Monster Tree Service Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Monster Tree Service is a home-services franchise providing tree removal, trimming, and maintenance for homes and businesses. Franchisees run a crew-based operation with specialized equipment handling estimates, jobs, and storm cleanup in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A MONSTER TREE SERVICE franchise requires a total initial investment of $393K – $529K, including a $50K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 8.3% charge-off rate across 86 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $393K – $529K
- 85th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 220
- 76th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- 8.3%
- % 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 $393K – $529K including a $50K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAudited consolidated financial statements are for AB Assetco LLC and Subsidiaries (Authority Brands affiliate/securitization entity), not the franchisor Monster Franchising SPE LLC standalone. Figures in thousands; FY ended December 31, 2023. Revenues comprise franchise service fees, franchise sales fees, and other revenues.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 44/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 8.3% across 86 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- FLAG30 units terminated last reporting year (13.6% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Monster Franchising SPE LLC
- Parent company
- AB Assetco LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Authority Brands, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Monster New Franchisor LLC / Monster Franchise LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7120 Samuel Morse Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, Maryland 21046
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $219.1M
- vs $190.8M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Thomas Swift, Jr.
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 30
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 105% above 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 | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $313K | $430K |
| Total initial investment | $393K | $529K |
Source: MONSTER TREE SERVICE 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
- $393K – $529K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.5% of first $1,000,000 gross revenue; 5% of $1,000,001-…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 7.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
MONSTER TREE SERVICE 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 MONSTER TREE SERVICE unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
18%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Audited consolidated financial statements are for AB Assetco LLC and Subsidiaries (Authority Brands affiliate/securitization entity), not the franchisor Monster Franchising SPE LLC standalone. Figures in thousands; FY ended December 31, 2023. Revenues comprise franchise service fees, franchise sales fees, and other revenues.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 166
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $391K→$3.7M
- 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
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 7.5% — below the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System contracting at -11.1% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Monster Tree Service Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 220
- Opened
- 15
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 15
- Terminated
- 30
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 20.7%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -11.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -11.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 15
- Closed (3yr)
- 15
- Terminated (3yr)
- 30
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 6
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 30 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.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 86
- Loan volume
- $38.2M
- Median loan
- $429K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 8.3%
- 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)
- 91.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 33
- Defaults
- 4
- Typical loan rate
- 6.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 19.3%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 623
- 1.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 15%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 90% went to startups / new businesses, 10% 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
Monster Tree Service charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Monster Tree Service franchisees
Showing 3 of 33 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 Monster Tree Service'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
- 10-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 8.3% — 48% 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
Contracting franchise system with historical litigation concerns, aggressive royalty structure, and unverified financial claims presents meaningful risk despite serviceable unit economics.
Litigation (Item 3)
Two concluded arbitration matters involving predecessor Monster Franchise LLC: (1) Hassall arbitration (2016) - fraud allegations by franchisees, dismissed with prejudice; (2) OPTO Development arbitration (2016) - fraud allegations by franchisee, dismissed with prejudice
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHTwo arbitration cases involving predecessor entity with fraud allegations, even if settled without wrongdoing findings, suggest historical governance/trust issues
- 02MINORNo Item 19 financial performance representation limits ability to validate the $199K average net income claim independently
- 03MINORTiered royalty structure incentivizes franchisor to cap franchisee growth (lower rates only kick in at $1M+ thresholds), creating misaligned interests
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.5% 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 | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 200,000 |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 40 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Columbia, Maryland |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two concluded arbitration matters involving predecessor Monster Franchise LLC: (1) Hassall arbitration (2016) - fraud allegations by franchisees, dismissed with prejudice; (2) OPTO Development arbitration (2016) - fraud allegations by franchisee, dismissed with prejudice
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 71 hrs
- Training location
- Doylestown, PA and on-site at franchisee location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- SingleOps
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: SingleOps
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
77 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
MONSTER TREE SERVICE · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a MONSTER TREE SERVICE franchise?
The total investment to open a MONSTER TREE SERVICE franchise ranges from $393K – $529K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do MONSTER TREE SERVICE franchise owners earn?
MONSTER TREE SERVICE 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 MONSTER TREE SERVICE 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 MONSTER TREE SERVICE FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is MONSTER TREE SERVICE's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, MONSTER TREE SERVICE has a charge-off rate of 8.3% across 86 loans, meaning 8.3% 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 MONSTER TREE SERVICE franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, MONSTER TREE SERVICE has 220 total units in the United States, including 217 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 15 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is MONSTER TREE SERVICE a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates MONSTER TREE SERVICE as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 44 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?
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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.