Helpful Heroes Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $75K – $130K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Helpful Heroes is a home services franchise that hires off-duty firefighters and EMTs for handyman and home projects. Franchisees run local operations, managing the crew, scheduling, and customer accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Helpful Heroes franchise requires a total initial investment of $75K – $130K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Limited operating history: franchising since 2025. A system this young has fewer than three years of Item 20 outlet history and rarely enough SBA loans for a charge-off rate, so its grade rests on less evidence than an established system's. Read its Item 20 tables and talk to its first franchisees before relying on the grade. Other new franchisors
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: partial✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $75K – $130K
- 17th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Projection2 outlets
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 8th pct Home Services
- Units
- 2
- 6th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services median · 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 $75K – $130K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports job pricing metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +1 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports job pricing metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Helpful Heroes International LLC
- Parent company
- BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- BELFOR Holdings, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Hidrent, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer of BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC
- Sheldon Yellen
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 5405 Data Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $30.1M
- vs $29.5M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
11 other brands on this site name BELFOR Holdings, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- 1-800 WATER DAMAGED
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- COOL BINZB
- Clear Pest ProsB
- DUCTZA
- HOODZA
- JUNKCO+B
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Portfolio: BELFOR Franchise Group
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sheldon Yellen
- Headquarters
- MI
- Founded
- 2025
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 39% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $20K | $65K |
| Total initial investment | $75K | $130K |
Source: Helpful Heroes 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
- $75K – $130K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $999 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Helpful Heroes is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Helpful Heroes unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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
Item 19 reports job pricing metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. We omit it from rankings.
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 7.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports job pricing metrics rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Home Services medians
How Helpful Heroes Compares
Category median of published Home Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 50%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 15
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 financial statements are the consolidated audited statements of the franchisor's affiliate guarantor, BFG Holdco, Inc. (and subsidiaries), not the franchisor Helpful Heroes International, LLC, which was formed April 24, 2025. Figures in thousands; FY ended Dec 31, 2025 (yr1) and Dec 31, 2024 (yr2). Net income FY2025 $45K (prior years were large losses driven by goodwill impairment). Other revenue is "Other income" $420K; interest income was an additional $236K.
ⓘ 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
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 2 units in system with unknown growth trajectory indicates severely underdeveloped franchise with minimal track record
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosure (missing Item 19) prevents ROI validation and suggests weak financial performance
- 03MINORHigh franchise fee ($49,999) relative to system size and lack of financial disclosure creates significant risk for franchisee
- 04MED5-year term is shorter than industry standard (10 years typical), suggesting limited franchisor commitment or protections
- 05MINORRoyalty range of 5-8% is vague and undefined, creating uncertainty around actual operating costs
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MI |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 22 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 22 hrs
- Training location
- Ann Arbor, MI (or another location franchisor designates)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- HELPFUL HEROES Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: HELPFUL HEROES Software
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Helpful Heroes franchise?
The total investment to open a Helpful Heroes franchise ranges from $75K – $130K, 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 Helpful Heroes franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Helpful Heroes FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Helpful Heroes?
Helpful Heroes is franchised by Helpful Heroes International LLC. Its parent company is BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is BELFOR Holdings, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Helpful Heroes 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 Helpful Heroes FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Helpful Heroes's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Helpful Heroes (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 Helpful Heroes franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Helpful Heroes has 2 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Helpful Heroes a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Helpful Heroes as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.