SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
SweetWater Technologies is a home services franchise providing irrigation system design, installation, and maintenance. Franchisees run local operations, managing crews, installs, and service accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) franchise requires a total initial investment of $89K – $191K, including a $10K franchise fee and an ongoing 33.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $147K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $89K – $191K
- 26th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $147K
- 1st pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 33.0% (?)
- Likely extraction error
- Units
- 5
- 11th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $89K – $191K including a $10K franchise fee, 33.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $147K/year (median $134K).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better).
- EARLYEmerging franchise: only 2 years of franchising with 5 units. Early-stage systems carry higher risk but may offer better territory availability.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC
- CEO title
- Owner, President
- Chad R. Gripp
- Incorporated in
- Illinois
- HQ
- 401 West Main Street, Wyanet, Illinois 61379
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $106K
- Most recent fiscal year
Affiliated brands
- does
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Chad R. Gripp
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 38% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $10K | $10K | |
| Rent Depositnot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Rent (3 months)not refundable | $0 | $15K | |
| Vehicle, Equipment, Signagenot refundable | $65K | $165K | |
| Office Set-Up, Technology, Hardware and Softwarenot refundable | $5K | $6K | |
| Business Licenses & Permitsnot refundable | $575 | $700 | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $8K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $2K | $10K | |
| Opening Marketing Packagenot refundable | $520 | $1K | |
| Additional Fundsnot refundable | $2K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $89K | $246K |
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
- $89K – $191K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 33.0%
- Percentage of gross sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 36.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 33.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 36.0% of rev |
At 36.0% total fee load, roughly $53K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 88% below the home services norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
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
$-25K
-17.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
-17%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
—
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
-17%
Negative returns. Costs exceed revenue at these inputs
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $147K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $134K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 4
- vs category median 32 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $89K→$232K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 321 Home Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $147K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.1x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 36.0% — above the Home Services average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 4 units — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +400.0% over 3 years (5 opened, 0 closed).
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Home Services averages
How SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 25.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 80%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 5
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 3 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
3
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $102,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
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 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNegative net worth -$14,383, net loss -$14,383 (early-stage)
- 02MINORVery new/small: 5 units, franchising since 2024
- 03MINORNo litigation or going-concern
- 04MEDItem 19 disclosed, avg gross sales $147,279
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 36.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | ZIP Codes/Radius |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 25 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- NetSuite and Flight Plan
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: NetSuite and Flight Plan
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
8 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) franchise?
The total investment to open a SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) franchise ranges from $89K – $191K, 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 SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $147K. The median is $134K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) 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 SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp)'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) (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 SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) has 5 total units in the United States, including 4 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp) as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 out of 100 (higher is better), 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent SweetWater Technologies (powered by Gripp), you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.