HouseMaster Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a HouseMaster franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
HouseMaster discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Average gross sales by unit count: single-unit $138,881, 2-unit $244,470, 3-unit $614,073, 4-9 unit $696,024. Only 35-62% achieved average. 50 businesses closed in 2025.
What a HouseMaster franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $42,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 7.75% 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 | 10.25% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $73,878 – $132,689 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Tiered license fee 6.25%-7.75% on gross sales; 2-2.5% MAP fee; required $15,000-$25,000 local marketing year 1-2.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
HouseMaster system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 190 |
| Ceased operations | 50 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 19 |
| Transferred to new owners | 6 |
| Closure rate | 26.3% of outlets |
45 net outlet decline in 2025; 50 closures; significant non-renewals (28) indicate system stress.
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 HouseMaster worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 10.25% of sales | steeper than 85% of other franchises franchises |
| Startup cost | from $73,878 | cheaper than most (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 26.3% of outlets | worse than 97% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 1 | about average |
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 HouseMaster
The franchisor's framing: Average gross sales by unit count: single-unit $138,881, 2-unit $244,470, 3-unit $614,073,… 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
HouseMaster franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a HouseMaster franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $73,878–$132,689, including a $42,500 initial franchise fee.
- How much do HouseMaster franchise owners make?
- Average gross sales by unit count: single-unit $138,881, 2-unit $244,470, 3-unit $614,073, 4-9 unit $696,024. Only 35-62% achieved average. 50 businesses closed in 2025. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the HouseMaster franchise fees?
- HouseMaster's FDD discloses a $42,500 initial franchise fee, a 7.75% royalty on gross sales, a 2.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 10.25% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Tiered license fee 6.25%-7.75% on gross sales; 2-2.5% MAP fee; required $15,000-$25,000 local marketing year 1-2.
- What is the HouseMaster franchise profit margin?
- HouseMaster does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Average gross sales by unit count: single-unit $138,881, 2-unit $244,470, 3-unit $614,073, 4-9 unit $696,024. Only 35-62% achieved average. 50 businesses closed in 2025. Recurring fees alone take about 10.25% 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 HouseMaster franchise failure rate?
- 45 net outlet decline in 2025; 50 closures; significant non-renewals (28) indicate system stress.
- How many HouseMaster locations are there?
- HouseMaster's FDD reports 190 total outlets, with 50 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 6 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does HouseMaster have complaints or lawsuits?
- HouseMaster discloses 1 legal matter 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 HouseMaster franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. HouseMaster scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 10.25% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare HouseMaster to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 36181-202604-02 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with HouseMaster or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.