Pop A Lock Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
28/100
Fourth tier
28 this brand55 Business Services medianlikely 22–34: narrower with more SBA loans (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#3,005 of 3,068 graded brands
Why a D: Helped by scale, legal record and transparency. Held back by unit growth. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $118K – $191K
- Avg gross sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- 26.7%
1 in 4 SBA 7(a) loans to Pop A Lock owners charged off (4 of 15 resolved loans, approved FY1996 to FY2008); Business Services median 14.9%.
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a Pop A Lock franchise requires a total initial investment of $118K – $191K, including a $23K – $63K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 7.0%. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 26.7% charge-off rate on 15 resolved loans. Verdict grade: D (Fourth tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · SBA 7(a) loan records (FOIA) · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: 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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Business Services median
Top edge: green = better than the Business Services median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSItem 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.
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 63 (1 opened, 64 closed).
- DECLINE-74 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (383 to 309, -19.3% in total, -10.2% a year compounded). Ask whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $20K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $31K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $123K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (3)
- Net -63 franchised outlets in 2025 (Item 20, outlet counts). Ask owners why outlets closed.
- SBA 7(a) charge-off 26.7% on 15 resolved loans approved FY1996 to FY2008, above the Business Services median of 14.9% (39 brands).
- Item 15 (owner participation) requires the owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, to run the business day to day. Ask how much of the business that principal must own.
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no pending lawsuit naming the franchisor, no franchisor right to compete inside your territory, no supplier rebates to the franchisor and the full filing on file. Not on file here, so ask: jury-trial waiver.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 16% above the Business Services median ($133K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask SystemForward America, LLC (Item 1: 1018 Harding Street, Suite 101, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $23K | $63K | |
| Pop-A-Lock Tool Kits | $311 | $311 | |
| Printed Materials | $1.5K | $2.64K | |
| CDU (Technical) Training | $1.6K | $1.6K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $3.52K | $3.52K | |
| Equipment - Communication | $600 | $600 | |
| Equipment - Roadside Service | $600 | $600 | |
| Locksmith Service Training | $2.14K | $2.14K | |
| Locksmith Service Equipment | $17K | $34K | |
| Equipment - Office (Computer System) | $3K | $3K | |
| Online and Digital Display Advertisement | $3.9K | $9.6K | |
| Initial Advertising (12 months) | $25K | $25K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $800 | $1.2K | |
| Additional Funds – [12 months] | $33K | $41K | |
| Vehicle Identification | $1.6K | $2.4K | |
| Total initial investment | $118K | $191K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7; the lines above add to $117,566 to $190,611, $1 at most from the printed total, which is the figure shown. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training feeAdditional training charge listed in Item 6 | $800 |
| Transfer feeItem 17 lists $8,000 | $11,500 |
| Total fee loadnear the Business Services median of 8.5% | 8.0% of sales |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Pop A Lock unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $154K Item 7 midpoint is a $123K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $20K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. Pop A Lock's past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 6.8% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $31K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $154K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $123K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
Item 19 of the Pop A Lock FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. The return models need one gross sales figure to start from, plus the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions; nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Pop A Lock unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Not disclosed in Item 19. Enter your own gross sales assumption
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $118K to $191K
Item 7's $33K to $41K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies annual revenue, direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $123K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
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: 2026 FDD · filed by SystemForward America, LLC
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.
vs Business Services medians
How Pop A Lock compares
Per franchisee, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Business Services 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.
Who are you contracting with?
SystemForward America, LLC.
Same franchisor, other programs: PlumbingPro, TemperaturePro. Each is a separate offering with its own page.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- SystemForward America, LLC
- 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
- $4.3M
- latest fiscal year in the 2026 FDD; $5.2M the year before
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
Is the system healthy?
-74 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (383 to 309, -19.3% in total, -10.2% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 7
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units fell from 383 in 2023 to 309 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
A system that lost more than 10% of its franchised outlets across the Item 20 years is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
Government records
SBA loan data
Lenders charged off 26.7% of 15 resolved SBA 7(a) loans, above the 14.9% category median. 7(a) is the SBA's main small-business loan; a resolved loan was paid in full or charged off.
- Loans on file
- 15
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $2.4M
- Average loan
- $157K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 26.7%
- 4 of 15 resolved loans
- Paid in full
- 73.3%
- of resolved loans
- Recent-loan charge-off
- No recent loans
- no SBA 7(a) loan approved since FY2013
- Lenders
- 12
- Average interest rate
- 6.8%
- Jobs reported
- 62
- on the 11 loans approved FY2002 on; earlier loans did not record jobs
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Benchmark: the median Business Services brand charges off 14.9% (39 brands with a published rate, same cumulative window and source). This brand is 11.8 points above it.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Full SBA lending reportlenders · charge-off rate · trend
Lender network · SBA 7(a)
SBA Lending Report
Lender, state and yearly detail for Pop A Lock from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records.
