Poolwerx Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $105K – $143K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.2M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 19 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Poolwerx is a franchise providing pool and spa cleaning, maintenance, repairs, and retail supplies for residential and commercial pools. Franchisees run a route-based service, often with a retail store, managing technicians and recurring accounts in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Poolwerx franchise requires a total initial investment of $105K – $143K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average revenue per franchisee was $1.2M. This franchisor reports Item 19 per franchisee rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $105K – $143K
- 8th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- Per franchisee, not per outlet
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 29th pct Retail
- Units
- 95
- 28th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail median · 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 $105K – $143K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage revenue per franchisee of $1.2M/year. Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 83/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +40 franchised outlets in the latest year (42 opened, 2 closed); 2 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 53.2% CAGR over 3 years with 95 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- POOLWERX FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT LLC
- Parent company
- Poolwerx USA, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Wells Fargo & Company (via Norwest Venture Partners / Poolwerx Holdings LLC)
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Cactus Valley Pool Supply
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer – North America
- Andrew Kidd
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 4801 Spring Valley Road, Suite 103A, Farmers Branch TX 75244
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.2M
- vs $4.4M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Andrew Kidd
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 63% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Vehicle Brandingnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Office Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Computer Hardware & Softwarenot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Business Licenses & Permitsnot refundable | $500 | $2K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $13K | $15K | |
| Business Insurancenot refundable | $3K | $4K | |
| Initial Training Feenot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Cost and Living Expenses while Trainingnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $12K | $15K | |
| Convention Feenot refundable | $4K | $4K | |
| Equipment used in Businessnot refundable | $7K | $7K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $500 | $500 | |
| Vehicle Costnot refundable | $5K | $7K | |
| Additional Fundsnot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $105K | $143K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $105K – $143K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- 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 | $250 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $12K |
| Renewal fee | $12K |
| Inventory (initial) | $13K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 55% above the retail norm.
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Poolwerx until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$136K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
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, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Poolwerx unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
- Avg gross sales
- $1.2M
- Per franchisee, per year — not per outlet
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 revenue
- Sample size
- 16 franchisees
- vs category median 46 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
The average franchisee generates $1.2M/year in gross sales.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% — above the Retail median of 8.0%.
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 53.2% CAGR over 3 years across 95 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 Retail medians
How Poolwerx Compares
Per franchisee, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 95
- Opened
- 42
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +53.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +53.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 2
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 2
- 0.02 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 56
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 2.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
34 current owners across 9 states; 12 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- TX 16
- OK 4
- GA 3
- SC 3
- NC 2
- TN 2
- UT 2
- IN 1
- NV 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 19
- Loan volume
- $4.9M
- Median loan
- $206K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 19 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 19 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 19 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 10
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 11.6%
- n=560 loans
- Jobs supported
- 154
- 3.7 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 28%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 78% went to startups / new businesses, 22% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in other services to buildings and dwellings, franchised businesses charge off at 11.6% vs 20.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 44% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Poolwerx franchisees
Showing 3 of 10 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Poolwerx from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 76%
- Avg interest rate
- 8.33%
- Lender concentration
- 27.8%
- Job velocity
- 3.7 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 0.0%
- NAICS 561790
- Jobs supported
- 154
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 28% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 5 | $750K | N/A |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 4 | $1.5M | 0.0% |
| 3 | The Huntington National Bank | 2 | $540K | N/A |
| 4 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 1 | $218K | N/A |
| 5 | SouthWest Bank | 1 | $267K | N/A |
| 6 | Horizon Bank | 1 | $100K | N/A |
| 7 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 1 | $210K | N/A |
| 8 | Mechanics and Farmers Bank | 1 | $150K | N/A |
| 9 | PeopleFund | 1 | $203K | 0.0% |
| 10 | TransPecos Banks, SSB. | 1 | $250K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 3 | 0 | -- |
| AZArizona | 1 | 0 | -- |
| CACalifornia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 1 | 0 | -- |
| INIndiana | 1 | 0 | -- |
| OHOhio | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
Poolwerx presents meaningful risk due to undisclosed profitability, unprotected territories, and lack of financial transparency despite strong average revenues.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Figures from the audited consolidated financial statements of Poolwerx Franchise Management, LLC (the franchisor) for the year ended December 31, 2024, audited by BDO USA, P.C. (single entity; assets 924,167 = liabilities 5,870,374 + members' deficit (4,946,207)). Reported in whole US dollars. Net worth is a members' deficit (negative equity). Total revenues 2024 4,179,032; 2023 4,359,246.
ⓘ 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
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 83 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents ROI verification and profitability assessment
- 02MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk and customer poaching by other franchisees
- 03MINOR72.7% unit growth YoY is anomalously high — suggests aggressive expansion, possible unsustainable recruitment, or prior contraction baseline
- 04MINORHigh initial investment range ($104K–$350K) with 7% royalty on $1.24M average revenue = $86,940 annual royalty before operating expenses
- 05MED10-year term locks franchisee into relationship with limited escape; no going concern flag but financial health opacity is concerning
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Franchisor's principal office (Farmers Branch, TX) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 84 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- Poolwerx headquarters, Farmers Branch, Texas, or other designated location in the United States
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 24 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Xero-Skimmer-Lightspeed-Stripe
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Xero-Skimmer-Lightspeed-Stripe
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
46 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Poolwerx franchise?
The total investment to open a Poolwerx franchise ranges from $105K – $143K, 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 Poolwerx franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Poolwerx FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.2M. Important context: Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Poolwerx?
Poolwerx is franchised by POOLWERX FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT LLC. Its parent company is Poolwerx USA, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Wells Fargo & Company (via Norwest Venture Partners / Poolwerx Holdings LLC). Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Poolwerx 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 Poolwerx FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Poolwerx's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Poolwerx (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 Poolwerx franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Poolwerx has 95 total units in the United States, including 95 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 42 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Poolwerx a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Poolwerx as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 83 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.