1-800-Plumber Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a 1-800-Plumber franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
1-800-Plumber discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses 2025 actual revenue for 26 operators across three tiers ($166K-$7.9M annually). Top tier averaged $3.78M; middle tier $661K; lower tier $166K. Omits net profit/income after expenses.
What a 1-800-Plumber franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $56,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 8% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $179,210 – $345,700 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Variable royalty/BDF 6%-4% & 2%-1.5% tiered by revenue. $300-$1,000/mo technology fee. Optional $300+$25/appt call center.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
1-800-Plumber system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 61 |
| Ceased operations | 4 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 8 |
| Transferred to new owners | 5 |
| Closure rate | 6.6% of outlets |
2025: 4 ceased operations, 8 terminations, 5 transfers among 50 franchised outlets starting year
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is 1-800-Plumber worth it? — how it compares to 85 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 8% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $179,210 | pricier than 86% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | less honest than most of the category |
| Closure rate | 6.6% of outlets | worse than 76% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every home & trade services franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a 1-800-Plumber
The franchisor's framing: Discloses 2025 actual revenue for 26 operators across three tiers ($166K-$7.9M annually). … We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
1-800-Plumber franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a 1-800-Plumber franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $179,210–$345,700, including a $56,500 initial franchise fee.
- How much do 1-800-Plumber franchise owners make?
- Discloses 2025 actual revenue for 26 operators across three tiers ($166K-$7.9M annually). Top tier averaged $3.78M; middle tier $661K; lower tier $166K. Omits net profit/income after expenses. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the 1-800-Plumber franchise fees?
- 1-800-Plumber's FDD discloses a $56,500 initial franchise fee, a 6% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 8% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Variable royalty/BDF 6%-4% & 2%-1.5% tiered by revenue. $300-$1,000/mo technology fee. Optional $300+$25/appt call center.
- What is the 1-800-Plumber franchise profit margin?
- 1-800-Plumber does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Discloses 2025 actual revenue for 26 operators across three tiers ($166K-$7.9M annually). Top tier averaged $3.78M; middle tier $661K; lower tier $166K. Omits net profit/income after expenses. Recurring fees alone take about 8% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the 1-800-Plumber franchise failure rate?
- 2025: 4 ceased operations, 8 terminations, 5 transfers among 50 franchised outlets starting year
- How many 1-800-Plumber locations are there?
- 1-800-Plumber's FDD reports 61 total outlets, with 4 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 5 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does 1-800-Plumber have complaints or lawsuits?
- 1-800-Plumber discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a 1-800-Plumber franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. 1-800-Plumber scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 8% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare 1-800-Plumber to similar franchises
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with 1-800-Plumber or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.