Lawn Doctor Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Lawn Doctor is a home-services franchise providing lawn fertilization, weed and pest control, and turf care for homes and businesses. Franchisees run a route-based operation with technician crews and specialized equipment in a local territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Lawn Doctor franchise requires a total initial investment of $150K – $177K, including a $124K – $127K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 11.0% charge-off rate across 104 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $150K – $177K
- 59th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Outlet subset24th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 53rd pct Home Services
- Units
- 653
- 88th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- 11.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home 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 $150K – $177K including a $127K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $659K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 81/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 11.0% across 104 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Lawn Doctor, Inc.
- Parent company
- LD Parent, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- CNL Strategic Capital, LLC
- Predecessor
- began offering franchises under the MOSQUITO HUNTERS
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer and Director
- Scott D. Frith
- Incorporated in
- NJ
- HQ
- 142 State Route 34, Holmdel, New Jersey 07733
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $45.3M
- vs $41.0M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott D. Frith
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 1967
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 41
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 27% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $127K | $127K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $11K | $18K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $12K | $32K |
| Total initial investment | $150K | $177K |
Source: Lawn Doctor 2025 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
- $150K – $177K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $18K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $124K – $127K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 5.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $38K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $500 |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
At 15.0% total fee load, roughly $170K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 9% below the home services norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
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
$45K
4.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
25%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.9 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Lawn Doctor unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
25%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $659K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- net revenues by territory count
- Sample size
- 205 franchisees
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $35K→$11.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 321 Home Services brands
Revenue is 6.9x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.1M/year in gross sales. Median is $659K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 6.9x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 15.0% — above the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 6/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+4.6% 3-year CAGR) with 653 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 Home Services averages
How Lawn Doctor Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 653
- Opened
- 24
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +4.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +4.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 24
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 9
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 41 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.
41
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.
- Total loans
- 104
- Loan volume
- $19.8M
- Median loan
- $100K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 11.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 89.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 14.3%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 44
- Defaults
- 8
- Typical loan rate
- 6.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 19.3%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 513
- 2.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 56% went to startups / new businesses, 44% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in landscaping services, franchised businesses charge off at 19.3% vs 13.3% for independents — franchising is associated with 45% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Lawn Doctor charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Lawn Doctor franchisees
Showing 3 of 44 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Lawn Doctor's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 25-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 11.0% — 32% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Lawn Doctor presents moderate-to-cautious risk due to missing profitability disclosure, anemic unit growth, and high upfront costs relative to unvalidated returns in a capital-intensive service business.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ 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
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 81 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Net Income) disclosed — unable to validate actual profitability against $150k-$177k investment
- 02MINORSlow unit growth of 3.7% YoY in a mature 653-unit system suggests market saturation or retention challenges
- 03MEDHigh franchise fee ($127k) represents 85% of total investment with no disclosed net income to justify ROI
- 04MEDRoyalty structure (10% of net revenues) on undisclosed profitability creates earnings opacity for franchisees
- 05MINORService-based lawn care is labor-intensive and seasonally dependent with high customer acquisition costs
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 15.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 10,000 |
| 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New Jersey (within 10 miles of LDI's principal office) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NJ |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 37 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- LDI Headquarters, Holmdel, NJ and LDI Manufacturing Facility, Marlboro, NJ
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Service Assistant
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Service Assistant
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
34 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Lawn Doctor · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Lawn Doctor franchise?
The total investment to open a Lawn Doctor franchise ranges from $150K – $177K, with an initial franchise fee of $127K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Lawn Doctor franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Lawn Doctor FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $659K. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Lawn Doctor 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 Lawn Doctor FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Lawn Doctor's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Lawn Doctor has a charge-off rate of 11.0% across 104 loans, meaning 11.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Lawn Doctor franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Lawn Doctor has 653 total units in the United States, including 653 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 24 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Lawn Doctor a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Lawn Doctor as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 81 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 Lawn Doctor, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Home Services franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Home Services category
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.