Surface Experts Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
90/100
Strongest tier
90 this brand56 Home Services medianlikely 86–94 (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#53 of 3,068 graded brands
Why an A: Helped by financial health, unit economics, unit growth, legal record and transparency. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $156K – $273K
- Avg gross sales
- $721K
- 75 outlets reporting; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 4 resolved of 40 loans: too few to judge
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a Surface Experts franchise requires a total initial investment of $156K – $273K, including a $75K – $138K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 8.0%. Per the 2026 FDD, average gross sales were $721K (75 outlets reporting; gross sales, not profit). Verdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Home Services median
Top edge: green = better than the Home Services median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSAverage gross sales of $721K/year (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system; 75 outlets reporting; gross sales, not profit).
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 16 (18 opened, 3 closed; other Item 20 movements account for the remaining 1).
- GROWTH+27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (76 to 103, +35.5% in total, +16.4% a year compounded), with 103 total units.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $28K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $43K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $172K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (3)
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
- You waive a jury trial in disputes with the franchisor (Item 17, renewal, termination and disputes).
- Item 15 (owner participation) requires the owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, to run the business day to day. Ask how much of the business that principal must own.
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no net loss of franchised outlets in the latest Item 20 years, no lawsuit naming the franchisor in Item 3 and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 75 units. Not on file here, so ask: SBA charge-off rate against the category median and supplier rebates.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 31% above the Home Services median ($164K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Surface Experts Franchising LLC (Item 1: 111 W. Cataldo Avenue, Suite 1, Spokane, WA 99201) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $75K | $137.5K | |
| One Surface Experts Car, including Vehicle Wrap | $5K | $30K | |
| Equipment, Tools, Supplies and Inventory | $4.5K | $5.5K | |
| Sander/Vacuum | $0 | $1.1K | |
| ExpertNet and technology fees | $393 | $500 | |
| Rent, Utilities, and Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $3K | |
| Office Furniture | $0 | $500 | |
| Office Supplies | $0 | $300 | |
| Computer Systems and Phones | $500 | $2K | |
| Insurance | $1.5K | $4K | |
| Signage | $0 | $250 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $500 | $1.25K | |
| Professional Fees (lawyer, accountant, etc.) | $3.5K | $5K | |
| Marketing Materials and Uniforms | $500 | $800 | |
| Travel, lodging and meals for initial training | $4.5K | $6.5K | |
| Additional funds (for first 3 to 6 months) | $60K | $75K | |
| Total initial investment | $156K | $273K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| RoyaltyPercentage of sales; timing as set out in Item 6. Minimum: Minimum royalty of $1,600/month (or $1,800/month after 18 months for territories over 500,000 population), beginning after the first year | 8.0% of gross sales |
Technology feeThe filing's detailMonthly "ExpertNet" operations portal fee, currently $393-$500/month (includes field service management software, Office 365, VOIP phone system, job placement software, website/SEO management); additional email addresses $6/month | $393–$500/month |
| Transfer fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal fee | $5,000 |
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 22% above the Home Services median ($593K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Surface Experts unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $721K (FDD p.42), and the royalty and ad fund take about $58K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $28K a year after its food, labor, rent and other costs and the franchisor's fees.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $215K Item 7 midpoint is a $172K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $28K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. Surface Experts' past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 8.8% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $43K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $215K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $172K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
One unit
One unit: what is left after the loan payment
Gross sales, minus the franchisor's fees and the operating costs, is the unit's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Minus an assumed loan payment, that is what is left for you, before tax. Gross sales are not profit.
This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Surface Experts unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19 reports $720,890 per unit. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
The filing also sets a minimum or cap on these fees: “Minimum royalty of $1,600/month (or $1,800/month after 18 months for territories over 500,000 population), beginning after the first year”; “Greater of 8% of Gross Sales or minimum royalty of $1,600/month (beginning after first year)” (Item 6). This model applies the percentages, so at low sales the real fee can be higher than shown here.
Item 6, as stored, a year. A fixed fee, so it comes off EBITDA as dollars, not a share of sales.
This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here.
Illustrative category typicals, not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Item 7 midpoint of $156K to $273K
Item 7's $60K to $75K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies ad fund rate, direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $172K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
Buying several existing units? The acquisition scenario
Buying several units
What buying a few existing units could return
Prices an existing operator of a few units off the single-unit EBITDA above, after shared services, and finances it with an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional loan and a seller note. It shows the yearly return on your cash (IRR), whether year-1 earnings cover the loan payments (DSCR) and how the price is paid for. It starts at 5 units; every deal term is an assumption you can change, and none is from the FDD.
Not modelled yet
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies ad fund rate, direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
This scenario starts from a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in the one-unit model above and it runs on that figure, or take it to the full ROI workbench, where the multi-unit and acquisition models accept your own per-unit economics.
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: 2026 FDD · filed by Surface Experts Franchising LLC
Financial performance
- Top and bottom 25%
- $256K→$1.1M
- Bottom group → top group: the top and bottom 25% as the filing reports them
Percentile ranks within Home Services
Each rank is among the Home Services brands that report that figure (the count is under each bar).
vs Home Services medians
How Surface Experts compares
Category median of published Home Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Who are you contracting with?
Surface Experts Franchising LLC.
Item 21 (audited financials) · audited statements · 2026 FDD
The franchisor's own finances
The franchisor paid out 12% of its latest net income as dividends. A franchisor that keeps little of its own profit has less of a cushion if the system has a bad year; ask how support and the ad fund are funded.
