Z Plumberz Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Z PLUMBERZ is a plumbing and drain services franchise for residential and commercial customers. Franchisees run local operations, dispatching technicians for repairs, drain cleaning, and installations and managing scheduling and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Z PLUMBERZ franchise requires a total initial investment of $265K – $427K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $737K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $265K – $427K
- 82nd pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $737K
- Incl. company outlets18th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 48th pct Home Services
- Units
- 52
- 47th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home 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
- COSTTotal investment $265K – $427K including a $45K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $737K/year (median $596K) (includes company-owned outlets).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 88/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 70.4% CAGR over 3 years with 52 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- PLUMBERZ International, LLC
- Parent company
- BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- BELFOR Holdings, Inc. (via ASP BF Intermediate Sub, LLC)
- Predecessor
- Plumbing Professors, LLC (formerly North American Service Group, LLC and ROOTER1, LLC)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer of BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC
- Sheldon Yellen
- Incorporated in
- MI
- HQ
- 5405 Data Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $29.5M
- vs $30.1M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Plumberz North America
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sheldon Yellen
- Headquarters
- MI
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 54% above the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown34 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Standard)not refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Initial Package Fee (Standard)not refundable | $76K | $76K | |
| Rent (Standard) | $0 | $6K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Standard) | $0 | $20K | |
| Exterior Signage (Standard) | $0 | $3K | |
| Licenses/Permits (Standard) | $500 | $5K | |
| Technology System (Standard) | $250 | $2K | |
| Initial Supplies and Inventory (Standard) | $3K | $54K | |
| Insurance (Standard) | $3K | $10K | |
| Vehicles (Standard) | $70K | $90K | |
| Full-time Service Technician (Standard) | $7K | $21K | |
| Business Telephone Fee (Standard) | $150 | $1K | |
| High Speed Internet, Anti-Virus Software (Standard) | $210 | $600 | |
| Security Deposits/Utility Deposits (Standard) | $0 | $3K | |
| Costs Incurred While Attending Training (Standard) | $1K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising and Marketing (Standard) | $0 | $6K | |
| Additional Working Capital (three months) (Standard) | $60K | $80K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Conversion)not refundable | $20K | $20K | |
| Initial Package Fee (Conversion)not refundable | $29K | $76K | |
| Rent (Conversion) | $0 | $6K | |
| Total initial investment | $359K | $750K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $265K – $427K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $60K – $80K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $650 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $0 – $54K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 41% below the home services norm.
Includes company-owned outlets
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
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
$66K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
16%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Z PLUMBERZ unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
16%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Z PLUMBERZ units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$295K
on $1.5M purchase
Total debt
$1.2M
SBA $0.7M + senior + seller note
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
Includes company-owned outlets
- Avg gross sales
- $737K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $596K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 11 franchisees
- vs category median 32 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $9K→$2.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- none
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 321 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
Average unit generates $737K/year in gross sales. Median is $596K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.1x. Includes company-owned outlets.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% (near the Home Services average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 70.4% CAGR over 3 years across 52 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 averages
How Z Plumberz Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 52
- Opened
- 17
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.3%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 88%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +70.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +70.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 17
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 6.5%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 15 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 10
- Loan volume
- $2.3M
- Median loan
- $196K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
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
- 4
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 10.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 2382
- Jobs supported
- 43
- 1.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 40%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Top lenders financing Z Plumberz franchisees
Showing 3 of 4 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?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Clean profile: no litigation or bankruptcy, audited financials, Item 19 disclosed. Very strong franchisor net worth of $59.3M (parent-backed) and positive net income. Robust 70.4% net growth in a 52-unit system with low 4.35% turnover.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 88 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo litigation or bankruptcy
- 02MINORStrong net worth $59.3M, positive net income
- 03MINOR+70.4% growth, low 4.35% turnover
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory population | 275,000 |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1.5 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Michigan |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 50 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- 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
20 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Z PLUMBERZ · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Z PLUMBERZ franchise?
The total investment to open a Z PLUMBERZ franchise ranges from $265K – $427K, 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 Z PLUMBERZ franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Z PLUMBERZ FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $737K. The median is $596K. Important context: Includes company-owned outlets. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Z PLUMBERZ 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 Z PLUMBERZ FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Z PLUMBERZ's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Z PLUMBERZ (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 Z PLUMBERZ franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Z PLUMBERZ has 52 total units in the United States, including 46 franchised units and 6 company-owned units. 17 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Z PLUMBERZ a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Z PLUMBERZ as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 88 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?
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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.