Puddle Pool Services Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Puddle Pool Services is a pool maintenance franchise providing cleaning, chemical balancing, and equipment repair. Franchisees run route-based operations, managing recurring service accounts and technicians.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Puddle Pool Services franchise requires a total initial investment of $98K – $123K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $700K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $98K – $123K
- 33rd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $700K
- n=116th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 34th pct Home Services
- Units
- 2
- 7th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $98K – $123K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $700K/year, with an estimated 181% cash-on-cash return.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 51/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Puddle Pool Services USA, Inc.
- Predecessor
- company
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Mark Amery
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Wyoming
- HQ
- 7726 Winegard Road, 2nd Floor - AV 183, Orlando, Florida 32809
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $52K
- vs $104K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Affiliated brands
- Puddle Pool Services Ltd
- Feels Like Friday Service Brands
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Mark Amery
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 51% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Initial Marketing Launchnot refundable | $11K | $15K | |
| Initial Inventory of Tools, Equipment and Chemicalsnot refundable | $8K | $9K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Computer/Phone Systemnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| CRM Setupnot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Vehicle Leasenot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Vehicle Wrapnot refundable | $4K | $7K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Uniform, Business Card, Other Physical Marketing Materialsnot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Liability Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Operating Expenses / Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $98K | $123K |
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
- $98K – $123K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 0.6 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $199 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $9K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 43% below the home services norm.
Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average
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
$70K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
55%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
22 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings vs. model
The FDD reports $200K as Net Income. Our model estimates $70K SLEBITDA from the same revenue using category-average cost assumptions.
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 Puddle Pool Services unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
55%
Within 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 Puddle Pool Services units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$420K
on $2.1M purchase
Total debt
$1.7M
SBA $1.1M + 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
Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average
- Avg gross sales
- $700K
- Per unit, per year
- Avg net income
- $200K
- Cash-on-cash
- 181.3%
- Based on Net Income / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Actual
- Sample size
- 1
- vs category median 32 · small
- Reported figure
- $700K
- A single outlet — not a range
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 8 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 321 Home Services brands
Revenue is 6.3x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
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 $700K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 6.3x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% (near the Home Services average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 8/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 1 unit — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +100.0% over 3 years (0 opened, 0 closed).
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 Puddle Pool Services Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 50%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +100.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 9
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 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.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
- 13
- Loan volume
- $2.4M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 10.0%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 11.6%
- n=560 loans
- Jobs supported
- 54
- 2.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 31%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% 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 Puddle Pool Services franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 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 Puddle Pool Services's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 6 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
New pool-services franchisor (began 2023, only 2 units) with an auditor going-concern note but distress_is_early_stage=true, so it is treated as startup limited-history rather than genuine failure. Negative net worth (-$176,835), no litigation, audited, Item 19 disclosed. Early-stage status caps the risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLCⓘ Going-concern language present, but this is an early-stage franchisor with limited operating history — common for new systems and not necessarily a sign of distress.
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 51 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORgoing_concern_note=true BUT distress_is_early_stage=true (new franchisor, 2 units)
- 02MEDNo litigation, no bankruptcy; audited, item19_disclosed=true
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | Zip Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Wyoming |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 38 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- PuddlePower.com
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: PuddlePower.com
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Puddle Pool Services franchise?
The total investment to open a Puddle Pool Services franchise ranges from $98K – $123K, 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 Puddle Pool Services franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Puddle Pool Services FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $700K. Important context: Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Puddle Pool Services 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 Puddle Pool Services FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Puddle Pool Services's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Puddle Pool Services (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 Puddle Pool Services franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Puddle Pool Services has 2 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Puddle Pool Services a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Puddle Pool Services as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 51 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.