Jet-black International, Inc. Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
74/100
Strongest tier
74 this brand56 Home Services medianlikely 68–80: narrower with more SBA loans (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#372 of 3,069 graded brands
Why an A: Helped by unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal record and transparency. Held back by financial health. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $110K – $179K
- Avg gross sales
- $706K
- “All Reporting Businesses (Jet-Black + Yellow Dawg Striping combined)”, 42 franchisees; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
None of the 10 resolved SBA 7(a) loans to Jet-black International, Inc. owners charged off (approved since FY1991); Home Services median 17.8%.
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a Jet-black International, Inc. franchise requires a total initial investment of $110K – $179K, including a $48K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 8.0%. Per the 2026 FDD, average gross sales per franchisee were $706K. This franchisor reports Item 19 per franchisee rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages (Item 19 group “All Reporting Businesses (Jet-Black + Yellow Dawg Striping combined)”, 42 franchisees; gross sales, not profit). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate on 10 resolved loans. Verdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · SBA 7(a) loan records (FOIA) · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: 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 scored6 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Home Services median
Top edge: green = better than the Home Services median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSAverage gross sales per franchisee of $706K/year (outlet median $460K; Item 19 group “All Reporting Businesses (Jet-Black + Yellow Dawg Striping combined)”, 42 franchisees; gross sales, not profit). Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 2.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $19K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $29K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $116K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (2)
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
- The franchisor receives rebates or payments from suppliers you buy from (Item 8, required suppliers).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no net loss of franchised outlets in the latest Item 20 years, no lawsuit naming the franchisor in Item 3, SBA charge-off rate 0.0%, below the 17.8% category median, no rule that the owner must run it personally and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 42 units. Not on file here, so ask: jury-trial waiver.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 12% below the Home Services median ($164K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Jet-Black International, Inc. (Item 1: 12445 Boone Avenue South, Savage, MN 55378) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Fee | $48K | $80K | |
| Sealcoating Trailer | $21.6K | $21.6K | |
| Initial Inventory Package | $28K | $38K | |
| Opening Support Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Training Expenses | $500 | $500 | |
| Business Office/Garage Lease – 3 Months | $0 | $1.5K | |
| Computer Equipment | $0 | $2K | |
| Phone and Internet Access | $50 | $400 | |
| Truck | $1.9K | $25K | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $5K | $5K | |
| Total initial investment | $110K | $179K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross revenues |
| Renewal fee | $3,000 |
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 19% above the Home Services median ($593K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Jet-black International, Inc. unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $706K (FDD p.43), and the royalty and ad fund take about $56K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $19K a year after its food, labor, rent and other costs and the franchisor's fees.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $145K Item 7 midpoint is a $116K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $19K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. Jet-black International, Inc.'s past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 6.0% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $29K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $145K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $116K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
One unit
One unit: what is left after the loan payment
Gross sales, minus the franchisor's fees and the operating costs, is the unit's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Minus an assumed loan payment, that is what is left for you, before tax. Gross sales are not profit.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Jet-black International, Inc. unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19: $706,114 average for 42 franchisees (All Reporting Businesses (Jet-Black + Yellow Dawg Striping combined)). Use a figure for outlets like yours if yours differ.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
The filing also sets a minimum or cap on these fees: “1% to 8% of Gross Revenues (tiered continuing fee), subject to Minimum Annual Continuing Fees of $4,000-$16,000 per Territory depending on business type and years in operation”; “No advertising fund contribution required; franchisees must instead spend a Minimum Annual Advertising Amount of $7,500 (Yellow Dawg Striping) to $20,000 (Jet-Black) per Territory directly on local advertising” (Item 6). This model applies the percentages, so at low sales the real fee can be higher than shown here.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $110K to $179K
Item 7's $5K to $5K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies ad fund rate, direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $116K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
Buying several existing units? The acquisition scenario
Buying several units
What buying a few existing units could return
Prices an existing operator of a few units off the single-unit EBITDA above, after shared services, and finances it with an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional loan and a seller note. It shows the yearly return on your cash (IRR), whether year-1 earnings cover the loan payments (DSCR) and how the price is paid for. It starts at 5 units; every deal term is an assumption you can change, and none is from the FDD.
Not modelled yet
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies ad fund rate, direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
This scenario starts from a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in the one-unit model above and it runs on that figure, or take it to the full ROI workbench, where the multi-unit and acquisition models accept your own per-unit economics.
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 · filed by Jet-Black International, Inc.
Financial performance
- Range (low → high)
- $134K→$5.1MSource: 2026 FDD, page 43
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
Percentile ranks within Home Services
Each rank is among the Home Services brands that report that figure (the count is under each bar).
vs Home Services medians
How Jet-black International, Inc. compares
Per franchisee, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
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.
Who are you contracting with?
Jet-Black International, Inc.
Same franchisor, other program: Jet-Black and Yellow Dawg Striping. Each is a separate offering with its own page.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Jet-Black International, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Black Dawg Franchise Group LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Nicholas P. Kelso
- Incorporated in
- Minnesota
- HQ
- 12445 Boone Avenue South, Savage, MN 55378
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.8M
- latest fiscal year in the 2026 FDD; $5.6M the year before
Overview
About
Asphalt sealcoating, crack filling, and pavement maintenance services (Jet-Black Businesses) and pavement marking/line striping services (Yellow Dawg Striping Businesses) for residential, commercial, and government properties
- CEO
- Nicholas P. Kelso
Is the system healthy?