The figures, with their pages
- Net income
- $1.8Mlatest year · FDD Item 21
- Dividends paid
- $221K12% of net income (our arithmetic) · FDD p.123
- Total assets
- $11.5MFDD Item 21
- Equity
- $2.6MFDD Item 21
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Surface Experts Franchising LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Jacob Grady
- Incorporated in
- WA
- HQ
- 111 W. Cataldo Avenue, Suite 1, Spokane, WA 99201
- Auditor
- Smith & Howard
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $9.6M
- latest fiscal year in the 2026 FDD; $7.3M the year before
Overview
About
Surface Experts operates a mobile service business providing minor repairs to interior surfaces such as vinyl, wood, glass, linoleum, tile, laminate, and stainless steel, serving commercial and residential customers.
- CEO
- Jacob Grady
- States and territories listed
- 33
- registered or offered in, as the filing lists them (DC and territories included); not where units may open
Is the system healthy?
+27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (76 to 103, +35.5% in total, +16.4% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 12.0%
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 76 in 2023 to 103 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Reacquisitions and outlets moved to or from company ownership also change the count, so opened minus closed differs from the change.
Government records
SBA loan data
Matched to this brand from SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records.
- Loans on file
- 40
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $6.4M
- Average loan
- $160K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 4 resolved of 40 loans: too few to judge
- Limited SBA coverage: 40 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
- Paid in full
- 4 resolved of 40 loans: too few to judge
- Recent-loan charge-off
- 4 resolved of 40 loans: too few to judge
- Lenders
- 12
- Average interest rate
- 8.8%
- Jobs reported
- 216
- Lender concentration
- 50%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Borrower mix: of the 40 loans with a recorded business age, 38 (95%) went to startups or businesses under two years old and 2 (5%) to established businesses or ownership changes.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Full SBA lending reportlenders · charge-off rate · trend
Lender network · SBA 7(a)
SBA Lending Report
Lender, state and yearly detail for Surface Experts from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records.
- Average SBA guarantee
- 78%
- Average interest rate
- 8.8%
- Lender concentration
- 50%
- Jobs reported
- 216
Top 10 SBA lenders by loan count
| Loans | Volume | Charge-off |
|---|---|---|
| United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | ||
| 20 | $3.0M | Not on file |
| The Huntington National Bank | ||
| 6 | $750K | Not on file |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | ||
| 4 | $507K | Not on file |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | ||
| 2 | $401K | Not on file |
| Newtek Bank, National Association | ||
| 1 | $250K | Not on file |
A lender’s rate counts only its resolved loans, the loans that have finished (paid in full or charged off); a 0.0% often means few of its loans have finished. Under 10 resolved loans, the rate reads “Too few”.
Charge-off rate by state (top 10 by loans)
| State | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL Florida | 5 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| GA Georgia | 5 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| AZ Arizona | 4 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| MA Massachusetts | 3 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| OH Ohio | 3 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| CO Colorado | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| NC North Carolina | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| NY New York | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| TN Tennessee | 2 | 0 | Too few1 resolved |
| TX Texas | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
Rate: charged-off loans over resolved loans (paid in full plus charged off), shown from 10 resolved loans. "Too few": under 10 resolved. The Loans column counts every approval in the window, including loans still being repaid.
SBA 7(a) loans approved per year
Borrower profile
The SBA's own business-age labels (3)
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level data, matched to the brand by FranchiseVerdict.
What are the risks?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade A: Strongest tier, 90/100 (category median 56); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why an A, factor by factor
- Financial health HelpsAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; franchisor net income positive
- Unit economics HelpsAvg gross sales $721K on a $215K investment midpoint, 3.4x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Helps+27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (76 to 103, +35.5% in total, +16.4% a year compounded); turnover 2.9%
- Scale Neutral103 franchised units; franchising since 2018
- Legal HelpsNo litigation naming the franchisor in Item 3
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith & Howard
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 2 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Territory size | “Territory specified by zip codes, county or city lines, or other mutually agreed limit; franchise fee determined by number of multi-family housing units (MFHU) in territory (approx 30,000 MFHU = $75,000 fee up to 70,000 MFHU at high end). Franchisor grants a protected (non-exclusive) territory: no other company-owned or franchised outlet will be established in it, but franchisor may serve customers there under certain conditions (default, incapacity to meet demand) and via other channels/trademarks; franchisee cannot solicit outside territory without permission (Breach of Territory Fee $500/job for unauthorized service outside territory).” |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | The owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, must run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Spokane, Washington (franchisor's headquarters location) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Washington (default; but "laws of the state where the Surface Experts Business is located" applies p |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- Classroom training
- 36 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Spokane, WA
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 10 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Vonigo (ExpertNet operations portal)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Surface Experts franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a Surface Experts franchise ranges from $156K to $273K, with an initial franchise fee of $75K – $138K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Surface Experts franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Surface Experts FDD, average gross sales were $721K (75 outlets reporting; gross sales, not profit). What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns Surface Experts?
Surface Experts is franchised by Surface Experts Franchising LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Surface Experts 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 Surface Experts FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Surface Experts' franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Surface Experts has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
How many Surface Experts franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, Surface Experts has 103 franchised units and 0 company-owned (103 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 16 (18 opened, 3 closed; other Item 20 movements account for the remaining 1).
Is Surface Experts a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Surface Experts an A Verdict grade (Strongest tier) with a verdict score of 90 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by financial health (audited financials), unit economics, unit growth, legal record and transparency. The “Why an A” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Home Services franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.