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$76,450–$93,850 to open, a $39,900 franchise fee, then 9% of every dollar — for a business the founders started with a bucket and a rake. Here's the real math.
DoodyCalls is the best-known name in pet-waste removal — a home-based, recurring-revenue business in a category that's genuinely resilient (dogs keep producing demand regardless of the economy). The model has low overhead and a clear value proposition. Credit up front: it's a real business with real recurring revenue.
But here's the tension worth sitting with. DoodyCalls' own origin story, per its franchisor materials, is that the founders started "part-time with a bucket and a rake" before turning it into a company. Pet-waste removal is arguably the lowest-barrier category in all of home services. So the question isn't whether it works — it's whether paying a $39,900 franchise fee plus 9% of gross forever makes sense for something you could start this weekend.
This article breaks down what a DoodyCalls franchise actually costs, gives the brand credit for what it does well, and shows how the numbers compare to building an independent pet-waste business with professional systems.
DoodyCalls is a pet-waste removal franchise founded in 2000 in Northern Virginia and now part of Authority Brands. With 100+ locations across 27 states, it provides residential and commercial dog-waste scooping, yard deodorizing, and pet-waste station installation and maintenance for HOAs and businesses. Per its 2026 FDD, the total initial investment is $76,450–$93,850, including a $39,900 franchise fee, with ongoing fees of a 7.5% royalty plus a 1.5% (up to 2%) brand fund.
Pet-waste removal is a legitimately good small-business category: recurring weekly/biweekly contracts, high retention, low equipment cost, and a $3.5B addressable market. DoodyCalls has built a recognizable brand and standardized service systems on top of that. This isn't a bad business — the question is whether the franchise wrapper adds enough to justify its cost in a category with almost no barrier to entry.
Per the 2026 FDD (Item 7), a DoodyCalls franchise requires a total initial investment of $76,450–$93,850, including a $39,900 franchise fee. Because it's home-based, the rest of the startup cost is modest — a business outfitting fee, grand-opening marketing, a vehicle, signage, insurance, and startup supplies. Ongoing fees are a 7.5% royalty plus a brand fund of 1.5% (up to 2%) of gross revenue.
| Initial investment (mid-range entry) | $85,000 |
| Royalty (7.5% on $250K/yr × 4 yrs post-ramp) | $75,000 |
| Brand fund (1.5% on $250K/yr × 4 yrs) | $15,000 |
| Total 5-Year Cost | ~$175,000 |
Note: $250,000/year is conservative — below the $365,634 average gross revenue reported in the 2026 FDD Item 19. Fees are calculated on years 2–5 at target revenue. Actual figures are disclosed in the current FDD.
Even on a modest $250,000 business, the franchise route runs to roughly $175,000 over five years. At the reported $365,634 average, the 9% fee load alone is about $33,000 per year — a meaningful skim on a small-ticket, recurring business, on top of a $39,900 fee for a category you could enter with a truck and a scoop.
HomePro gives you the systems to run a professional pet-waste or home-service business — without a $39,900 franchise fee and without 9% of every dollar leaving the business.
Start Free Today See Pricing →DoodyCalls franchisees get a recognized brand in pet-waste removal, standardized service systems, scheduling and customer-notification technology, training, marketing support, Authority Brands' backing, and a protected territory. For someone who wants a turnkey playbook for a home-based recurring-revenue business, that structure has real value and speeds up the launch. This is the genuine value you're paying for.
Most pet-waste competitors are one-person operations with no brand. DoodyCalls' name and professional presentation (uniforms, marked vehicles, gate-latch photo verification) can help win trust and premium pricing.
Route scheduling, pre-service notifications, and customer management are built out. For an owner who's never run a route-based service business, that removes real guesswork.
Weekly and biweekly contracts create predictable, recession-resistant income. The category economics are genuinely attractive — which is exactly why it's so easy to enter without a franchise.
A DoodyCalls franchise costs $76,450–$93,850 to enter and roughly 9% of gross revenue forever. HomePro Systems costs $79/month (Sage included) with no franchise fee, no royalties, no territory restrictions, and no franchise agreement. Over 5 years, a modestly-sized DoodyCalls franchise pays roughly $175,000 in combined entry and ongoing costs; HomePro costs roughly $7,940.
| Factor | DoodyCalls | HomePro Systems (Independent) |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $39,900 | $0 |
| Total Initial Investment | $76,450–$93,850 | $0 (free to start) |
| Ongoing Cost | ~9% of gross (7.5% + 1.5%) | $79/mo flat (Sage included) |
| At $250K/yr Revenue | ~$22,500/yr to corporate forever | $948/yr total |
| Brand | DoodyCalls / Authority Brands | Your own brand |
| Territory | Granted territory | No restrictions |
| Operating Systems / SOPs | ✅ Standardized, included | ✅ Included in Pro ($79/mo) |
| AI Coaching | No | Sage AI (voice, EN/ES) |
| Barrier to Entry | Near-zero (fee buys a playbook) | You keep the savings |
| Exit | Franchise agreement terms apply | Cancel anytime |
| 5-Year Total Cost | ~$175,000 | ~$7,940 |
HomePro Systems gives independent home-service operators — including pet-waste and route-based businesses — the same kind of operational backbone a franchise provides, without the franchise fee, the royalty, or the loss of brand ownership.
