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)
$100K - $241K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$36K
Royalty (Item 6)
4–7% + 3% ad
System size (Item 20)
1,099 +14
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
32+ yrs
Item 3 litigation
3 suits
Model Chem-Dry's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓No bankruptcy disclosed•3 Item 3 cases
Data extracted from the 2025 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.
1,099 franchised units
Total units open
as of end of 2024
14 units opened in 2024
Units opened last year
185 units closed or terminated in 2024
Units closed last year
-185 units
Net unit growth
net decline in 2024
What our analysis flagged across the 2025 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
37th pct · of 143 peers
Franchise fee
35th pct · of 143 peers
System size
93rd 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 | $100K - $241K | 4–7% | 1,099 |
| True North RestorationSimilar price | Disclosed | $50K | $147K - $244K | 2–7% | 23 |
| 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 $99,645–$240,995, per the most recent FDD on file.
Chem-Dry is franchised by Chem-Dry, Inc. (New Form of FDD), 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%-7% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of Up to 3% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Chem-Dry has 1,099 total locations, with 14 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Chem-Dry grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Chem-Dry discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $3,600, a transfer fee of $3,600. 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