Nationwide Lifts Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Nationwide Lifts is a home services franchise that sells, installs, and services residential elevators and accessibility lifts. Franchisees run mobile operations, managing sales, installation, and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Nationwide Lifts franchise requires a total initial investment of $49K – $75K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 3.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). 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
- $49K – $75K
- 6th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- 1st pct Home Services
- Units
- 15
- 23rd pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $49K – $75K including a $30K franchise fee, 3.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 contains no financial performance representation; franchisor makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 63/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Nationwide Lifts, Inc.
- CEO title
- President
- Andrew Darnley, III
- Incorporated in
- New York
- HQ
- 4063 Brady Street, Yorkville, IL 60560
- Auditor
- Beecher & Bethel, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $250K
- vs $449K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Andrew Darnley, III
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 10
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 73% 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 | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $14K | $30K |
| Total initial investment | $49K | $75K |
Source: Nationwide Lifts 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
- $49K – $75K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- National Advertising Fund contribution is a flat $1,500 p…
- Total fee load
- 4.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $25 |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 4.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Nationwide Lifts 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 Nationwide Lifts unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
136%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
Item 19 contains no financial performance representation; franchisor makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
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 4.5% — below the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 9.1% CAGR over 3 years across 15 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Nationwide Lifts Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 15
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +9.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +9.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 10 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.
10
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
- $670K
- Median loan
- $335K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Nationwide Lifts presents caution-to-high-risk profile due to lack of financial disclosure, tiny unit base with unknown growth, franchisor going-concern issues, and opaque profitability metrics that prevent informed ROI analysis.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Beecher & Bethel, 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: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 63 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure (avg revenue and net income not provided) — cannot validate ROI claims
- 02MINORTiny system with only 14 units and unknown growth trajectory — high risk of system collapse or consolidation
- 03MEDHybrid fee structure ($30k franchise fee + $1,250/month + 3% royalty) creates high fixed overhead that may not be justified by disclosed performance
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — suggests financial instability or uncertainty in franchisor viability
- 05MINORMinimal franchisee base (14 units) limits peer validation and increases single-point-of-failure risk
- 06MEDNo litigation disclosed but small system size means disputes may not reach public record
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 4.5% 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 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 1,000,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 10 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 8 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Queensbury, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 72 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 64 hrs
- Training location
- New York (headquarters) and vendor/customer sites
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Nationwide Lifts · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Nationwide Lifts franchise?
The total investment to open a Nationwide Lifts franchise ranges from $49K – $75K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Nationwide Lifts franchise owners earn?
Nationwide Lifts 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 Nationwide Lifts 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 Nationwide Lifts FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Nationwide Lifts's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Nationwide Lifts (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 Nationwide Lifts franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Nationwide Lifts has 15 total units in the United States, including 12 franchised units and 3 company-owned units.
Is Nationwide Lifts a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Nationwide Lifts as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 63 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
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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.