Hi-5 AbaFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Hi-5 ABA franchise requires a total initial investment of $50K – $110K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.6M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $50K – $110K
- 7th pct Healthcare
- Avg gross sales
- $2.6M
- 44th pct Healthcare
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 34th pct Healthcare
- Units
- 29
- 45th pct Healthcare
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Healthcare · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Healthcare 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 33.2x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
The system grew 33% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $50K – $110K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $2.6M/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 41/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Hi-5 ABA, Inc.
- Predecessor
- parent or other affiliates that are required to be disclosed in this Item
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 5306 Lee Highway, Warrenton, Virginia 20187
- Auditor
- Philip Akumkperik, CPA
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $592K
- vs $505K prior year
Affiliated brands
- ABC Behavior
- have developed and own a format and system
- ABA Businesses operating
- ABA Businesses
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Hi-5 ABA franchisees operate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy centers providing autism spectrum disorder treatment and behavioral services to children. Day-to-day operations include supervising licensed therapists/RBTs, managing patient caseloads, conducting parent consultations, maintaining clinical documentation, and billing insurance providers.
- CEO
- David Maddox
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 16
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $13K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $10K |
| Total initial investment | $50K | $110K |
Source: Hi-5 ABA 2024 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
$397K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
357%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $50K – $110K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $13K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $3K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $93 |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $2.6M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- Historical Billings and Revenue
- Sample size
- 26 units
- vs category median 12 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $3K→$5.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Transparency
- 0 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 201 Healthcare brands
Revenue is 33.2x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Healthcare averages
How Hi-5 Aba Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- Opened
- 9
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 3.4%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +33.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +86.7%
- 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 · 9 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.
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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Hi-5 ABA presents meaningful caution-level risk due to franchisor going concern status, absent financial disclosure, unprotected territory, and founder litigation exposure.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 case reference(s): 1 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $145,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Bankruptcy Code; (b) obtained a discharge of its debts under the bankruptcy code; or (c) was a principal officer of a company or a general partner in a partnership that either filed as a debtor (or had filed against it) a petition to start an action under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or that obtained a
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Philip Akumkperik, CPA
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 41 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial distability of franchisor
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (no Item 19) — impossible to validate ROI on $17,618–$109,730 investment
- 03HIGHFounder David Maddox involved in pending litigation ($145k+ dispute in Ghana) — raises governance and character concerns
- 04MINORTerritory NOT protected — franchisees compete with corporate and other franchisees in same market
- 05MED7% royalty on undisclosed revenue base creates uncertainty about actual profitability
- 06MINORHigh unit growth (33.3% YoY) with only 29 units suggests either aggressive expansion or difficulty retaining franchisees
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 | 5 |
| Territory type | Operating Area |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 case reference(s): 1 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 25 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and classroom
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Motivity and Aloha
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Motivity and Aloha
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
24 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Hi-5 ABA · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Hi-5 ABA franchise?
The total investment to open a Hi-5 ABA franchise ranges from $50K – $110K, 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 Hi-5 ABA franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Hi-5 ABA FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.6M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Hi-5 ABA's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Hi-5 ABA (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 Hi-5 ABA franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Hi-5 ABA has 29 total units in the United States, including 15 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 9 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Hi-5 ABA a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Hi-5 ABA as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 41 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.