- Average SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Average interest rate
- 6.8%
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- Jobs reported
- 62
Top 10 SBA lenders by loan count
| Loans | Volume | Charge-off |
|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | ||
| 2 | $70K | Not on file |
| Wells Fargo Bank National Association | ||
| 2 | $755K | Not on file |
| Popular Bank | ||
| 2 | $547K | Not on file |
| EverBank National Association | ||
| 1 | $80K | Not on file |
| MISSINGMAINBANKID | ||
| 1 | $35K | Not on file |
A lender’s rate counts only its resolved loans, the loans that have finished (paid in full or charged off); a 0.0% often means few of its loans have finished. Under 10 resolved loans, the rate reads “Too few”.
Charge-off rate by state (top 10 by loans)
| State | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA California | 3 | 1 | Too few3 resolved |
| OH Ohio | 2 | 2 | Too few2 resolved |
| FL Florida | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| IN Indiana | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| KY Kentucky | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| MI Michigan | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| MS Mississippi | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| NE Nebraska | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| NJ New Jersey | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| RI Rhode Island | 1 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
Rate: charged-off loans over resolved loans (paid in full plus charged off), shown from 10 resolved loans. "Too few": under 10 resolved. The Loans column counts every approval in the window, including loans still being repaid.
SBA 7(a) loans approved per year
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level data, matched to the brand by FranchiseVerdict.
A 26.7% charge-off rate means about 1 in 4 resolved SBA 7(a) loans to this brand was charged off. The approval-year chart above shows which years they came from.
What are the risks?
Main risk: a shrinking system. Franchised outlets fell from 383 to 309 over the two years to 2025.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade D: Fourth tier, 28/100 (category median 55); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why a D, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; franchisor net income positive; negative net worth
- Unit economics NeutralNo Item 19 sales figure to set against the investment, so neutral
- Unit growth Weighs on it, weakest dimension-74 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (383 to 309, -19.3% in total, -10.2% a year compounded); turnover 20.3%
- Scale Helps309 franchised units, +7 company-owned (316 in all); franchising since 1994
- Legal Helps1 matter naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list (0.3 per 100 outlets)
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
- Adjustments after the six dimensions (-15 points)SBA loan record: the SBA charge-off rate (26.7% on 15 resolved loans approved FY1996 to FY2008) is between 20% and 50%, a range the score counts against a brand, so it took 15 points off. The score uses fixed ranges, not the category median, so a rate below its category median can still cost points.
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
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
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Litigation case detail1 matter · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Status not stated in the filing (1)
SystemForward America, LLC v. Blossom Industries LLC, et al.
Brought against a franchisee · filed 2023-11-09 · American Arbitration Association · 01-23-0005-1055
“… American Arbitration Association No. 01-23-0005-1055 (filed November 9, 2023).”Page 12 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Protected territory | Yes |
|---|---|
| Exclusive territory | Yes |
| Territory size | “"You will be granted an exclusive right to have a location (the 'Franchise Area') within which to operate your Franchised Business. Your Franchise Area will be defined by geographic ZIP code areas... Continuation of territorial exclusivity is not dependent on achieving a certain sales volume, market penetration, or other contingency."” |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | The owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, must run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination grounds | 8 |
| Curable defaults | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Louisiana |
| Governing law | Louisiana |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and 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
- 2–6 mo
- From signing to launch (FDD p.30)
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Pop-A-Lock computer system (proprietary software)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Pop A Lock franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a Pop A Lock franchise ranges from $118K to $191K, with an initial franchise fee of $23K – $63K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Pop A Lock franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Pop A Lock FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Pop A Lock?
Pop A Lock is franchised by SystemForward America, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Pop A Lock 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 Pop A Lock FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Pop A Lock's franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate. What is measurable is Pop A Lock's SBA charge-off rate: 26.7% on 15 resolved loans approved FY1996 to FY2008. Put plainly: 1 in 4 SBA 7(a) loans to Pop A Lock owners charged off (4 of 15 resolved loans, approved FY1996 to FY2008). The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. A franchisee can repay and close, or default and keep trading.
How many Pop A Lock franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, Pop A Lock has 309 franchised units and 7 company-owned (316 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 63 (1 opened, 64 closed).
Is Pop A Lock a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Pop A Lock a D Verdict grade (Fourth tier) with a verdict score of 28 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by scale (309 franchised units, +7 company-owned: 316 in all), legal record and transparency. Held back by unit growth (-74 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025: 383 to 309, -19.3% in total, -10.2% a year compounded). The “Why a D” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Business Services franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.