+13 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (116 to 129, +11.2% in total, +5.5% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 116 in 2023 to 129 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Government records
SBA loan data
Lenders charged off 0.0% of 10 resolved SBA 7(a) loans, below the 17.8% category median. 7(a) is the SBA's main small-business loan; a resolved loan was paid in full or charged off.
- Loans on file
- 11
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $609K
- Average loan
- $55K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 0 of 10 resolved loans
- Paid in full
- 100.0%
- of resolved loans
- Recent-loan charge-off
- No recent loans
- no SBA 7(a) loan approved since FY2016
- Lenders
- 9
- Average interest rate
- 6.0%
- Jobs reported
- 30
- on the 10 loans approved FY2003 on; earlier loans did not record jobs
- Lender concentration
- 18%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Benchmark: the median Home Services brand charges off 17.8% (66 brands with a published rate, same cumulative window and source). This brand is 17.8 points below it.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Full SBA lending reportlenders · charge-off rate · trend
Lender network · SBA 7(a)
SBA Lending Report
Lender, state and yearly detail for Jet-black International, Inc. from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records.
- Average SBA guarantee
- 69%
- Average interest rate
- 6.0%
- Lender concentration
- 18%
- Jobs reported
- 30
Top 10 SBA lenders by loan count
| Loans | Volume | Charge-off |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank National Association | ||
| 2 | $208K | Not on file |
| TD Bank, National Association | ||
| 2 | $122K | Not on file |
| Citizens Alliance Bank | ||
| 1 | $37K | Not on file |
| PNC Bank, National Association | ||
| 1 | $25K | Not on file |
| Fifth Third Bank | ||
| 1 | $75K | Not on file |
A lender’s rate counts only its resolved loans, the loans that have finished (paid in full or charged off); a 0.0% often means few of its loans have finished. Under 10 resolved loans, the rate reads “Too few”.
Charge-off rate by state (top 10 by loans)
| State | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| MN Minnesota | 5 | 0 | Too few4 resolved |
| NJ New Jersey | 2 | 0 | Too few2 resolved |
| OH Ohio | 2 | 0 | Too few2 resolved |
| LA Louisiana | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| MI Michigan | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
Rate: charged-off loans over resolved loans (paid in full plus charged off), shown from 10 resolved loans. "Too few": under 10 resolved. The Loans column counts every approval in the window, including loans still being repaid.
SBA 7(a) loans approved per year
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level data, matched to the brand by FranchiseVerdict.
With a charge-off rate of 0.0% on 10 resolved loans, very few of this brand's SBA 7(a) loans have been charged off.
What are the risks?
Main risk in the grade: financial health. The reasons are below.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade A: Strongest tier, 74/100 (category median 56); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why an A, factor by factor
- Financial health Weighs on it, weakest dimensionAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; franchisor net income positive; negative net worth
- Unit economics HelpsAvg gross sales $706K on a $145K investment midpoint, 4.9x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Helps+13 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (116 to 129, +11.2% in total, +5.5% a year compounded)
- Scale Helps129 franchised units, +3 company-owned (132 in all); franchising since 1993
- Legal HelpsNo litigation naming the franchisor in Item 3
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
- Adjustments after the six dimensions (+10 points)SBA loan record: the SBA charge-off rate (0.0% on 10 resolved loans) is under 2%, a range the score counts in a brand's favour, so it added 10 points.
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Protected territory | Yes |
|---|---|
| Exclusive territory | Yes |
| Territory population | 20,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | A manager may run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 1 year |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 15 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Governing law | Law of the state where the Business is located |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- Classroom training
- 36 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 41 hrs
- Training location
- Savage, Minnesota (and remote for some subjects)
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- STARS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Jet-black International, Inc. franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a Jet-black International, Inc. franchise ranges from $110K to $179K, with an initial franchise fee of $48K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Jet-black International, Inc. franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Jet-black International, Inc. FDD, average gross sales were $706K (Item 19 group “All Reporting Businesses (Jet-Black + Yellow Dawg Striping combined)”, 42 franchisees; gross sales, not profit). The median is $460K. Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures. What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns Jet-black International, Inc.?
Jet-black International, Inc. is franchised by Jet-Black International, Inc. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Jet-black International, Inc. 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 Jet-black International, Inc. FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Jet-black International, Inc.'s franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate. What is measurable is Jet-black International, Inc.'s SBA charge-off rate: 0.0% on 10 resolved loans. Put plainly: None of the 10 resolved SBA 7(a) loans to Jet-black International, Inc. owners charged off (approved since FY1991). The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. A franchisee can repay and close, or default and keep trading.
How many Jet-black International, Inc. franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, Jet-black International, Inc. has 129 franchised units and 3 company-owned (132 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 2.
Is Jet-black International, Inc. a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Jet-black International, Inc. an A Verdict grade (Strongest tier) with a verdict score of 74 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by unit economics (avg gross sales $706K on a $145K investment midpoint, 4.9x: gross sales, not profit), unit growth, scale, legal record and transparency. Held back by financial health (audited financials). The “Why an A” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Home Services franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.