1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2025), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
KPI analysis of 189 franchised warehouses (2024): average metro sales $1,311/customer; top quartile $2,125/customer. Survey of 112 warehouses: average EBITDA $167,319 (8%), median $110,239. Results vary significantly by performance.
What a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 8% 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 | 10% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $463,500 – $1,314,000 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
8% ongoing royalty + 2% marketing (1.5% system + 0.5% local). Technology $145-165/user/year. Multiple optional/variable fees for delivery, call center, processing.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 194 |
| Ceased operations | 1 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 1 |
| Transferred to new owners | 17 |
| Closure rate | 0.5% of outlets |
1 termination, 1 ceased operations in 2024; 17 transfers indicates turnover.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2025. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 10% of sales | steeper than 74% of other franchises franchises |
| Startup cost | from $463,500 | pricier than 79% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 84% of other franchises franchises |
| Closure rate | 0.5% of outlets | better than most (median 1.5%) |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 6 | more litigious than 86% of peers |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C®
The franchisor's framing: KPI analysis of 189 franchised warehouses (2024): average metro sales $1,311/customer; top… 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-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $463,500–$1,314,000, including a $45,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise owners make?
- KPI analysis of 189 franchised warehouses (2024): average metro sales $1,311/customer; top quartile $2,125/customer. Survey of 112 warehouses: average EBITDA $167,319 (8%), median $110,239. Results vary significantly by performance. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise fees?
- 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C®'s FDD discloses a $45,000 initial franchise fee, a 8% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 10% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 8% ongoing royalty + 2% marketing (1.5% system + 0.5% local). Technology $145-165/user/year. Multiple optional/variable fees for delivery, call center, processing.
- What is the 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise profit margin?
- 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: KPI analysis of 189 franchised warehouses (2024): average metro sales $1,311/customer; top quartile $2,125/customer. Survey of 112 warehouses: average EBITDA $167,319 (8%), median $110,239. Results vary significantly by performance. Recurring fees alone take about 10% 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-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise failure rate?
- 1 termination, 1 ceased operations in 2024; 17 transfers indicates turnover.
- How many 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® locations are there?
- 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C®'s FDD reports 194 total outlets, with 1 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 17 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® have complaints or lawsuits?
- 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® discloses 6 legal matters in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 10% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 6 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C®? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Compare 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® to similar franchises
See all franchises ranked by disclosure honesty →
Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with 1-800-RADIATOR & A/C® or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.