Quick Verdict · who it fits
Chem-Dry fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature cleaning concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$74K - $250K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$36K
Royalty (Item 6)
4–7% + 3% ad
System size (Item 20)
963 +23
Years in business
32+ yrs
Model Chem-Dry's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 4–7% + ad fund 3% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$220,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (4–7%)
—
Ad fund (3%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
941
Total units open
population-based model as of 12/31/2025
1
Units opened last year
2025
70 terminations + 50 non-renewals = 120 units
Units closed last year
2025
–159 units in 2025
Net unit growth
1,100 at start of 2025 to 941 at end
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Chem-Dry ranks against 143 Cleaning & Maintenance peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
28th pct · of 143 peers
Franchise fee
35th pct · of 143 peers
System size
92nd pct · of 143 peers
Cleaning & Maintenance industry averages
Avg investment
$173K - $414K
Avg franchise fee
$43K
Avg system size
375
Franchises analyzed
143
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chem-Dry | Disclosed | $36K | $74K - $250K | 4–7% | 963 |
| Chem-DrySimilar price | Disclosed | $36K | $74K - $250K | 4–7% | 963 |
| R.e.johnsenBiggest system | Disclosed | $9K | $5K - $78K | 13% | 10,314 |
| Vanguard CleaningTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $100K | $165K - $473K | 5% | 48 |
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Chem-Dry requires a $36,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $74,150–$249,500, per the most recent FDD on file.
Chem-Dry is franchised by Chem-Dry, Inc. (Plus), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Chem-Dry discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 4.0% to 7.0% and an advertising fund contribution of 3% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Chem-Dry has 963 total locations, with 23 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, Chem-Dry discloses a transfer fee of $9,900. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt