Window WorldFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Window World franchise requires a total initial investment of $123K – $363K, including a $45K franchise fee. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $5.8M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 27 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $123K – $363K
- 46th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $5.8M
- 51st pct Home Services
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 211
- 69th pct Home Services
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Home Services 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
Each dollar invested generates 23.7x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Only 0.0% of 27 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 212 to 211 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
17 legal cases disclosed in the FDD. Read Item 3 before signing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $123K – $363K including a $45K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $5.8M/year (median $4.7M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 34/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 27 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- 17 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- WINDOW WORLD, INC.
- Parent company
- null
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 118 Shaver Street, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina 28659
- Auditor
- RANDY NEAL BLACKBURN, P.L.L.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $45.5M
- vs $47.1M prior year
Overview
About
Window World franchisees operate residential window, door, and siding replacement businesses, managing sales teams, coordinating installations, handling customer service, and overseeing local marketing in protected territories. Day-to-day operations include lead generation, in-home sales consultations, project management, installer coordination, and warranty support for replacement window installations.
- CEO
- TAMMY WHITWORTH
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 1997
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 46
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $48K | $258K |
| Total initial investment | $123K | $363K |
Source: Window World 2026 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
$576K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
200%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $123K – $363K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- $.10 and $75 per unit or up to 12% of product cost
- Ad fund
- Up to 3.0% of Gross Sales
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $499 |
| Transfer fee | $11K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
At 15.0% total fee load, roughly $864K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $5.8M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $4.7M
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 208 units
- vs category median 25 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $518K→$42.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 349 Home Services brands
Revenue is 23.7x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Home Services averages
How Window World Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 211
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 0.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +1.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -0.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 24 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
- 27
- Loan volume
- $22.4M
- Median loan
- $529K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 17
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Window World'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
- 13-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 27 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Window World presents HIGH RISK due to stagnant growth, material litigation involving trademark and registration violations, non-disclosure of unit-level financials, and royalty structures that may erode franchisee profitability.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RANDY NEAL BLACKBURN, P.L.L.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 34 / 100 rating
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (1.4% YoY) indicates system contraction and weak franchisee recruitment
- 02MINORMultiple pending and concluded lawsuits involving trademark rights, contract disputes, and state registration violations signal operational and legal instability
- 03MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 prevents accurate ROI analysis and suggests franchisor may be hiding unfavorable unit economics
- 04MEDHigh royalty structure (up to 12% of product cost plus $75 per unit) combined with undisclosed profitability raises margin concerns
- 05MINORFranchise fee of $45,000 represents 37-100% of initial investment at lower end, creating high barrier to entry for thin margins
- 06MEDOnly 211 units system-wide limits bargaining power with suppliers and indicates limited brand recognition/market penetration
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 | County/Parish |
| 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 | 90 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | North Carolina |
| Litigation count | 17 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 18 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 45 hrs
- POS system
- WW360
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: WW360
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Window World · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Window World franchise?
The total investment to open a Window World franchise ranges from $123K – $363K, 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 Window World franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Window World FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $5.8M. The median is $4.7M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Window World's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Window World has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 27 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Window World franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Window World has 211 total units in the United States, including 212 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Window World a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Window World as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 34 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.