Quick Verdict · who it fits
Chem-Dry, Inc. 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)
941 +1
Years in business
32+ yrs
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$500,000
$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.
963
Total units open
941 population-based + 22 household-based as of end of 2025
16
Units opened last year
1 population-based + 15 in prior years; 22 household-based opened in 2025
120 (70 terminated + 50 not renewed for population-based model in 20
Units closed last year
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Chem-Dry ranks against 129 Cleaning & Maintenance peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
23rd pct · of 129 peers
Franchise fee
32nd pct · of 129 peers
System size
90th pct · of 129 peers
Cleaning & Maintenance industry averages
Avg investment
$172K - $436K
Avg franchise fee
$45K
Avg system size
477
Franchises analyzed
129
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chem-Dry | Disclosed | $36K | $74K - $250K | 4–7% | 941 |
| Chem-Dry, Inc. (plus)Similar price | Disclosed | $36K | $74K - $250K | 4–7% | 941 |
| Jani-King of CaliforniaBiggest system | None | $3K | — | 11% | 202,320 |
| Vanguard CleaningTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $100K | $165K - $473K | 5% | 48 |
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Home service franchises offer lower overhead than restaurants and strong recession resistance. Compare investment costs, royalties, and territory sizes across plumbing, cleaning, restoration, lawn care, HVAC, and handyman brands.
Brand Analysis
Window Genie's 2026 FDD discloses a $387K median AUV across 90 units, with a $128K-$828K interquartile range that tells the real story. Inside the Neighborly portfolio, the verdict depends on how the brand fits adjacent operations.
Brand Analysis
Tide Cleaners' 2025 FDD shows total investment of $698K to $2.5M, a $20K-$50K franchise fee, and a 6.5% royalty plus 4% ad fund. The 12-14 year typical payback period is among the longest in major U.S. franchising. Here's the honest math and the buyer profile that makes it work.
Chem-Dry, Inc. 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.
Yes. Chem-Dry, Inc. 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, Inc. has 941 total locations, with 1 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt