Pop A Lock Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Pop A Lock franchise requires a total initial investment of $118K – $191K, including a $23K – $63K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 26.7% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $118K – $191K
- 36th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 30th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 13th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 316
- 53rd pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 26.7%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business 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
- Total investment $118K – $191K including a $23K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 reports gross annual income and EBITDA by franchisee ownership tier (owners of 5+ outlets top/bottom 30%, and owners of <5 outlets bottom 30%) — these are multi-unit owner aggregates, not single-unit averages, so avg_gross_sales/avg_net_income were left null per single-unit basis rule.
- Verdict C (Average), verdict score 40/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 26.7% across 15 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- Item 19 reports "Average/median gross annual income by franchisee ownership-tier segment (EBITDA-based), based on unaudited royalty reports for calendar year 2025" instead of annual gross sales. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- SystemForward America, LLC
- Predecessor
- The LSR Group (formerly Sig 5 Franchise Development Corporation)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Don Marks
- Incorporated in
- Louisiana
- HQ
- 1018 Harding Street, Suite 101, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
- Auditor
- Kolder, Slaven & Company, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.2M
- vs $4.3M prior year
Overview
About
Pop-A-Lock franchises provide commercial, residential and automotive locksmith services, car door unlocking, mobile vehicle services and emergency roadside assistance; the franchisor also grants TemperaturePro (HVAC/insulation) and PlumbingPro franchises.
- CEO
- Don Marks
- Headquarters
- Louisiana
- FDD year
- 2026
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 42% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $23K | $23K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $33K | $41K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $62K | $127K |
| Total initial investment | $118K | $191K |
Source: Pop A Lock 2026 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
- $118K – $191K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $33K – $41K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $23K – $63K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $800 |
| Transfer fee | $12K |
| Inventory (initial) | $17K – $34K |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Financial Performance
Item 19 reports gross annual income and EBITDA by franchisee ownership tier (owners of 5+ outlets top/bottom 30%, and owners of <5 outlets bottom 30%) — these are multi-unit owner aggregates, not single-unit averages, so avg_gross_sales/avg_net_income were left null per single-unit basis rule.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
7.0% royalty + 1.0% ad fund — lower than the category average.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports "Average/median gross annual income by franchisee ownership-tier segment (EBITDA-based), based on unaudited royalty reports for calendar year 2025" rather than annual gross sales. Not directly comparable across brands.
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 Business Services averages
How Pop A Lock Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 316
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 56
- Terminated
- 8
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 20.7%
- Company-owned
- 7
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 56
- Terminated (3yr)
- 8
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $2.4M
- Median loan
- $80K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 26.7%
- 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)
- 73.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 12
- Defaults
- 4
- Typical loan rate
- 6.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 5616
- Jobs supported
- 62
- 2.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Top lenders financing Pop A Lock franchisees
Showing 3 of 12 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.
A 26.7% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 26.7% — 66% 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
Litigation (Item 3)
Franchisor-initiated arbitration (Nov 2023) against Blossom Industries LLC to enforce restrictive covenants and collect royalties; no pending or other litigation disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kolder, Slaven & Company, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 sizeℹ | Defined by geographic ZIP code area(s); population-based franchise fee tiers |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 8 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Louisiana |
| Governing law | Louisiana |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Franchisor-initiated arbitration (Nov 2023) against Blossom Industries LLC to enforce restrictive covenants and collect royalties; no pending or other litigation disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 59 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 7 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual or Lafayette, Louisiana
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Field support
- 4 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Pop-A-Lock computer system (proprietary software)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Pop-A-Lock computer system (proprietary software)
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Pop A Lock franchise?
The total investment to open a Pop A Lock franchise ranges from $118K – $191K, with an initial franchise fee of $23K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Pop A Lock franchise owners earn?
Pop A Lock 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 Pop A Lock's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Pop A Lock has a charge-off rate of 26.7% across 15 loans, meaning 26.7% 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 Pop A Lock franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Pop A Lock has 316 total units in the United States, including 309 franchised units and 7 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Pop A Lock a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Pop A Lock as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 40 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?
If you represent Pop A Lock, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Business Services franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Business Services category
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.