Hi-5 Aba Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $18K – $110K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Hi-5 ABA is a healthcare franchise operating Applied Behavior Analysis therapy clinics for children with autism. Franchisees run the clinics, managing behavior analysts and technicians, therapy programs, and billing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Hi-5 ABA franchise requires a total initial investment of $18K – $110K, including a $3K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Item 5 conditions this fee. The figure shown is the lowest amount the filing discloses, and the filing ties that amount to a qualifying condition — so it is not necessarily what a first-time single-unit franchisee pays. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2026 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - the current year's filing
Evidence: strong✓ 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 scored2 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $18K – $110K
- 2nd pct Healthcare
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outlets
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 37th pct Healthcare
- Units
- 27
- 43rd pct Healthcare
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Healthcare · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Healthcare 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 $18K – $110K including a $3K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty. Item 5 conditions this fee. The figure shown is the lowest amount the filing discloses, and the filing ties that amount to a qualifying condition — so it is not necessarily what a first-time single-unit franchisee pays.
- RETURNSItem 19 publishes no average of any kind — only 26 individual business rows (Table 1, printed p.48-49) giving each business's 2023 total billings and revenue collected. Across the 24 franchised businesses, billings average $562,968 and collections $500,189. The underlying data is also extremely uneven: one franchisee billed $5,293,250 in 22.7 weeks — 39% of all franchised billings on its own — while several billed under $20,000 for the year, and the businesses are state-wide service territories rather than outlets.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 55/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 2 closed); 4 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- 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
- Hi-5 ABA, Inc.
- Predecessor
- parent or other affiliates that are required to be disclosed in this Item
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board
- David Maddox
- Incorporated in
- Virginia
- HQ
- 5306 Lee Highway, Warrenton, Virginia 20187
- Auditor
- Philip Akumkperik, CPA
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $505K
- vs $592K 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
- CEO
- David Maddox
- Headquarters
- Virginia
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 14
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 80% below the typical healthcare franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Item 5 conditions this fee. The figure shown is the lowest amount the filing discloses, and the filing ties that amount to a qualifying condition — so it is not necessarily what a first-time single-unit franchisee pays.
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $3K | $3K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $13K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $3K | $57K |
| Total initial investment | $18K | $110K |
Source: Hi-5 ABA 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
- $18K – $110K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $13K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $3K – $50K
- Conditional fee
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Technology fee | $93 |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| 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 Hi-5 ABA 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 Hi-5 ABA 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 publishes no average of any kind — only 26 individual business rows (Table 1, printed p.48-49) giving each business's 2023 total billings and revenue collected. Across the 24 franchised businesses, billings average $562,968 and collections $500,189. The underlying data is also extremely uneven: one franchisee billed $5,293,250 in 22.7 weeks — 39% of all franchised billings on its own — while several billed under $20,000 for the year, and the businesses are state-wide service territories rather than outlets.
Includes company-owned outlets
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 24 outlets
- vs category median 20
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
Compared against 162 Healthcare brands
Item 19 · by group
What the filing does disclose
Item 19 of this FDD reports performance in more than one group. We publish no single average for this brand; the groups the filing does disclose are listed below, quoted from its own Item 19 table.
Each row below is quoted from the FDD's own Item 19 table. Gross sales are not profit.
Incl. company outletsItem 19 detail
Item 19 publishes no average of any kind — only 26 individual business rows (Table 1, printed p.48-49) giving each business's 2023 total billings and revenue collected. Across the 24 franchised businesses, billings average $562,968 and collections $500,189. The underlying data is also extremely uneven: one franchisee billed $5,293,250 in 22.7 weeks — 39% of all franchised billings on its own — while several billed under $20,000 for the year, and the businesses are state-wide service territories rather than outlets.
affiliate
| Segment | Sample (outlets) | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate ABA Businesses (2 businesses) | 2 outlets | — |
franchised
| Segment | Sample (outlets) | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Affiliated Franchised Businesses (23 businesses) | 23 outlets | — |
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 Healthcare median).
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 roughly stable (0.0% 3-year CAGR) with 27 units.
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 Healthcare medians
How Hi-5 Aba Compares
Category median of published Healthcare 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
- 27
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.4%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +17.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 2
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 4
- 0.15 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 14 states 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.
14
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: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
(1) New Age Real Estate Developers Ltd. v. Cornerstone Investments Ghana Ltd. et al. (Ghana High Court, Suit No. CM/0309/2016) - lease/equipment dispute involving CEO David Maddox in capacity as Managing Director of affiliate CIG, pending. (2) Hi-5 ABA, Inc., Hi-5 ABA Processing, Inc. and ABC Behavior v. Educational Behavior Support Services, LLC and Keith Beltton (E.D. Va., Case No. 1:25-cv-01157-PTG-WEF) - franchisor and affiliates suing former franchisee and owner for amounts due under franchise/related agreements.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
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: Yes
- 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 55 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHFounder David Maddox involved in pending litigation ($145k+ dispute in Ghana) — raises governance and character concerns
- 02MINORTerritory NOT protected — franchisees compete with corporate and other franchisees in same market
- 03MED7% royalty on undisclosed revenue base creates uncertainty about actual profitability
- 04MINORHigh 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
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 | 5 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Operating Area, typically an entire state (may include portions of adjacent state) |
| 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 | 90 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Virginia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
(1) New Age Real Estate Developers Ltd. v. Cornerstone Investments Ghana Ltd. et al. (Ghana High Court, Suit No. CM/0309/2016) - lease/equipment dispute involving CEO David Maddox in capacity as Managing Director of affiliate CIG, pending. (2) Hi-5 ABA, Inc., Hi-5 ABA Processing, Inc. and ABC Behavior v. Educational Behavior Support Services, LLC and Keith Beltton (E.D. Va., Case No. 1:25-cv-01157-PTG-WEF) - franchisor and affiliates suing former franchisee and owner for amounts due under franchise/related agreements.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 25 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Online (virtual, over approximately 12 weeks)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not 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
41 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
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 $18K – $110K, with an initial franchise fee of $3K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Item 5 conditions this fee. The figure shown is the lowest amount the filing discloses, and the filing ties that amount to a qualifying condition — so it is not necessarily what a first-time single-unit franchisee pays.
What do Hi-5 ABA franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Hi-5 ABA 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 Hi-5 ABA?
Hi-5 ABA is franchised by Hi-5 ABA, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Hi-5 ABA 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 Hi-5 ABA FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
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 27 total units in the United States, including 26 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Hi-5 ABA a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Hi-5 ABA as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 55 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.