The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $155K – $313K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Inspection Boys is a home inspection franchise providing residential inspections and radon testing, offered here as an area representative opportunity. Area representatives develop territories and support unit franchisees who run inspections.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) franchise requires a total initial investment of $155K – $313K, including a $150K – $300K franchise fee. This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: 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 scored3 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $155K – $313K
- 80th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 1 outlet
- Royalty
- Not extracted
- Units
- 1
- 0th pct Real Estate
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Real Estate median · 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 $155K – $313K including a $150K franchise fee. This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 35/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- The Inspection Boys Franchise USA LLC
- Parent company
- Loyalty Franchising LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Loyalty, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- The Inspection Boys Franchise, Inc. (Pennsylvania); The Inspection Boys Franchising, Inc. (New Jersey)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Matthew Rivera
- Incorporated in
- Virginia
- HQ
- 780 Lynnhaven Parkway, Suite 240, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
- Auditor
- DASH Business Solutions, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $15K
- vs $38K prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
9 other brands on this site name Loyalty, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- ATAXB
- Cooper’s ScoopersC
- Hike DoggieD
- Jomsom Staffing ServicesC
- LedgersF
- Loyalty Business BrokersC
- Loyalty Business ServicesB
- Salty Dawg Pet SalonD
- Zoomin Groomin®A
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Matthew Rivera
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 76% above the typical real estate franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $150K | $150K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $3K | $3K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $2K | $160K |
| Total initial investment | $155K | $313K |
Source: The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $155K – $313K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $3K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $150K – $300K
- Master/area fee
- Royalty
- Area Representative receives 50% of the net royalty fees …
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Technology fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) unit return on the cash you put in?
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.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, royalty rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
Net unit growth roughly flat at 0.0%.
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 Real Estate medians
How The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) Compares
Category median of published Real Estate 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.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
Area representative offering with only 1 unit, flagged financial_distress and no Item 19 disclosure. 7 litigation matters relate to CEO John Hewitt personally (including a pending 2025 shareholder fraud suit) rather than the franchisor entity, but the fraud-related nature adds weight given the tiny system.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Litigation disclosed relates to CEO/Chairman John T. Hewitt personally (not the Franchisor entity itself), stemming from his prior role at Liberty Tax/JTH Tax and current ATAX affiliate: 1 pending shareholder/investor fraud suit (Lubert/Martinson v. Hewitt et al., filed May 2025); several concluded suits from 2017-2019 (Liberty Tax trade dress, shareholder derivative actions, employee/vendor breach of contract) settled for amounts including $545,000, $50,000 x2, $775,000, and $295,000 in attorney's fees; and a DOJ consent order/governmental action requiring disclosure in future FDDs where Hewitt has management responsibility.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DASH Business Solutions, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Exhibit F (audited financial statements for FYE Dec 31, 2024/2023/2022) is present in the FDD but the pages are image-only in the extracted text; no balance-sheet or income-statement figures were machine-readable, so all Item 21 fields are null.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 35 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORfinancial_distress flagged
- 02HIGH7 litigation matters tied to CEO (incl. pending 2025 fraud suit)
- 03MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 04MINORVery small system (1 unit)
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 25 mi |
| Territory population | 150,000 |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 7 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Virginia Beach, VA corporate headquarters (or, for Illinois/Maryland residents, AAA arbitration in the city/county of headquarters) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 9 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Litigation disclosed relates to CEO/Chairman John T. Hewitt personally (not the Franchisor entity itself), stemming from his prior role at Liberty Tax/JTH Tax and current ATAX affiliate: 1 pending shareholder/investor fraud suit (Lubert/Martinson v. Hewitt et al., filed May 2025); several concluded suits from 2017-2019 (Liberty Tax trade dress, shareholder derivative actions, employee/vendor breach of contract) settled for amounts including $545,000, $50,000 x2, $775,000, and $295,000 in attorney's fees; and a DOJ consent order/governmental action requiring disclosure in future FDDs where Hewitt has management responsibility.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisor location and on-site
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
8 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) franchise?
The total investment to open a The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) franchise ranges from $155K – $313K, with an initial franchise fee of $150K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
What do The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) franchise owners earn?
The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative)?
The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) is franchised by The Inspection Boys Franchise USA LLC. Its parent company is Loyalty Franchising LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Loyalty, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) 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 The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative)'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) (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 The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) has 1 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Inspection Boys® (Area Representative) as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 35 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.