Surface SpecialistsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Surface Specialists franchise requires a total initial investment of $43K – $56K, including a $36K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $296K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $43K – $56K
- 4th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $296K
- 6th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Home Services
- Units
- 44
- 38th 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
Each dollar invested generates 6.0x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchised units fell from 48 to 44 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $43K – $56K including a $36K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $296K/year (median $132K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 30/100.
- System contracting at -8.3% 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
- Surface Specialists Systems, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 621-B Stallings Road, Matthews, North Carolina 28105
- Auditor
- Davies, Goldstein & Associates CPA’s PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3M
- vs $1.2M prior year
Overview
About
Surface Specialists franchisees provide restoration, refinishing, or protective treatment services for surfaces (likely countertops, flooring, or concrete). Day-to-day operations involve site visits, surface preparation, application of specialized coatings or treatments, and customer relations management within a protected geographic territory.
- CEO
- Dan Kaplan
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2001
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 18
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $36K | $36K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $4K | $10K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $3K | $11K |
| Total initial investment | $43K | $56K |
Source: Surface Specialists 2026 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
$39K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
68%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
18 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $43K – $56K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $4K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $36K – $36K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Receipts · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $296K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $132K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 44 units
- vs category median 25
- Range (low → high)
- $4K→$2.1M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 6.0x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How Surface Specialists Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 44
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Turnover rate
- 6.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -6.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -8.3%
- 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 · 14 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 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $52K
- Median loan
- $52K
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Surface Specialists's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit base, non-disclosed profitability, and franchisor going concern issues present material risks that outweigh the modest $43K-$56K investment and protected territory benefit.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Davies, Goldstein & Associates CPA’s PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 30 / 100 rating
- 01MEDUnit count declined 6.4% year-over-year (44 units), indicating system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19, preventing ROI validation against $43,200-$56,000 investment + $36,000 franchise fee
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is False, suggesting potential financial instability or sustainability questions at franchisor level
- 04MEDHigh initial investment ($79,200-$92,000 total) against undisclosed profitability metrics creates unjustifiable risk
- 05MINOR$250 monthly royalty minimum (5%) may be unsustainable for locations generating below $60,000 monthly revenue
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 |
| Territory type | Population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | North Carolina |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 23 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 73 hrs
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
38 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Surface Specialists · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Surface Specialists franchise?
The total investment to open a Surface Specialists franchise ranges from $43K – $56K, with an initial franchise fee of $36K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Surface Specialists franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Surface Specialists FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $296K. The median is $132K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Surface Specialists's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Surface Specialists (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 Surface Specialists franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Surface Specialists has 44 total units in the United States, including 48 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Surface Specialists a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Surface Specialists as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 30 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.
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.