Weathersby Guild Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Weathersby Guild is a restoration franchise providing furniture repair and restoration, refinishing furniture, antiques, doors, millwork, cabinetry, and moldings. Franchisees run local operations, managing repairs and insurance and mover accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Weathersby Guild franchise requires a total initial investment of $72K – $98K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $72K – $98K
- 19th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 30th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 50
- 43rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance avg · 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 $72K – $98K including a $49K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -7.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Weathersby Guild, Inc.
- Parent company
- none
- CEO title
- President and CEO
- Kent Weathersby
- Incorporated in
- Georgia
- HQ
- 403 Cimaron Park, Peachtree City, GA 30269
- Auditor
- Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $489K
- vs $552K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Kent Weathersby
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2002
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 26
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 73% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $13K | $19K |
| Total initial investment | $72K | $98K |
Source: Weathersby Guild 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
- $72K – $98K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $2K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Weathersby Guild did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Weathersby Guild unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
64%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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 7.0% — below the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System contracting at -7.4% 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 Cleaning & Maintenance averages
How Weathersby Guild Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 50
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 8.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -7.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -7.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 26 states 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.
26
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $686K
- Median loan
- $351K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- N/A
- 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
Single old regulatory matter: a RI securities registration action self-reported with a $1,500 fine, concluded via Consent Order in 2015. No bankruptcy or going-concern. Concern is slight unit contraction (-7.4%, 50 units) and no Item 19; financials not disclosed in profile.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROne old self-reported regulatory matter ($1,500 fine, 2015)
- 02MEDSlight unit decline: net growth -7.4%
- 03MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 04MINORNo bankruptcy or going-concern
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 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| 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 |
| Governing law | Georgia |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 31 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 73 hrs
- POS system
- QuickBooks Pro and eStatus
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Pro and eStatus
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
49 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Weathersby Guild · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Weathersby Guild franchise?
The total investment to open a Weathersby Guild franchise ranges from $72K – $98K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Weathersby Guild franchise owners earn?
Weathersby Guild does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Weathersby Guild 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 Weathersby Guild FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Weathersby Guild's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Weathersby Guild (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 Weathersby Guild franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Weathersby Guild has 50 total units in the United States, including 50 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Weathersby Guild a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Weathersby Guild as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Weathersby Guild, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.