We analyzed the Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) of 8 major home-service franchises. The finding is consistent: on a business doing $250,000 a year, the operator pays roughly $170,000–$275,000 in royalties and fees over 10 years — and the upfront franchise fee is the small part. The royalty is the real cost.
Most coverage of franchise cost fixates on the sticker price — the initial franchise fee and total startup investment. That is the down payment. The number that actually determines what a franchise costs you is the ongoing royalty: a percentage of every dollar of revenue, paid every month, for as long as you operate — whether you turn a profit or not.
Across the 8 home-service franchises we analyzed, royalty and brand/ad-fund fees run 7% to 11% of gross revenue. On a modest $250,000/year business, that is $17,500–$27,500 per year. Over a decade, royalties out-cost the initial franchise fee by 5–15×.
Figures below are drawn from each brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD Items 5, 6, and 7), cross-referenced across published FDD summaries (2024–2026). The “10-year fees” column models ongoing royalty + brand/ad-fund fees only, at $250,000/year in gross revenue — it excludes the initial investment, which is shown separately.
| Franchise | Total investment (FDD Item 7) | Ongoing royalty + fund (Item 6) | 10-yr fees @ $250K/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Pro (unit franchisee) | $4,920–$78,140 | 10% royalty + ~1% ad ≈ 11% | ~$275,000 |
| Jani-King † | $11,000–$223,000 | 10% royalty (+ admin & ad fees) | $250,000+ |
| Molly Maid | $140,000–$197,000 | 6.5% royalty + 2% ad = 8.5% | ~$212,500 |
| MaidPro | $109,860–$158,650 | 6% royalty + 2% brand fund = 8% | ~$200,000 |
| ServiceMaster Clean | ~$90,000–$180,000 | ~7% royalty (sliding) + 1% ad | ~$200,000 |
| Pooper-scooper (Poop 911, DoodyCalls) | ~$30,000–$80,000 | 8% royalty | ~$200,000 |
| Merry Maids | $126,880–$165,610 | ~6% royalty + ~1% ad | ~$175,000 |
| The Maids | ~$117,720–$141,200 | 6.9% royalty | ~$172,500 |
| HomePro Systems | $0 franchise fee | $79/mo flat — no royalty | $9,480 |
† Jani-King’s 10% royalty is joined by separate accounting (~7%) and advertising (~1.5%) fees; total ongoing fee burden can approach 18% of revenue, which would push the 10-year figure well past $450,000. The table shows the royalty component only, for conservatism.
Cost figures are taken from each franchise’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): total investment from Item 7, and royalty / brand-fund rates from Item 6. Because FDDs are updated annually and several brands use sliding-scale or tiered royalties, we cite current published ranges (2024–2026) and cross-reference multiple FDD summaries per brand. The “10-year fees” model applies the stated royalty + brand/ad-fund percentage to an illustrative $250,000/year gross revenue over 120 months; it is a like-for-like comparison of the recurring cost of the franchise system and deliberately excludes equipment, vehicles, and working capital (costs an independent operator incurs either way). The HomePro figure is $79/month × 120 months. This is an illustrative model, not a quote; actual costs vary by territory, revenue, and FDD year.
The systems that franchises provide are real and valuable — proven pricing, hiring playbooks, follow-up, standard operating procedures. For an owner who has none of that, a franchise can be worth it. But the operator is renting those systems forever through royalties, not buying them. The moment franchise-grade systems become available another way, the math that justifies a perpetual 7–11% revenue cut collapses.
That is the entire premise of HomePro Systems: give independent home-service owners the same operating systems a franchise sells — without the fees, the royalties, or the loss of ownership.
Take the free HomePro business audit and try the pricing, P&L, and follow-up tools independent operators use to run franchise-grade — no franchise required, no credit card.
Take the Free Audit →Sources: Franchise Disclosure Documents (Items 5–7) for Jan-Pro, Jani-King, Molly Maid, MaidPro, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, The Maids, and pet-waste-removal franchises (Poop 911, DoodyCalls), cross-referenced across published FDD summaries, 2024–2026. Figures rounded; “~” denotes ranges or modeled estimates. Compiled by HomePro Systems. Media inquiries: [email protected].