Nurse Next Door Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Nurse Next Door is a home care franchise providing in-home senior care, from personal care and companionship to medication support. Franchisees run local care offices, recruiting and scheduling caregivers and managing client intake and compliance.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Nurse Next Door franchise requires a total initial investment of $119K – $217K, including a $72K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $221K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 19.2% charge-off rate across 52 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $119K – $217K
- 45th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $221K
- Outlet subset3rd pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Home Services
- Units
- 71
- 52nd pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- 19.2%
- % 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 $119K – $217K including a $72K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $221K/year (median $139K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 21/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 19.2% across 52 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 42.0% CAGR over 3 years with 71 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Services (USA) Inc.
- Parent company
- Nurse Next Door Professional Homecare Services Inc.
- CEO title
- President & Chief Executive Officer
- Cathy Thorpe
- Incorporated in
- WA
- HQ
- Suite 300 – 1788 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 1P2
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.4M
- vs $4.8M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Cathy Thorpe
- Headquarters
- WA
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 20
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 25% 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 | $72K | $72K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $27K | $95K |
| Total initial investment | $119K | $217K |
Source: Nurse Next Door 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
- $119K – $217K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $72K – $72K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $600 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $7K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 82% 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
$29K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
14%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.1 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 Nurse Next Door unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
14%
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Nurse Next Door units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$266K
on $1.3M purchase
Total debt
$1.1M
SBA $0.7M + senior + seller note
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
- $221K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $139K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales first 12 months cohort
- Sample size
- 35 territories
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $0→$771K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- N/A→$527K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
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.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $221K/year in gross sales. Median is $139K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.3x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 42.0% CAGR over 3 years across 71 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 Nurse Next Door Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 71
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 11
- Turnover rate
- 31.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -16.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +42.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 10
- Closed (3yr)
- 10
- Terminated (3yr)
- 10
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 2
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 20 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.
20
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
- 52
- Loan volume
- $9.1M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 19.2%
- 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)
- 80.8%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 90.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 14
- Defaults
- 10
- Typical loan rate
- 9.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 7.5%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 1,052
- 11.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 52%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 86% went to startups / new businesses, 14% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in home health care services, franchised businesses charge off at 7.5% vs 11.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 35% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Nurse Next Door charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Nurse Next Door franchisees
Showing 3 of 14 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 Nurse Next Door'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
- 12-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 19.2% — 20% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Nurse Next Door presents HIGH RISK due to shrinking franchise system, multiple active litigations involving material misrepresentation and licensure claims, undisclosed profitability metrics, and franchisor going concern issues.
Litigation (Item 3)
Two administrative proceedings (Maryland franchise disclosure violation 2016, California improper FPR 2019/2021); one franchisee arbitration settled for $200,000 to NND (Texas Boy 2020); one pending franchisee arbitration alleging misrepresentation re: Florida licensure (Sipp, filed 2024)
Largest disclosed settlement: $200,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 21 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-2.7% YoY) indicates system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02HIGHMultiple active litigations including material misrepresentation claims regarding licensure—critical for home care operations
- 03MEDNo disclosed average net income despite $119K-$217K investment and $221K average revenue raises profitability concerns
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, suggesting potential financial viability questions at franchisor level
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($72K) relative to initial investment floor creates risk if franchisees underperform
- 06MINORCalifornia investigation regarding earnings representations indicates potential disclosure violations in Item 19
- 07MINORFlorida franchisee lawsuit alleging misrepresentations on licensure directly impacts regulatory compliance and operations
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 10,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Seattle, Washington |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | WA |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two administrative proceedings (Maryland franchise disclosure violation 2016, California improper FPR 2019/2021); one franchisee arbitration settled for $200,000 to NND (Texas Boy 2020); one pending franchisee arbitration alleging misrepresentation re: Florida licensure (Sipp, filed 2024)
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 35 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada or Remote
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor approval required for commercial space
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- AlayaCare
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: AlayaCare
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
75 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Nurse Next Door · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Nurse Next Door franchise?
The total investment to open a Nurse Next Door franchise ranges from $119K – $217K, with an initial franchise fee of $72K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Nurse Next Door franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Nurse Next Door FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $221K. The median is $139K. 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 Nurse Next Door 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 Nurse Next Door FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Nurse Next Door's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Nurse Next Door has a charge-off rate of 19.2% across 52 loans, meaning 19.2% 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 Nurse Next Door franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Nurse Next Door has 71 total units in the United States, including 71 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Nurse Next Door a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Nurse Next Door as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 21 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.