ZiebartFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Ziebart franchise requires a total initial investment of $450K – $924K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.3M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 12.5% charge-off rate across 25 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $450K – $924K
- 36th pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- 15th pct Automotive
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 25th pct Automotive
- Units
- 96
- 22nd pct Automotive
- SBA default
- 12.5%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Automotive 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
Franchising since 1962. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $450K – $924K including a $45K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.3M/year (median $1.0M).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 27/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 12.5% across 25 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Ziebart Corporation
- Parent company
- Ziebart International Corporation ("ZInt")
- Incorporated in
- MI
- HQ
- 1290 E. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48083
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $19.7M
- vs $19.7M prior year
Overview
About
Ziebart franchisees operate automotive rustproofing and undercoating service centers, applying protective coatings and treatments to vehicle undercarriages and interiors. Day-to-day operations include customer intake, application of protective products using specialized equipment, inventory management, and sales of add-on protection services. The business model relies on dealer partnerships, direct-to-consumer walk-ins, and fleet accounts.
- CEO
- Brian Jackman
- Headquarters
- MI
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 22
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $100K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $305K | $729K |
| Total initial investment | $450K | $924K |
Source: Ziebart 2025 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
$202K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
25%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $450K – $924K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $100K – $150K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Better than avg 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 |
| Renewal fee | $15 |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.0M
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 82 units
- vs category median 70
- Range (low → high)
- $253K→$5.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 221 Automotive brands
vs Automotive averages
How Ziebart Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 96
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 2.1%
- Company-owned
- 11
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 89%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 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
- 25
- Loan volume
- $5.7M
- Median loan
- $225K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 12.5%
- 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)
- 87.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 10
- Defaults
- 2
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Ziebart'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 10 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 10-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Ziebart presents elevated risk due to missing profitability disclosure, shrinking unit base, and franchisor financial uncertainty masking true franchisee returns.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 27 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 (Net Income) disclosure — unable to validate profitability claims against $450k-$924k investment
- 02MINORDeclining unit count (96 units with unknown/likely negative growth) suggests system contraction or franchisee struggles
- 03HIGHGoing Concern = False indicates potential financial instability at franchisor level, raising sustainability questions
- 04MEDHigh royalty burden (8% of gross sales) with undisclosed net income makes ROI calculation impossible
- 05MINORWide investment range ($474k spread) suggests inconsistent startup costs and unclear capital requirements
- 06MINORAutomotive aftermarket (rustproofing/undercoating) faces commoditization and declining consumer interest
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 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Michigan |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 132 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 180 hrs
- POS system
- iBart
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: iBart
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
98 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Ziebart · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Ziebart franchise?
The total investment to open a Ziebart franchise ranges from $450K – $924K, 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 Ziebart franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Ziebart FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.3M. The median is $1.0M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Ziebart's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Ziebart has a charge-off rate of 12.5% across 25 loans, meaning 12.5% 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 Ziebart franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Ziebart has 96 total units in the United States, including 81 franchised units and 11 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Ziebart a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Ziebart as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 27 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.