering practices
- 02MEDOnly 19 franchised units with unknown/undisclosed growth trajectory raises questions about system viability and market acceptance
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($101K-$143K) combined with 5% royalty + minimum royalty structure creates significant financial pressure on franchisees
- 04MINOR10-year term is lengthy given the young/unproven franchise system size and lack of transparent unit growth data
- 05HIGHGoing Concern status is 'False' but franchisor's regulatory violations suggest potential operational or financial instability
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 2026 · 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 | 4 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 300,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| 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 | 15 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Rochester, New York (Monroe County) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
State of Washington Consent Order (effective July 30, 2025): offered and sold franchise in Washington without effective registration; agreed to cease and desist and pay $1,000 investigative costs.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 44 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 64 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- eRSP
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: eRSP
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
25 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Happier at Home · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Happier at Home franchise?
The total investment to open a Happier at Home franchise ranges from $101K – $143K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Happier at Home franchise owners earn?
Happier at Home 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 Happier at Home 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 Happier at Home FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Happier at Home's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Happier at Home (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 Happier at Home franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Happier at Home has 19 total units in the United States, including 19 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Happier at Home a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Happier at Home as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 66 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?
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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.