HydroDog Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
HydroDog is a mobile dog grooming franchise that brings full-service grooming to customers' driveways in equipped vans. Franchisees run local operations, managing groomers, appointments, and pet care.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A HydroDog franchise requires a total initial investment of $45K – $292K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $45K – $292K
- 7th pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 45th pct Pet Services
- Units
- 9
- 39th pct Pet Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Pet Services 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 $45K – $292K including a $40K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSEntity: Legacy Franchisors LLC d/b/a HydroDog (a Maine single-member LLC formed Dec 15, 2022). Statements are an audited (Aprio, LLP) opening/startup balance sheet only, dated January 4, 2023 — no income statement, statement of operations, or revenue is presented (no contracts entered with customers per Note A). Figures in whole US dollars; balance sheet reconciles (assets 150,000 = liabilities 0 + member's equity 150,000). No revenue or net income figures available.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 46/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Legacy Franchisors, LLC
- Predecessor
- HydroDog, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Ashby Green
- Incorporated in
- ME
- HQ
- 239 Hunter Way, Falmouth, ME 04105
- Auditor
- Aprio, LLP
- Audited financials
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ashby Green
- Headquarters
- ME
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 6
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 76% below the typical pet services franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown18 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| HydroDog Vehicle (leased) | $1K | $3K | |
| HydroDog Vehicle (purchased) | $105K | $155K | |
| HydroDog Vehicle Delivery | $0 | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Initial Tool Packagenot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Scheduling Software | $99 | $175 | |
| Technology Fee | $297 | $297 | |
| Construction, Improvements for home office | $0 | $1K | |
| Professional Fees (lawyer, accountant, etc.) | $0 | $4K | |
| Computer System | $0 | $2K | |
| Office Equipment | $0 | $3K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $750 | |
| Insurance (monthly premium) | $250 | $750 | |
| State and local business licenses, permits, filing fees, etc. | $300 | $700 | |
| Grooming School costs | $0 | $20K | |
| Additional Training Fees and Training Expense | $0 | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $0 | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $150K | $294K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $45K – $292K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $99 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
HydroDog 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 HydroDog unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
62%
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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Entity: Legacy Franchisors LLC d/b/a HydroDog (a Maine single-member LLC formed Dec 15, 2022). Statements are an audited (Aprio, LLP) opening/startup balance sheet only, dated January 4, 2023 — no income statement, statement of operations, or revenue is presented (no contracts entered with customers per Note A). Figures in whole US dollars; balance sheet reconciles (assets 150,000 = liabilities 0 + member's equity 150,000). No revenue or net income figures available.
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 9.0% (near the Pet Services average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +77.8% over 3 years (0 opened, 0 closed).
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Pet Services averages
How HydroDog Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +77.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $300K
- Median loan
- $90K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (3 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
- 1
- 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
HydroDog presents extreme risk due to going concern status, tiny unit base, complete financial opacity, unprotected territory, and aggressive royalty structure with no proven revenue model.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Aprio, LLP
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 46 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing concern status indicates franchisor financial distress or operational instability
- 02MEDOnly 9 units system-wide suggests minimal scale, limited support infrastructure, and high failure risk
- 03MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure prevents ROI validation; impossible to assess if $44,946-$291,656 investment is recoverable
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other franchisees and franchisor-owned locations
- 05MINOR$1,000/month minimum royalty on single vehicle is aggressive burden for small operators with variable seasonal revenue
- 06MEDUnknown unit growth trajectory suggests stagnation or decline; no visibility into system health
- 07MINORHigh franchise fee ($40,000) relative to total investment floor creates poor margin of safety
- 08MINOR10-year term locks franchisees into relationship with unstable franchisor during critical early years
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 60 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Barnstable County, Maine |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | ME |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 42 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 15 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate, or other designated location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- MoeGo
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: MoeGo
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
8 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
HydroDog · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a HydroDog franchise?
The total investment to open a HydroDog franchise ranges from $45K – $292K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do HydroDog franchise owners earn?
HydroDog 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 HydroDog 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 HydroDog FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is HydroDog's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for HydroDog (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 HydroDog franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, HydroDog has 9 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is HydroDog a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates HydroDog as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 46 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?
If you represent HydroDog, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.