Rod Works Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Rod Works is a home decor retail franchise selling affordable, on-trend furnishings and decorative accessories. Franchisees run the stores, managing inventory, merchandising, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Rod Works franchise requires a total initial investment of $145K – $261K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $145K – $261K
- 57th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Home Services
- Units
- 9
- 18th 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 $145K – $261K including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 35/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Rod Works Inc.
- Predecessor
- Rod Works Franchise Inc
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Owner/President
- Mark Tuttle
- CEO experience
- 20 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Utah
- HQ
- 4275 Thanksgiving Way, Suite 200, Lehi, Utah 84043
- Auditor
- A. Andrew Gianiodis
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $672K
- vs $658K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Mark Tuttle
- Headquarters
- UT
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 10% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $35K | |
| Lease Expenses | $5K | $8K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $10K | $35K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $10K | $20K | |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $4K | $6K | |
| Initial Training Costs (per person) | $2K | $4K | |
| Security Deposits | $500 | $2K | |
| Architect, Plans and Designs (including Site Plan/Design Fee) | $500 | $2K | |
| Signage | $3K | $8K | |
| Equipment | $11K | $22K | |
| Initial Inventory/Supplies | $45K | $65K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $2K | $4K | |
| Business Permits/Licenses (1st year) | $500 | $2K | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums (1st year) | $1K | $2K | |
| Professional fees (first three months) | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $25K | $45K | |
| Total initial investment | $155K | $261K |
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
- $145K – $261K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $45K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- Currently 0% of Gross Sales
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $82 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $35K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Rod Works did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Rod Works unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
35%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 5.0% — below the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System shrank 28.6% over 3 years — 1 closures. Ask existing franchisees about local market conditions.
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 Rod Works Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 20.0%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 56%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -28.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -28.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 11.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $311K
- Median loan
- $155K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Multiple concerns: financial distress flagged with negative net worth -$767,082, no Item 19 disclosure, sharp unit contraction (-28.6% net growth, down to 9 total/5 franchised), and elevated 20% turnover. No going-concern note or litigation, but shrinking distressed small system.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · A. Andrew Gianiodis
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 35 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORFinancial distress: negative net worth -$767,082
- 02MINORNo Item 19; no going-concern note or litigation
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · 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 | Radius or irregularly shaped geographic area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1.5 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Utah |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 23 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Lightspeed Retail
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Lightspeed Retail
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Rod Works · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Rod Works franchise?
The total investment to open a Rod Works franchise ranges from $145K – $261K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Rod Works franchise owners earn?
Rod Works 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 Item 19 in the Rod Works 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 Rod Works FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Rod Works's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Rod Works (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 Rod Works franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Rod Works has 9 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 4 company-owned units.
Is Rod Works a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Rod Works as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 35 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.