Worldwide Express Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Worldwide Express franchise requires a total initial investment of $139K – $313K, including a $48K franchise fee. The latest FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 10.0% charge-off rate across 20 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified
Overview
- Investment
- $139K – $313K
- 41st pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 30th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 14
- 17th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 10.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services 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
- Total investment $139K – $313K including a $48K franchise fee.
- Item 19: Franchisor does not make any financial performance representations
- Verdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 23/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 10.0% across 20 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Express Modular Franchising, LLC
- CEO title
- President and CEO
- Kenneth Semler
- Incorporated in
- West Virginia
- HQ
- 204 Lutz Avenue, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25404
- Auditor
- Decker & Company PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $343K
- vs $303K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Custom home builder providing residential home construction and home improvement design and construction services using modular home components and building systems (Impresa Modular)
- CEO
- Kenneth Semler
- Headquarters
- West Virginia
- Founded
- 2019
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 15% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $48K | $48K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $50K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $41K | $115K |
| Total initial investment | $139K | $313K |
Source: Worldwide Express 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
- $139K – $313K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $150K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $48K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 3% of Gross Sales, but not less than $3,500 per Territory…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $35K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
Financial Performance
Item 19: Franchisor does not make any financial performance representations
vs Business Services averages
How Worldwide Express Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 2
- 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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 86%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Last reporting year only, multi-year history not disclosed in this brand's FDD.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 20
- Loan volume
- $5.9M
- Median loan
- $98K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 10.0%
- 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)
- 90.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 14
- Defaults
- 2
- Typical loan rate
- N/A
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 4921
- Jobs supported
- 88
- 1.5 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 20%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Vintage analysis
Worldwide Express charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Worldwide Express 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.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
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)
No litigation disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Decker & Company PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD · 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 | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Berkeley County, West Virginia |
| Governing law | West Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Buildertrend
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Buildertrend
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Worldwide Express franchise?
The total investment to open a Worldwide Express franchise ranges from $139K – $313K, with an initial franchise fee of $48K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Worldwide Express franchise owners earn?
Worldwide Express 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 Worldwide Express's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Worldwide Express has a charge-off rate of 10.0% across 20 loans, meaning 10.0% 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 Worldwide Express franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Worldwide Express has 14 total units in the United States. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Worldwide Express a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Worldwide Express as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 23 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 Worldwide Express, 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.