The Grounds GuysFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A THE GROUNDS GUYS franchise requires a total initial investment of $89K – $235K, including a $35K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $811K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 16.4% charge-off rate across 232 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $89K – $235K
- 26th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $811K
- 27th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 225
- 70th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 16.4%
- 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 5.0x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Bottom line
- Total investment $89K – $235K including a $35K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $811K/year (median $599K).
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 90/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 16.4% across 232 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 15.4% CAGR over 3 years with 225 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- THE GROUNDS GUYS SPV LLC
- Parent company
- Neighborly Assetco LLC
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1010 North University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas 76707
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $384.0M
- vs $451.9M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate commercial and residential landscaping and grounds maintenance services, including lawn care, snow removal, landscape design, and outdoor property upkeep. Day-to-day operations involve managing crews, scheduling client services, managing equipment, and building repeat customer relationships within their protected territory.
- CEO
- Michael Anthony Davis
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 41
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $49K | $170K |
| Total initial investment | $89K | $235K |
Source: THE GROUNDS GUYS 2024 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
$89K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
50%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
24 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $89K – $235K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5-6% of Gross Sales
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $811K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $599K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 149 units
- vs category median 25 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $12K→$3.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 5.0x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How The Grounds Guys Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 225
- Opened
- 42
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 28
- Turnover rate
- 12.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +6.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +15.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 6
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 41 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.
- Total loans
- 232
- Loan volume
- $39.8M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 16.4%
- 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)
- 58.2%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 32.1%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 28
- Defaults
- 38
Vintage analysis
The Grounds Guys charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into The Grounds Guys's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 14-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
The Grounds Guys presents elevated risk due to multiple active litigation cases involving fraud and misrepresentation claims, undisclosed net income metrics, and sluggish unit growth despite being an established franchisor.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 90 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHActive litigation involving fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of contract claims from multiple franchisees suggests systemic operational or disclosure issues
- 02MEDNo average net income disclosed despite $811K average revenue — opacity on actual profitability raises questions about sustainability at lower end of investment spectrum
- 03MINORSlow unit growth of only 6.6% YoY with 225 total units indicates market saturation or franchisee satisfaction issues in an established 10-year system
- 04HIGHHigh litigation frequency (4 disclosed cases with franchisees as plaintiffs) in a relatively small 225-unit system signals disproportionate conflict rate
- 05MINORProtected territory alone cannot offset lack of profitability transparency and breach of contract allegations
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 |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| 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 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 4 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 70 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- POS system
- GGPro
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: GGPro
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
262 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
THE GROUNDS GUYS · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a THE GROUNDS GUYS franchise?
The total investment to open a THE GROUNDS GUYS franchise ranges from $89K – $235K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do THE GROUNDS GUYS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the THE GROUNDS GUYS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $811K. The median is $599K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is THE GROUNDS GUYS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, THE GROUNDS GUYS has a charge-off rate of 16.4% across 232 loans, meaning 16.4% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many THE GROUNDS GUYS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, THE GROUNDS GUYS has 225 total units in the United States, including 183 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 42 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is THE GROUNDS GUYS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates THE GROUNDS GUYS as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 90 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.