SCA Appraisal ServicesFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SCA Appraisal Services franchise requires a total initial investment of $27K – $80K, including a $10K franchise fee and an ongoing 0.5% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $433K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $27K – $80K
- 1st pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- $433K
- 4th pct Automotive
- Royalty
- 0.5%
- 0th pct Automotive
- Units
- 88
- 20th pct Automotive
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Automotive 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
Each dollar invested generates 8.1x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchised units fell from 88 to 87 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $27K – $80K including a $10K franchise fee, 0.5% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $433K/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 44/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- SCA Franchising Corporation
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 3817 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91505
- Auditor
- Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.2M
- vs $7.3M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- is SCA Adjusting Services
- is SCA Enterprises
- is Woodland Capital Franchising
- SCA
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
SCA Appraisal Services franchisees operate independent property appraisal businesses, conducting residential and commercial property valuations for lenders, real estate agents, and legal proceedings. Franchisees build client relationships, manage appraisals, coordinate with the SCA network for referrals and support, and handle administrative and compliance requirements for appraisal licensing and regulations.
- CEO
- Timothy William Paul Davis
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 26
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 8 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $10K | $50K | |
| Training Expenses | $2K | $2K | |
| Real Property, construction, remodeling, leasehold improvements and decorating costs | $2K | $3K | |
| Equipment, fixtures, other fixed assets | $5K | $8K | |
| Inventory to begin operating | — | — | |
| Security deposits, utility deposits, business licenses and other prepaid expenses | $100 | $250 | |
| Insurance (annual premium) | $2K | $4K | |
| Computer Software licenses | $500 | $500 | |
| Total initial investment | $21K | $67K |
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.
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
$93K
21.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
147%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
8 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $27K – $80K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $13K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 0.5%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $433K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 88 units
- vs category median 70
- Range (low → high)
- $1K→$865K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 0 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 221 Automotive brands
Revenue is 8.1x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Automotive averages
How SCA Appraisal Services Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 88
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 1.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +1.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +1.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 8
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 22 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
SCA Appraisal Services presents HIGH RISK due to an unsustainable 50% royalty burden, stagnant system growth, undisclosed profitability metrics, going concern status, litigation history, unprotected territory, and franchisor financial viability questions.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 4 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $15,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Bankruptcy” is amended by adding the following: Neither we nor any of our affiliates, predecessors, officers, or general partner during the 10-year period immediately before the date of this Disclosure Document: (a) filed as debtor (or had filed against it) a petition to start an action under the U.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Baker Tilly US, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 rating
- 01MINOR50% royalty rate is extremely high and leaves minimal margin for franchisee profitability after operating expenses
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure prevents ability to assess realistic earning potential or ROI timeline
- 03MINORStagnant unit growth (88 units, only 1.1% YoY) indicates system is not scaling and may be contracting
- 04HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE, suggesting potential financial instability or viability questions at franchisor level
- 05HIGH2015 litigation involving breach of contract and fraud allegations, even if settled, indicates franchisor-franchisee conflict and operational disputes
- 06MINORNo protected territory means franchisees compete directly with other SCA franchisees and company-owned locations in same market
- 07MINORLow initial investment ($27,300–$79,950) relative to 50% royalty suggests franchisor prioritizes volume licensing over franchisee success
- 08MED5-year term is relatively short and provides limited runway to recoup investment and build equity
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | geographic |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 4 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 6 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Core / Core Mobile
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Core / Core Mobile
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
59 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SCA Appraisal Services · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SCA Appraisal Services franchise?
The total investment to open a SCA Appraisal Services franchise ranges from $27K – $80K, with an initial franchise fee of $10K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SCA Appraisal Services franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the SCA Appraisal Services FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $433K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is SCA Appraisal Services's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SCA Appraisal 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 SCA Appraisal Services franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SCA Appraisal Services has 88 total units in the United States, including 88 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SCA Appraisal Services a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SCA Appraisal Services as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 44 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.