SafeSplash Swim SchoolFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SafeSplash Swim School franchise requires a total initial investment of $945K – $1.5M, including a $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 36 loans[1]. Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $945K – $1.5M
- 65th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- 35th pct Education
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 6th pct Education
- Units
- 119
- 58th pct Education
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Only 0.0% of 36 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
The system contracted 13% year-over-year. Investigate why units are closing.
23% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDA). Within the 15-30% range most franchise investors consider acceptable.
Bottom line
- Total investment $945K – $1.5M including a $55K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $932K), with an estimated 23% cash-on-cash return (based on EBITDA).
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 58/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 36 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- SafeSplash Brands, LLC
- Parent company
- SafeSplash Holdings, LLC
- Incorporated in
- CO
- HQ
- 12240 Lioness Way, Parker, Colorado 80134
- Auditor
- RSM US LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $9.6M
- vs $8.7M prior year
Overview
About
SafeSplash franchisees operate swim schools providing swimming lessons, water safety training, and aquatic programs to children and adults. Day-to-day operations include managing instructors, scheduling classes, maintaining pool facilities, recruiting students, and ensuring safety compliance.
- CEO
- Chris Harkness
- Headquarters
- CO
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $55K | $55K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $90K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $800K | $1.3M |
| Total initial investment | $945K | $1.5M |
Source: SafeSplash Swim School 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$166K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
12%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
8.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $945K – $1.5M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $90K – $150K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $19K – $55K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 4.3 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Transfer fee | $17K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $932K
- Avg ebitda
- $282K
- Reported as EBITDA in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 23.1%
- Based on EBITDA / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 12 units
- vs category median 14
- Range (low → high)
- $715K→$2.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 8 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is only 0.9x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Education averages
How SafeSplash Swim School Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 119
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 23
- Turnover rate
- 19.3%
- Company-owned
- 29
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 76%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -12.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -4.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 37 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.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 36
- Loan volume
- $46.7M
- Median loan
- $1.0M
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 14
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into SafeSplash Swim School's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 9-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 36 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
SafeSplash presents HIGH RISK due to contracting franchise system (-12.6% YoY), active sexual assault litigation with indemnification exposure, unclear unit economics with massive investment variance, and absence of Item 19 disclosure data.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RSM US LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 58 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 12.6% YoY (119 units) indicates system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02HIGHActive litigation involving alleged sexual assault creates severe liability exposure and reputational risk for all franchisees
- 03MINORHigh initial investment range ($24K-$1.48M) with wide variance suggests inconsistent unit economics and unclear scaling model
- 04MINOR6% royalty on $1.1M average revenue = ~$66K annual royalty burden reduces net income from $259K baseline
- 05MINORNo Item 19 financial performance data limits ability to validate average revenue/income claims across unit types
- 06HIGHFranchisor indemnification counterclaim suggests potential liability shift to franchisees in litigation scenarios
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius from site |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 50 hrs
- POS system
- School Operating and Management Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: School Operating and Management Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
97 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SafeSplash Swim School · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SafeSplash Swim School franchise?
The total investment to open a SafeSplash Swim School franchise ranges from $945K – $1.5M, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SafeSplash Swim School franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the SafeSplash Swim School FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $932K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is SafeSplash Swim School's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, SafeSplash Swim School has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 36 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 SafeSplash Swim School franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SafeSplash Swim School has 119 total units in the United States, including 90 franchised units and 29 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SafeSplash Swim School a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SafeSplash Swim School as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 58 out of 100, 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.
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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.