The JunkluggersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A THE JUNKLUGGERS franchise requires a total initial investment of $96K – $339K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $638K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 9.3% charge-off rate across 54 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $96K – $339K
- 8th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $638K
- 6th pct Retail
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 24th pct Retail
- Units
- 139
- 29th pct Retail
- SBA default
- 9.3%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Retail 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
The system grew 17% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $96K – $339K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $638K/year (median $473K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 17/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 9.3% across 54 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 42.1% CAGR over 3 years with 139 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Junkluggers Franchising SPE LLC
- Parent company
- Authority Brands, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7120 Samuel Morse Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, Maryland 21046
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $190.8M
- vs $219.1M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate a junk removal and hauling service, managing crews to pick up and dispose of unwanted items from residential and commercial clients. Day-to-day operations include scheduling appointments, dispatching teams, managing vehicles/equipment, customer service, and overseeing waste disposal/recycling logistics.
- CEO
- Leanne Stapf
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 30
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $25K | $100K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $21K | $189K |
| Total initial investment | $96K | $339K |
Source: THE JUNKLUGGERS 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
$38K
6.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
14%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $96K – $339K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $100K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $22K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $350 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $638K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $473K
- Item 19 type
- Actual / Average
- Sample size
- 74 units
- vs category median 49
- Range (low → high)
- $76K→$3.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 2 / 5 · above
Compared against 304 Retail brands
vs Retail averages
How The Junkluggers Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 139
- Opened
- 28
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 8
- Turnover rate
- 5.8%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +17.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +42.1%
- 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 · 28 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
- 54
- Loan volume
- $9.3M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 9.3%
- 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)
- 75.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 25.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 17
- Defaults
- 5
Vintage analysis
The Junkluggers 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 Junkluggers'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
- 12-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
Moderate-to-caution risk profile: lack of profitability disclosure, opaque fee structures, and modest growth trajectory warrant deep financial validation before committing $96K–$339K.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 17 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNet Income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — cannot validate profitability claims or ROI timeline
- 02MINORWide investment range ($96K–$339K) suggests inconsistent startup costs and unclear value proposition
- 03MINOR17.4% YoY unit growth is modest for a franchise in growth phase; slower than industry junk removal benchmarks
- 04MINORAnnual Minimum Royalty fee structure not specified — franchisees could owe significant fees even in low-revenue months
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($50K) relative to lower end of total investment suggests aggressive upfront capture
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 / Zip Code |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| 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 | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 42 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- POS system
- Vonigo; Revel Systems
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Vonigo; Revel Systems
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
90 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
THE JUNKLUGGERS · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a THE JUNKLUGGERS franchise?
The total investment to open a THE JUNKLUGGERS franchise ranges from $96K – $339K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do THE JUNKLUGGERS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the THE JUNKLUGGERS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $638K. The median is $473K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is THE JUNKLUGGERS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, THE JUNKLUGGERS has a charge-off rate of 9.3% across 54 loans, meaning 9.3% 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 JUNKLUGGERS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, THE JUNKLUGGERS has 139 total units in the United States, including 95 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 28 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is THE JUNKLUGGERS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates THE JUNKLUGGERS as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 17 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.