Monster Tree Service Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Monster Tree Service franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2021), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Monster Tree Service discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 systemwide sales $83.8M across 177 territories. 40 franchisees reporting: avg EBITDA $275,010 (18% margin). Top 25% avg revenue $950,676; bottom 25% avg $242,103. Performance varied significantly by quartile.
What a Monster Tree Service franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Total initial investment | $335,040 – $489,775 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Franchise fee deferred in Maryland until pre-opening obligations met. No financing provided by franchisor.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Monster Tree Service system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 134 |
| Ceased operations | 36 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 5 |
| Transferred to new owners | 11 |
| Closure rate | 26.9% of outlets |
42 net outlet loss in 2025; 36 ceased operations. Significant system contraction raises concerns.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2021. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Monster Tree Service worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Startup cost | from $335,040 | pricier than 76% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 84% of other franchises franchises |
| Closure rate | 26.9% of outlets | worse than 98% 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 Monster Tree Service
The franchisor's framing: 2025 systemwide sales $83.8M across 177 territories. 40 franchisees reporting: avg EBITDA … 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
Monster Tree Service franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Monster Tree Service franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $335,040–$489,775, including a $49,500 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Monster Tree Service franchise owners make?
- 2025 systemwide sales $83.8M across 177 territories. 40 franchisees reporting: avg EBITDA $275,010 (18% margin). Top 25% avg revenue $950,676; bottom 25% avg $242,103. Performance varied significantly by quartile. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the Monster Tree Service franchise fees?
- Monster Tree Service's FDD discloses a $49,500 initial franchise fee. Franchise fee deferred in Maryland until pre-opening obligations met. No financing provided by franchisor.
- What is the Monster Tree Service franchise profit margin?
- Monster Tree Service does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 systemwide sales $83.8M across 177 territories. 40 franchisees reporting: avg EBITDA $275,010 (18% margin). Top 25% avg revenue $950,676; bottom 25% avg $242,103. Performance varied significantly by quartile. Recurring fees alone take about a fixed cut 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 Monster Tree Service franchise failure rate?
- 42 net outlet loss in 2025; 36 ceased operations. Significant system contraction raises concerns.
- How many Monster Tree Service locations are there?
- Monster Tree Service's FDD reports 134 total outlets, with 36 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 11 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Monster Tree Service have complaints or lawsuits?
- Monster Tree Service 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 Monster Tree Service franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Monster Tree Service scores B on disclosure honesty, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Monster Tree Service to similar franchises
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2021). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Monster Tree Service or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.