USA Insulation Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $304K – $477K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.6M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 8.3%
- on 39 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
USA Insulation is a home-services franchise installing wall-injection foam and attic insulation to improve home energy efficiency. Franchisees run a crew-based operation handling assessments, installs, and scheduling in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A USA Insulation franchise requires a total initial investment of $304K – $477K, including a $45K – $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average revenue per franchisee was $1.6M. This franchisor reports Item 19 per franchisee rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 8.3% charge-off rate across 39 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: low - issued within the last 12 months
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 scored5 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $304K – $477K
- 83rd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per franchisee, not per outletIncl. company outlets
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 8th pct Home Services
- Units
- 97
- 59th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- 8.3%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services 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 $304K – $477K including a $45K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage revenue per franchisee of $1.6M/year (includes company-owned outlets). Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 8.3% across 39 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -13 franchised outlets in the latest year (8 opened, 21 closed); 8 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAG21 units terminated last reporting year (21.6% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- USA Insulation Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- HS Group Holding Company, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 10 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V-A, L.P. / RMCF V AIV I, L.P. (managed by The Riverside Company)
- FDD Item 1, page 10 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- USA Insulation Franchise Corporation
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Theodore Demarino
- Incorporated in
- Ohio
- HQ
- 17700 Saint Clair Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44110
- Auditor
- RSM US LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $46.2M
- vs $44.7M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 10
9 other brands on this site name Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V-A, L.P. / RMCF V AIV I, L.P. (managed by The Riverside Company) as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- Granite Garage FloorsA
- Heating + Air ParamedicsB
- MaidProB
- Men In KiltsB
- Miracle MethodA
- Patio PatrolB
- PestmasterA
- Plumbing ParamedicsB
- Sir GroutA
Portfolio: The Riverside Company (private-equity sponsor)
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 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
- Theodore Demarino
- Headquarters
- Ohio
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 26
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 132% above the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $40K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $219K | $372K |
| Total initial investment | $304K | $477K |
Source: USA Insulation 2026 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
- $304K – $477K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $60K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $55K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Transfer fee | $14K |
| Renewal fee | $11K |
| Inventory (initial) | $14K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 171% above the home services norm.
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Includes company-owned outlets
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 USA Insulation 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
$441K
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 USA Insulation 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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Includes company-owned outlets
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per franchisee, per year — not per outlet
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical gross sales by quartile
- Sample size
- 37 franchisees
- vs category median 32
- Quartile band
- $456K→$3.1M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%, per franchisee
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
Compared against 319 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
The average franchisee generates $1.6M/year in gross sales. Includes company-owned outlets.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 0/10 — minimal disclosure beyond the required average. Hard to judge the distribution of outcomes across units.
Operator retention
System contracting at -5.9% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 medians
How USA Insulation Compares
Per franchisee, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Home Services 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 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 97
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 21
- Terminated
- 21
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 21.6%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +6.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -5.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 21
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 9
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 8
- 0.08 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 9
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 25 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
52 current owners across 25 states; 2 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- MI 6
- OH 5
- TX 5
- IN 3
- PA 3
- WI 3
- CO 2
- FL 2
- IL 2
- KY 2
- NC 2
- NY 2
- +13 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
- 39
- Loan volume
- $10.2M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 8.3%
- on 39 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)
- 91.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 14
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 7.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 15.9%
- brand is below its industry ↓
- Jobs supported
- 523
- 5.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 28%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 71% went to startups / new businesses, 29% to established operators
Top lenders financing USA Insulation franchisees
Showing 3 of 14 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 USA Insulation from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.9%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.80%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $92K
- Lender concentration
- 28.2%
- Job velocity
- 5.1 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- +33.3pp
- NAICS benchmark
- 15.9%
- NAICS 238310
- Jobs supported
- 523
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 28% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 11 | $4.2M | 0.0% |
| 2 | 1st Source Bank | 6 | $293K | N/A |
| 3 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 5 | $1.1M | 100.0% |
| 4 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 3 | $450K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 2 | $250K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Numerica CU | 2 | $447K | N/A |
| 7 | First Commonwealth Bank | 2 | $453K | N/A |
| 8 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 2 | $1.1M | N/A |
| 9 | American Bank & Trust Company, Inc. | 1 | $335K | N/A |
| 10 | The Farmers National Bank of Canfield | 1 | $225K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| INIndiana | 6 | 0 | -- |
| TXTexas | 5 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| KYKentucky | 3 | 0 | -- |
| AZArizona | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IDIdaho | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MNMinnesota | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MOMissouri | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 8.3% — 48% 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).
Franchisor sued former franchisee Paxson Enterprises/Chris Paxson for breach of non-compete and trademark infringement after Paxson's successor business competed post-termination; Paxson and his LLC each filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Paxson filed counterclaims alleging fraud and statutory violations. Separately, affiliate MaidPro Franchise, LLC entered a Consent Order with the Maryland Securities Commissioner over inadvertent franchise-fee deferral violations in 2 sales, paying a $15,000 penalty.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RSM US LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: 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
- 01MINOROne affiliate (MaidPro) consent order, minor fee-deferral violation
- 02MEDNo bankruptcy/going-concern; audited; Item 19 disclosed
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Up to 150,000 (Large Market) or up to 100,000 (Small Market) homes built before 1990 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 60 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 90 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 16 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | American Arbitration Association location closest to franchisor's principal office (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Ohio |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Franchisor sued former franchisee Paxson Enterprises/Chris Paxson for breach of non-compete and trademark infringement after Paxson's successor business competed post-termination; Paxson and his LLC each filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Paxson filed counterclaims alleging fraud and statutory violations. Separately, affiliate MaidPro Franchise, LLC entered a Consent Order with the Maryland Securities Commissioner over inadvertent franchise-fee deferral violations in 2 sales, paying a $15,000 penalty.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 130 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 36 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, or other designated training facility (some remote/virtual)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Franchisor provides site selection guidelines and approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
54 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 USA Insulation franchise?
The total investment to open a USA Insulation franchise ranges from $304K – $477K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do USA Insulation franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the USA Insulation FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.6M. Important context: Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures; Includes company-owned outlets. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns USA Insulation?
USA Insulation is franchised by USA Insulation Franchise, LLC. Its parent company is HS Group Holding Company, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Riverside Micro-Cap Fund V-A, L.P. / RMCF V AIV I, L.P. (managed by The Riverside Company). Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the USA Insulation 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 USA Insulation FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is USA Insulation's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, USA Insulation has a charge-off rate of 8.3% across 39 loans, meaning 8.3% 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 USA Insulation franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, USA Insulation has 97 total units in the United States, including 96 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is USA Insulation a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates USA Insulation 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
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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.