Pillar To PostFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Pillar To Post franchise requires a total initial investment of $103K – $134K, including a $59K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $308K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 18.5% charge-off rate across 44 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $103K – $134K
- 34th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $308K
- 7th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 28th pct Home Services
- Units
- 382
- 74th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 18.5%
- 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
Franchising since 1995. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 445 to 382 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $103K – $134K including a $59K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $308K/year (median $193K).
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 86/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 18.5% across 44 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System contracting at -14.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- PILLAR TO POST, INC.
- Parent company
- FS Brands, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 14502 North Dale Mabry Hwy., Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33618
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $850.4M
- vs $888.6M prior year
Overview
About
Pillar To Post franchisees operate home inspection services, conducting detailed structural, mechanical, and safety assessments for homebuyers, sellers, and real estate agents. Day-to-day work involves scheduling inspections, performing on-site evaluations, documenting findings, and delivering reports to clients. The business model relies on building relationships with real estate professionals and generating repeat customer referrals.
- CEO
- Charles Furlough
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 1994
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 43
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $59K | $59K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $20K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $34K | $56K |
| Total initial investment | $103K | $134K |
Source: Pillar To Post 2026 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
$25K
8.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
18%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
5.4 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $103K – $134K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $59K – $59K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 16.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $5 |
| Transfer fee | $4K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 16.5% of rev |
At 16.5% total fee load, roughly $51K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $308K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $193K
- Item 19 type
- Average and Median Sales
- Sample size
- 297 units
- vs category median 25 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $33K→$4.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
vs Home Services averages
How Pillar To Post Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 382
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 42
- Turnover rate
- 11.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -7.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -14.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 10
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 10 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.
- Total loans
- 44
- Loan volume
- $5.2M
- Median loan
- $51K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 18.5%
- 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)
- 81.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 25.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 32
- Defaults
- 5
Vintage analysis
Pillar To Post charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Pillar To Post'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
- 19-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit count, undisclosed net income, unprotected territories, and litigation history create a CAUTION-to-HIGH RISK profile that demands deep validation before investment.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 86 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 7.3% YoY (382 units) — shrinking franchise system indicates market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo average net income disclosure — opacity around profitability makes ROI assessment impossible; cannot verify if $307,908 avg revenue translates to viable income
- 03HIGHTwo litigation cases including master franchisee dispute — suggests franchisor-franchisee relationship strain and potential disputes over performance standards and renewal terms
- 04MEDHigh initial investment ($102,690–$134,290) + 7% royalties with variable monthly minimums ($0–$2,328) creates unpredictable cost structure relative to undisclosed profitability
- 05MINORNo protected territory — franchisee competes with other Pillar To Post locations and master franchisees in same area; risk of encroachment and channel conflict
- 06HIGH5-year term with no stated renewal protections — master franchisee litigation over non-renewal signals potential franchise termination/non-renewal risks
- 07HIGHGoing Concern = False — unclear what this means operationally; needs clarification on franchisor financial stability
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 5 |
| Territory type | non_exclusive |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 2 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 176 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- OnePoint
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: OnePoint
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
88 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Pillar To Post · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Pillar To Post franchise?
The total investment to open a Pillar To Post franchise ranges from $103K – $134K, with an initial franchise fee of $59K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Pillar To Post franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Pillar To Post FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $308K. The median is $193K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Pillar To Post's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Pillar To Post has a charge-off rate of 18.5% across 44 loans, meaning 18.5% 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 Pillar To Post franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Pillar To Post has 382 total units in the United States, including 445 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Pillar To Post a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Pillar To Post as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 86 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.