Lighting SquadFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Lighting Squad franchise requires a total initial investment of $34K – $119K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $34K – $119K
- 2nd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 54th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 28th pct Home Services
- Units
- 1
- 2nd pct Home Services
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Home Services 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
Started franchising in 2024. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $34K – $119K including a $25K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 75/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Lighting Squad, LLC
- Incorporated in
- MN
- HQ
- 3508 West 22nd Street, Minneapolis, MN. 55416
- Auditor
- Naper CPA Group
- Audited financials
Affiliated brands
- has been in business s
- MN Lighting Squad has operated a Lighting Squad
- Prospectr Marketing
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate as lighting design and installation service providers, likely serving residential and/or commercial clients with consultative sales, product specification, and installation services. Day-to-day activities typically include client consultations, site surveys, quoting, procurement, installation/project management, and service callbacks.
- CEO
- Travis Piepho
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $20K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $4K | $74K |
| Total initial investment | $34K | $119K |
Source: Lighting Squad 2024 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
- $34K – $119K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 22.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $1K – $25K |
| Total fee load | 22.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Home Services averages
How Lighting Squad Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 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.
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
Lighting Squad presents extreme risk: single operating unit, undisclosed financials, going concern issues, and no validated revenue/profit data make this a pre-revenue or distressed franchise system.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
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 · Naper CPA Group
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 75 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 1 operating unit despite franchise model — indicates system is pre-revenue or collapsing
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — franchisor may be insolvent or financially unstable
- 03MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (Avg Revenue/Net Income not disclosed) — impossible to validate ROI claims
- 04MINORHigh franchise fee ($25,000) + wide investment range ($33,650–$119,000) suggests undefined cost structure
- 05MED7% royalty on undisclosed revenue baseline — franchisee has no benchmark for profitability
- 06MINORSingle unit with unknown growth trajectory — no proof of concept or replicable model
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Governing law | Minnesota |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 52 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and corporate facility
- POS system
- QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
14 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Lighting Squad · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Lighting Squad franchise?
The total investment to open a Lighting Squad franchise ranges from $34K – $119K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Lighting Squad franchise owners earn?
Lighting Squad 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 Lighting Squad's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Lighting Squad (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 Lighting Squad franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Lighting Squad has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Lighting Squad a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Lighting Squad as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 75 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.