Waterloo Turf Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $106K – $152K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (1)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Waterloo Turf is a home services franchise that installs artificial turf for lawns, play areas, and sport courts. Franchisees run local operations, managing sales, installation crews, and accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Waterloo Turf franchise requires a total initial investment of $106K – $152K, including a $59K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Limited operating history: franchising since 2024. A system this young has fewer than three years of Item 20 outlet history and rarely enough SBA loans for a charge-off rate, so its grade rests on less evidence than an established system's. Read its Item 20 tables and talk to its first franchisees before relying on the grade. Other new franchisors
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
- $106K – $152K
- 37th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned only2 outlets
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Home Services
- Units
- 5
- 11th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $106K – $152K including a $59K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSRange covers whole businesses, not single Territories. The stored high of $1,290,506 is the Austin Waterloo Turf Business's total Gross Sales; the filing states that business covers approximately 1.92 Territories of the size being offered and computes the per-Territory equivalent itself at approximately $385,960 (Item 19, p61). Figures are affiliate-operated, not franchisee performance.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Waterloo Turf Franchising Co, LLC
- Parent company
- Waterloo Turf Franchising, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Trivium Franchise Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 6 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Waterloo Turf, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Tim Lovett
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 11701 Bee Caves Road, Suite 180, Austin, Texas 78734
- Auditor
- Alice.CPA LLC
- Audited financials
Overview
About
- CEO
- Tim Lovett
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 0
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 23% below the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $59K | $59K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $27K | $63K |
| Total initial investment | $106K | $152K |
Source: Waterloo Turf 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
- $106K – $152K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $30K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $59K – $59K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $7K |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Waterloo Turf is on file. 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 Waterloo Turf 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, 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
Range covers whole businesses, not single Territories. The stored high of $1,290,506 is the Austin Waterloo Turf Business's total Gross Sales; the filing states that business covers approximately 1.92 Territories of the size being offered and computes the per-Territory equivalent itself at approximately $385,960 (Item 19, p61). Figures are affiliate-operated, not franchisee performance.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on only 2 outlets
- Item 19 type
- historical - company-affiliated outlets only (not franchisee data)
- Sample size
- 2 outlets
- vs category median 32 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $772K→$1.3MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 60 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 8 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
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.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Multi-unit rate
Only 6% 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 Home Services medians
How Waterloo Turf Compares
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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 5.9%
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 19
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
3 current owners across 3 states.
- FO 1
- HO 1
- SC 1
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $350K
- Median loan
- $350K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (1)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 1 loan, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (1)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (1)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Alice.CPA LLC
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORBegan franchising 2024, 5 company-owned, 0 franchised
- 02MEDItem 19 disclosed, no litigation, no bankruptcy
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 350,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 45 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 32 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and franchisor location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee (home-based office typically), subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- iPhone, Laptop, QBO, Gusto, Ring
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: iPhone, Laptop, QBO, Gusto, Ring
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 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 Waterloo Turf franchise?
The total investment to open a Waterloo Turf franchise ranges from $106K – $152K, with an initial franchise fee of $59K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Waterloo Turf franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Waterloo Turf FDD discloses outlet figures from $772K to $1.3M but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Waterloo Turf?
Waterloo Turf is franchised by Waterloo Turf Franchising Co, LLC. Its parent company is Waterloo Turf Franchising, Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Trivium Franchise Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Waterloo Turf 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 Waterloo Turf FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Waterloo Turf's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Waterloo Turf (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 Waterloo Turf franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Waterloo Turf has 5 total units in the United States.
Is Waterloo Turf a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Waterloo Turf as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 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?
If you represent Waterloo Turf, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Home Services franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Home Services category
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.