Ace Handyman Services Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Ace Handyman Services franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Ace Handyman Services discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses 309 reporting territories' 2025 financials by quartile. Single territories averaged $250K-$775K revenue; multi-territory groups $332K-$1.5M. Owner discretionary income ranged $3,994-$223,597. Excludes 40 new outlets, 34 non-reporting, 26 closures.
What a Ace Handyman Services franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $70,000 | 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 | $97,200 – $226,000 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
6% royalty, 2% national brand fee, $599/mo software (max $1,200), $30K-$50K annual local marketing minimum required.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Ace Handyman Services system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 401 |
| Ceased operations | 14 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 10 |
| Transferred to new owners | 19 |
| Closure rate | 3.5% of outlets |
26 territories closed in 2025; 10 terminations; varying closure rates suggest operational challenges.
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 Ace Handyman Services worth it? — how it compares to 85 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 8% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $97,200 | cheaper than most (median $119,850) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 79% of home & trade services franchises |
| Closure rate | 3.5% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 2 | more litigious than 69% of peers |
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 Ace Handyman Services
The franchisor's framing: Discloses 309 reporting territories' 2025 financials by quartile. Single territories avera… 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
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Ace Handyman Services franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Ace Handyman Services franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $97,200–$226,000, including a $70,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Ace Handyman Services franchise owners make?
- Discloses 309 reporting territories' 2025 financials by quartile. Single territories averaged $250K-$775K revenue; multi-territory groups $332K-$1.5M. Owner discretionary income ranged $3,994-$223,597. Excludes 40 new outlets, 34 non-reporting, 26 closures. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the Ace Handyman Services franchise fees?
- Ace Handyman Services' FDD discloses a $70,000 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. 6% royalty, 2% national brand fee, $599/mo software (max $1,200), $30K-$50K annual local marketing minimum required.
- What is the Ace Handyman Services franchise profit margin?
- Ace Handyman Services does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Discloses 309 reporting territories' 2025 financials by quartile. Single territories averaged $250K-$775K revenue; multi-territory groups $332K-$1.5M. Owner discretionary income ranged $3,994-$223,597. Excludes 40 new outlets, 34 non-reporting, 26 closures. 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 Ace Handyman Services franchise failure rate?
- 26 territories closed in 2025; 10 terminations; varying closure rates suggest operational challenges.
- How many Ace Handyman Services locations are there?
- Ace Handyman Services' FDD reports 401 total outlets, with 14 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 19 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Ace Handyman Services have complaints or lawsuits?
- Ace Handyman Services discloses 2 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 Ace Handyman Services franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Ace Handyman Services scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 8% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Ace Handyman Services or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.