The real numbers on owning a Roto-Rooter franchise
Plumbing & Drain Services · FDD 2025 · from public state filings
FDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses little to no earnings data (Item 19).
Investment
$113,640–$288,200
Total fees
—
Outlets
453
Closure signals
0 ceased, 3 terminated
Lawsuits
1
What their own earnings claim actually says
No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, earnings, or expense data disclosed. Complete blackout—no cherry-picking possible but maximum opacity for buyers.
Honesty grade F: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
Franchised outlets declined from 354 to 337 over three years; 14 terminations and 8 reacquisitions across 2022-2024.
Legal history (Item 3)
1 matters disclosed.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, earnings, or expense da…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $113,640–$288,200, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Roto-Rooter franchise owners make?
Roto-Rooter discloses little or no earnings data (Item 19) — meaning the franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. That's a red flag worth questioning.
What is the Roto-Rooter franchise failure rate?
Franchised outlets declined from 354 to 337 over three years; 14 terminations and 8 reacquisitions across 2022-2024.
Is a Roto-Rooter franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Roto-Rooter scores F on disclosure honesty, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 33166-202503-03 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Roto-Rooter or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.