Midtown Chimney SweepsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchise requires a total initial investment of $73K – $146K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $162K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $73K – $146K
- 17th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $162K
- 3rd pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 28th pct Home Services
- Units
- 39
- 36th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
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
Bottom line
- Total investment $73K – $146K including a $49K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $162K/year (median $228K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 28/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Midtown Chimney Sweeps Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- SchrammSon Enterprises, LLC
- Incorporated in
- CO
- HQ
- 2805 Wilderness Place, Suite 900, Boulder, CO 80301
- Auditor
- Reese CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $683K
- vs $703K prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate local chimney sweeping and inspection services, scheduling residential appointments, performing chimney cleanings, installing caps/dampers, and conducting safety inspections. Daily operations involve field service delivery, customer acquisition/retention, crew management (if scaling), and vehicle/equipment maintenance.
- CEO
- Byron D. Schramm
- Headquarters
- CO
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $1K | $8K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $23K | $89K |
| Total initial investment | $73K | $146K |
Source: Midtown Chimney Sweeps 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$15K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
13%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.8 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $73K – $146K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $1K – $8K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $3 |
| Transfer fee | $4K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
At 13.0% total fee load, roughly $21K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $162K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $228K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 36 units
- vs category median 25
- Range (low → high)
- $11K→$1.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
vs Home Services averages
How Midtown Chimney Sweeps Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 39
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +8.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +14.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $275K
- Median loan
- $138K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Midtown Chimney Sweeps's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Modest growth, hidden profitability metrics, and past litigation create meaningful uncertainty around franchisee sustainability and franchisor support quality.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reese CPA LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 28 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 (net income) disclosure prevents ROI validation; average revenue of $162k against $73-146k investment suggests tight margins
- 02HIGHLitigation history (3 legal actions settled April 2020) involving breach of contract and mark counterfeiting indicates past franchisor-franchisee disputes and enforcement challenges
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (8.3% YoY on 39 units = ~3 net new franchises annually) suggests market saturation, recruitment challenges, or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 04MINOR7% royalty on gross revenues with $250/month minimum creates cash flow pressure on seasonal/weather-dependent chimney sweep business
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($49,000) represents 67-30% of initial investment with unclear break-even timeline
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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | Household Count |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 3 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 17 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 42 hrs
- POS system
- Quickbooks Online and Vonigo
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Quickbooks Online and Vonigo
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
19 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Midtown Chimney Sweeps · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchise?
The total investment to open a Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchise ranges from $73K – $146K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Midtown Chimney Sweeps FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $162K. The median is $228K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Midtown Chimney Sweeps's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Midtown Chimney Sweeps (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 Midtown Chimney Sweeps franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Midtown Chimney Sweeps has 39 total units in the United States, including 34 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Midtown Chimney Sweeps a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Midtown Chimney Sweeps as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 28 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.