DoodyCalls makes sense for someone who wants a completely turnkey playbook for a home-based recurring-revenue business, values a recognized brand in a fragmented category, and is comfortable paying a $39,900 fee plus 9% of gross for the structure and support. If you have zero interest in figuring out routing, pricing, and marketing yourself, the franchise removes that learning curve.
Consider DoodyCalls if:
HomePro is the right choice for pet-waste and home-service owners who want professional systems while keeping their money and their brand:
At $250,000/year in pet-waste revenue — conservative versus the $365,634 system average:
| DoodyCalls | HomePro Systems |
| Entry (mid-range): $85,000 | Entry: $0 |
| Royalty (7.5% × $250K × 4 yr): $75,000 | Subscription (5 yr): $4,740–$5,940 |
| Brand fund (1.5% × $250K × 4 yr): $15,000 | Equipment/LLC/insurance: your own |
| Total: ~$175,000 | Total: ~$7,940 (systems only) |
A pet-waste business carries real operating costs either way (vehicle, fuel, supplies, insurance). This comparison isolates the franchise premium — the fee and royalties you pay purely for the brand and playbook. That premium alone runs to roughly $175,000 over five years.
Per the 2026 FDD (Item 7), a DoodyCalls franchise costs $76,450–$93,850 total, including a $39,900 franchise fee. It's a home-based model with modest other startup costs. Ongoing fees are a 7.5% royalty plus a 1.5% brand fund. Always request the current FDD before investing.
Per the 2026 FDD Item 19, average gross revenue was about $365,634 in FY2025. Owner take-home is reduced by the ~9% fee load, plus vehicle, fuel, supplies, and labor. Results vary widely by market, territory density, and tenure.
The category is genuinely good — recurring, resilient, low-overhead. The franchise itself is well-run. The catch is that pet-waste removal has almost no barrier to entry, so paying $39,900 plus 9% of gross forever buys mostly a playbook. Whether it's "good for you" depends on whether you'd rather pay for that structure or build it independently and keep the fee.
Alternatives include other pet-waste franchises (Pet Butler, Scoop Soldiers) or — given the low barrier — building an independent pet-waste business with professional systems. HomePro Systems provides franchise-grade operations, pricing, marketing, and hiring systems for $79/month with no franchise fee and no royalties. See our study on the real cost of a home-service franchise.
If you want a fully turnkey playbook and brand and have no interest in building systems yourself, DoodyCalls is a reasonable choice in a genuinely good category. But pet-waste removal has the lowest barrier to entry in home services — the founders started with a bucket and a rake — so paying $39,900 plus 9% of gross forever is the hardest franchise premium in this series to justify. If you're willing to run routes and build local demand, going independent with professional systems lets you keep the fee and the 9%, and own the brand you build.
Pet-waste removal is won on reliability, professional presentation, and retention. Those come from good systems and consistency — not from a franchise license. HomePro Systems provides that operational backbone for $79/month (Sage included).
See also: The Franchise Math Calculator — run your own numbers and see exactly what royalties cost you over 10 years.
Get the operational infrastructure of a franchise — SOPs, scripts, pricing tools, AI coaching — without a franchise fee or a percentage of your revenue leaving every month.
Start Free Today See Full Pricing →Disclaimer: Franchise cost and performance figures are based on publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents, FDD analyses, and industry research current as of 2026 (DoodyCalls' 2026 FDD). Item 19 performance representations reflect specific reported groups and are not a guarantee of your results. Actual costs vary by market and territory. Always request and review the current FDD before making any investment decision. HomePro Systems is not affiliated with DoodyCalls, Authority Brands, or any franchise system.
Our FDD analysis of major home-service franchises — the operator pays $170K–$275K in royalties and fees over 10 years.
Read the Study →Run the numbers for any franchise royalty rate and see exactly what you're paying over time.
See the Math →Another low-barrier category with a very high fee load — up to 21% of gross. See the breakdown.
Read Article →Real pricing sheets, follow-up scripts, and the franchise-grade systems independent operators use to book more jobs — and stop leaving money on the table. Straight to your inbox, free.