SonitrolFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sonitrol franchise requires a total initial investment of $50K – $223K. The 2022 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $50K – $223K
- 7th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 54th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 133
- 59th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Home Services 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
Franchising since 1965. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $50K – $223K including a $0 franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 69/100.
- System contracting at -5.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Inc.
- Parent company
- Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 8350 Sunlight Drive, Fishers, Indiana 46037
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $13.1B
- vs $15.6B prior year
Overview
About
Sonitrol franchisees operate electronic security and alarm monitoring services, typically selling and installing burglar alarms, fire detection systems, and 24/7 monitoring services to residential and commercial clients. Franchisees manage customer acquisition, installation, service calls, and client retention while the parent company handles central station monitoring. Revenue is primarily recurring monthly monitoring fees supplemented by installation and service charges.
- CEO
- John Skowronski
- Headquarters
- IN
- Founded
- 1965
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 28
FDD Item 7 · 2022 filing · 3 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional Central Monitoring Station Equipmentnot refundable | $0 | $120K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Additional Funds: First 9 Months of Operationnot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Total initial investment | $50K | $223K |
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
- $50K – $223K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $100K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Franchise fee
- N/A
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Varies; determined based on 2009 historical performance a…
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 4.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Varies; determined for each Renewing Type A Franchisee by dividing aggregate royalty fees from 2009 by aggregate Gross Revenues. Rate will not increase more than 0.25% per year and will never exceed 4.0% |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 4.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Home Services averages
How Sonitrol Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 133
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 60
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 55%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 6.0%
- Net growth (yr3)
- -1.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -5.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 32 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 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $2.8M
- Median loan
- $466K
- average
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit base, undisclosed financials, material litigation history, and outdated royalty benchmarks create significant due diligence gaps and execution risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
Four concluded civil actions disclosed: (1) Care First Pharmacy v. Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Inc. (Texas, 2017) - security system failure at pharmacy, settled for $10,000 in December 2017; (2) Oris Development (Cambie) Corp. v. Sonitrol entities (Canada, 2012) - fire loss at condominium development (~$12M CAD claimed), settled for less than $25,000 in March 2016; (3) Collections Fine Jewelry v. Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Inc. (Texas, 2011) - alarm system failure at jewelry store, settled for $800,000 in May 2014; (4) The State of Louisiana/UNO Foundation v. Honeywell International Inc./Sonitrol (Louisiana, 2008) - failure to monitor building and notify of sprinkler activation causing flood damage. All cases involve alleged failures of security/monitoring systems.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
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 69 / 100 rating
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-1.4% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction in a 133-unit system
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents validation of ROI claims and profitability benchmarks
- 03HIGHMaterial litigation history including system failures, deceptive trade practices, fire-related losses, and active class action against parent company
- 04MINORRoyalty structure based on 2009 historical data (15+ years old) raises questions about relevance and franchisee profitability in current market
- 05MINORVariable royalty capped at 4.0% suggests unpredictable cost structure and potential for disputes over calculation methodology
- 06MINORZero franchise fee may indicate brand is incentivizing recruitment over quality screening or reflects market weakness
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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Zip codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 | 100 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Four concluded civil actions disclosed: (1) Care First Pharmacy v. Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Inc. (Texas, 2017) - security system failure at pharmacy, settled for $10,000 in December 2017; (2) Oris Development (Cambie) Corp. v. Sonitrol entities (Canada, 2012) - fire loss at condominium development (~$12M CAD claimed), settled for less than $25,000 in March 2016; (3) Collections Fine Jewelry v. Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Inc. (Texas, 2011) - alarm system failure at jewelry store, settled for $800,000 in May 2014; (4) The State of Louisiana/UNO Foundation v. Honeywell International Inc./Sonitrol (Louisiana, 2008) - failure to monitor building and notify of sprinkler activation causing flood damage. All cases involve alleged failures of security/monitoring systems.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 84 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 95 hrs
- Training location
- Off-site and on-site
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- SONIP
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: SONIP
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
82 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Sonitrol · FDD (2022) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sonitrol franchise?
The total investment to open a Sonitrol franchise ranges from $50K – $223K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Sonitrol franchise owners earn?
Sonitrol 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 Sonitrol's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Sonitrol (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 Sonitrol franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sonitrol has 133 total units in the United States, including 73 franchised units and 60 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Sonitrol a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sonitrol as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 69 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.