Chem-Dry (Plus) Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Chem-Dry (Plus) discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Projects $218,400 annual revenue for Standard Territory (3 jobs/day, 4 days/week, $350/job). Based on existing franchisees with 20+ years average; omits exclusive territory impact.
What a Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $36,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 1.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 7% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $92,150 – $249,500 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Tiered royalty 4-7% by sales tier; min monthly $400-$3,100. Brand marketing 0-3%, technology $450/mo, $9,900 transfer fee. Heavy compliance penalties.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Chem-Dry (Plus) system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 941 |
| Ceased operations | 40 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 70 |
| Transferred to new owners | 19 |
| Closure rate | 4.3% of outlets |
System declined 498 outlets 2023-2025 (net -498 total); 40 ceased operations 2025 alone.
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 Chem-Dry (Plus) worth it? — how it compares to 47 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7% of sales | lower than most (median 8.5%) |
| Startup cost | from $92,150 | about average (median $97,240) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 4.3% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 6 | more litigious than 94% of peers |
Benchmarked against every cleaning services franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Chem-Dry (Plus)
The franchisor's framing: Projects $218,400 annual revenue for Standard Territory (3 jobs/day, 4 days/week, $350/job… 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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Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $92,150–$249,500, including a $36,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise owners make?
- Projects $218,400 annual revenue for Standard Territory (3 jobs/day, 4 days/week, $350/job). Based on existing franchisees with 20+ years average; omits exclusive territory impact. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise fees?
- Chem-Dry (Plus)'s FDD discloses a $36,000 initial franchise fee, a 5.5% royalty on gross sales, a 1.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Tiered royalty 4-7% by sales tier; min monthly $400-$3,100. Brand marketing 0-3%, technology $450/mo, $9,900 transfer fee. Heavy compliance penalties.
- What is the Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise profit margin?
- Chem-Dry (Plus) does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Projects $218,400 annual revenue for Standard Territory (3 jobs/day, 4 days/week, $350/job). Based on existing franchisees with 20+ years average; omits exclusive territory impact. Recurring fees alone take about 7% 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 Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise failure rate?
- System declined 498 outlets 2023-2025 (net -498 total); 40 ceased operations 2025 alone.
- How many Chem-Dry (Plus) locations are there?
- Chem-Dry (Plus)'s FDD reports 941 total outlets, with 40 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 Chem-Dry (Plus) have complaints or lawsuits?
- Chem-Dry (Plus) 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 Chem-Dry (Plus) franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Chem-Dry (Plus) scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 7% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 6 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 Chem-Dry (Plus) or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.