BrightStar Care Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a BrightStar Care franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
BrightStar Care discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses 2025 revenue by quartile for first franchised agencies (12+ months). Average $2.41M; median $1.94M. First year avg $445K. Excludes operating costs, royalties. Unaudited. Cherry-picks: includes affiliate-owned agencies; excludes two NY agencies, 4 skilled care, 2 affiliate-only, Care Homes pilot.
What a BrightStar Care franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5.25% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 7.75% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $102,754 – $220,186 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty 5.25%-6.25% Net Billings; marketing 2.5%+; ABS $250+/month. Termination damages: $150K or 3x12-month billings×5.25%. Transfer $15K. Renewal $5K.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
BrightStar Care system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 427 |
| Ceased operations | 3 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 3 |
| Transferred to new owners | 25 |
| Closure rate | 0.7% of outlets |
2025: 3 ceased operations, 3 terminations, 5 non-renewals. Low annual churn ~2%.
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 BrightStar Care worth it? — how it compares to 50 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7.75% of sales | steeper than 65% of senior & home care franchises |
| Startup cost | from $102,754 | about average (median $101,125) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | less honest than most of the category |
| Closure rate | 0.7% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 3 | more litigious than 67% of peers |
Benchmarked against every senior & home care franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a BrightStar Care
The franchisor's framing: Discloses 2025 revenue by quartile for first franchised agencies (12+ months). Average $2.… 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
BrightStar Care franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a BrightStar Care franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $102,754–$220,186, including a $50,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do BrightStar Care franchise owners make?
- Discloses 2025 revenue by quartile for first franchised agencies (12+ months). Average $2.41M; median $1.94M. First year avg $445K. Excludes operating costs, royalties. Unaudited. Cherry-picks: includes affiliate-owned agencies; excludes two NY agencies, 4 skilled care, 2 affiliate-only, Care Homes pilot. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the BrightStar Care franchise fees?
- BrightStar Care's FDD discloses a $50,000 initial franchise fee, a 5.25% royalty on gross sales, a 2.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7.75% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Royalty 5.25%-6.25% Net Billings; marketing 2.5%+; ABS $250+/month. Termination damages: $150K or 3x12-month billings×5.25%. Transfer $15K. Renewal $5K.
- What is the BrightStar Care franchise profit margin?
- BrightStar Care does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Discloses 2025 revenue by quartile for first franchised agencies (12+ months). Average $2.41M; median $1.94M. First year avg $445K. Excludes operating costs, royalties. Unaudited. Cherry-picks: includes affiliate-owned agencies; excludes two NY agencies, 4 skilled care, 2 affiliate-only, Care Homes pilot. Recurring fees alone take about 7.75% 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 BrightStar Care franchise failure rate?
- 2025: 3 ceased operations, 3 terminations, 5 non-renewals. Low annual churn ~2%.
- How many BrightStar Care locations are there?
- BrightStar Care's FDD reports 427 total outlets, with 3 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 25 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does BrightStar Care have complaints or lawsuits?
- BrightStar Care discloses 3 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 BrightStar Care franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. BrightStar Care scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 7.75% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 3 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 BrightStar Care or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.