The Joint Chiropractic Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $245K – $543K
- Disclosed sales
- $570K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 3.7%
- on 199 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Joint Chiropractic is a franchise of walk-in chiropractic clinics offering affordable, membership-based spinal adjustments without insurance or appointments. Franchisees run clinics staffing licensed chiropractors on a high-volume, recurring-visit model.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Joint Chiropractic franchise requires a total initial investment of $245K – $543K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $570K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 3.7% charge-off rate across 199 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), 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 scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $245K – $543K
- 51st pct Healthcare
- Avg gross sales
- $570K
- 11th pct Healthcare
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 37th pct Healthcare
- Units
- 970
- 79th pct Healthcare
- SBA charge-off
- 3.7%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Healthcare · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Healthcare 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 $245K – $543K including a $40K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $570K/year.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 3.7% across 199 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +45 franchised outlets in the latest year (60 opened, 15 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAGItem 4 discloses a bankruptcy of an officer or of a company an officer ran, not of the franchisor. Review Item 4 for details.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- The Joint Corp.
- Predecessor
- The Joint Corp.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President and Chief Executive Officer
- Peter D. Holt
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 16767 N. Perimeter Dr., Suite 110, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
- Auditor
- BDO USA, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $122.1M
- vs $117.7M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- of Phase Family Center DC
- of Phase Foundations
- of Alpharetta Preschool Partners
- of The Phase Project
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Peter D. Holt
- Headquarters
- AZ
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 30
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 23% above the typical healthcare franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown18 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $20K | $40K | |
| Training Expenses | $4K | $5K | |
| Lease & Utility Deposits | $4K | $6K | |
| Rent (3 Months) | $9K | $27K | |
| Clinic Design Fee | $1K | $1K | |
| Architect Fee | $9K | $20K | |
| Construction | $64K | $225K | |
| Signage | $6K | $12K | |
| Technology Systems | $6K | $11K | |
| Chiropractic & Other Professional Equipment | $7K | $23K | |
| Office Furniture & Equipment | $15K | $25K | |
| Uniforms & Office Supplies | $2K | $3K | |
| Business Licenses/Permits | $300 | $3K | |
| Chiropractor Credentialing | $200 | $300 | |
| Professional Fees | $3K | $8K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $20K | $25K | |
| Insurance Premiums | $2K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $75K | $105K | |
| Total initial investment | $245K | $543K |
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
- $245K – $543K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 43.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $50 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $25 |
| Inventory (initial) | $2K – $3K |
| Total fee load | 43.0% of rev |
At 43.0% total fee load, roughly $245K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 16% below the healthcare norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for The Joint Chiropractic until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$404K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
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, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Joint Chiropractic 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 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.
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%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- $570K
- Per unit, per year
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Sample size
- 785 outlets
- vs category median 20 · large
- Reporting year
- 2021
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2021
Compared against 162 Healthcare 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 $570K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.4x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 43.0% — above the Healthcare median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 0/10 — minimal disclosure beyond the required average. Hard to judge the distribution of outcomes across units.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Healthcare medians
How The Joint Chiropractic Compares
Category median of published Healthcare 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
- 970
- Opened
- 60
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 15
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 1.5%
- Company-owned
- 125
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 85%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Termination rate
- 0.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
21 current owners across 17 states.
- GA 3
- NC 2
- TX 2
- AZ 1
- CA 1
- CO 1
- DE 1
- IA 1
- IL 1
- MN 1
- MO 1
- NJ 1
- +5 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 199
- Loan volume
- $55.8M
- Median loan
- $280K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 3.7%
- on 199 loans · 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
- 6.2%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 44
- Defaults
- 3
Vintage analysis
The Joint Chiropractic charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing The Joint Chiropractic franchisees
Showing 3 of 44 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for The Joint Chiropractic from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simmons Bank | 73 | $15.6M | 6.7% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 23 | $3.7M | 0.0% |
| 3 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 20 | $7.7M | 0.0% |
| 4 | United Community Bank | 10 | $2.5M | 0.0% |
| 5 | Cadence Bank | 7 | $1.8M | 0.0% |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 5 | $931K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Stearns Bank National Association | 5 | $885K | 50.0% |
| 8 | Fifth Third Bank | 5 | $999K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 4 | $645K | 0.0% |
| 10 | First Bank of the Lake | 3 | $1.1M | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLFlorida | 28 | 0 | 0.0% |
| AZArizona | 19 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 18 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 15 | 2 | 28.6% |
| CACalifornia | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
| OHOhio | 13 | 1 | 50.0% |
| VAVirginia | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 8 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ILIllinois | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| INIndiana | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 3.7% — 77% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
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)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Andrew Franklin v. Herman Miller, Inc., et al (Case No. 653370/2020, filed July 7, 2020, Supreme Court of New York). Involves Director Glenn Krevlin but unrelated to franchisor, System, or franchisees. Plaintiff is minority shareholder in Design Within Reach claiming misconduct regarding stock issuance and value dilution. Claims include breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and aiding and abetting.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Subject: an officer. An officer’s own bankruptcy or a company an officer ran, not the franchisor’s
Eric J. Simon, Vice President of Franchise Development, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Case No. 14-12082-RGM) on May 31, 2014 due to restaurant closure in San Diego, CA and lease payment inability. Case discharged September 15, 2014.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
The Joint Corp. generated total revenues of $80,859,653 in 2021 (company-wide, all segments); of this, $21,800 came from purchases/leases by Regional Developers (FranConnect fees), less than 1% of total revenue.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGH3 litigation matters (mostly director/unrelated)
- 02MINOROld individual officer Chapter 7 (2014, discharged)
- 03MINORAudited financials, healthy revenue
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 43.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | 25,000 households |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1.5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 60 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 13 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Arizona |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Andrew Franklin v. Herman Miller, Inc., et al (Case No. 653370/2020, filed July 7, 2020, Supreme Court of New York). Involves Director Glenn Krevlin but unrelated to franchisor, System, or franchisees. Plaintiff is minority shareholder in Design Within Reach claiming misconduct regarding stock issuance and value dilution. Claims include breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and aiding and abetting.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 26 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Our corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ and training locations we designate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FranConnect
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FranConnect
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
21 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 Joint Chiropractic franchise?
The total investment to open a The Joint Chiropractic franchise ranges from $245K – $543K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Joint Chiropractic franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the The Joint Chiropractic FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $570K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns The Joint Chiropractic?
The Joint Chiropractic is franchised by The Joint Corp.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the The Joint Chiropractic 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 Joint Chiropractic FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Joint Chiropractic's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, The Joint Chiropractic has a charge-off rate of 3.7% across 199 loans, meaning 3.7% 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 Joint Chiropractic franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Joint Chiropractic has 970 total units in the United States, including 845 franchised units and 125 company-owned units. 60 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Joint Chiropractic a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Joint Chiropractic as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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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.