Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise unit economics
Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees run design and build businesses from an office that sell contracts for decks, porches, sunrooms and hardscape patios in a territory.
Archadeck Outdoor Living in the news
- Empower Brands Reports Strong First-Half 2026 Development Growth Across Multi-Brand Franchise Platform · International Franchise Association ·
The Archadeck Outdoor Living headline above is the publisher's own and links to the publisher. Averan Advisors checked this Archadeck Outdoor Living link on 11 October 2026. Franchise news lists news on 95 brands, including Archadeck Outdoor Living. Archadeck Outdoor Living is in the Remodel, Garage and Closets franchise guide.
Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise at a glance
The 40 Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees in the FDD’s cost study averaged earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization of 2.2% of revenue. Archadeck Outdoor Living’s FDD takes that line after every operating cost, including the royalty, brand fund and wages that may include the owner’s salary, and does not take income tax out of it.
Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees averaged $1,673,607 of sales, with a median of $1,121,450, according to Item 19 of Archadeck Outdoor Living’s 2026 FDD, issued 27 January 2026. The 55 in that group are 49%* of Archadeck Outdoor Living’s 113 locations. Fees paid to Archadeck Outdoor Living come to about 7.6%* of sales.
- An Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise costs $215,400 to $239,300 to open, including a $59,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Archadeck Outdoor Living charges a royalty of 6.5% of sales and a 1.5% brand fund contribution.
- 49% of reporting Archadeck Outdoor Living locations reached the average.
- In the FDD’s 2024 cost study of 40 Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees averaging $2,024,296 of revenue, cost of goods took 59.8% of sales, including 20.0% of construction labor, office and production wages took 13.0% and rent, utilities and repairs took 0.9%.
- Work out Archadeck Outdoor Living's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Archadeck Outdoor Living's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
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Talk to Averan → Move your books and accounting to Averan →- After every cost including the owner's own pay, the average business earned $44,892.That is 2.2% of $2,024,296. Adding back $159,667 of owner expense gives the 10.1% figure.
- Royalty and the national fund come to $151,093, 3.4 times what the business earned after the owner.The royalty is $121,093 and the national fund $30,000, against $44,892 of earnings *.
- The average project is $45,484, so the average business builds about 37 a year.Moving one deck to a deck and porch combination adds $45,477, a whole extra average project *.
- Gross profit runs 27.6% to 49.4% across the thirds, with a low of a negative 4.8%.Materials run 22.2% to 37.2% and construction labor 13.1% to 30.4%.
- Required advertising is $50,000 a year per territory.The 40 benchmarked franchisees hold 1.7 territories each and spent $89,749 against a requirement near $86,250 *.
How much does an Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise make?
The average Archadeck Outdoor Living unit reported $1,673,607 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $1,121,450. The brand’s disclosure document puts earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization at 2.2% of revenue. Fees come off the top first, at about 7.6% of sales across royalty, brand fund and the rest of the stack. Revenue is not income. Rent, wages, cost of goods and the franchise fees all come out before an owner is paid. The figures for the highest-selling and lowest-selling businesses are below.
Revenue and territory
Revenue by group, year to September 2025
| Band | Franchisees | Average | Median | Range | Reaching the group average | Average years in business |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above $2.4m | 13 | $4,067,716 | $3,474,975 | $2,418,601 – $8,796,480 | 5 (38%) | 13.7 |
| $1.2m to $2.4m | 14 | $1,474,146 | $1,411,116 | $1,207,957 – $2,013,841 | 5 (36%) | 7.6 |
| $600k to $1.2m | 15 | $859,168 | $845,366 | $616,377 – $1,121,450 | 8 (53%) | 7.4 |
| Below $600k | 13 | $434,041 | $529,077 | $79,873 – $595,840 | 9 (69%) | 8.1 |
| All 55 | 55 | $1,673,607 | $1,121,450 | $79,873 – $8,796,480 | 28 (49%) | 9.1 |
As the brand reported it.
Single-territory franchisees bill $1,230,148 and multi-territory ones bill $869,577 per territory *. We calculated this from the filed totals. Holding more ground raises total sales by 83% while multiplying the ground held. So the second territory is worth roughly two thirds of the first, measured per piece of ground.
The top group averages 13.7 years in business and the others 7.4 to 8.1. That is 13.7 years above $2.4m, then 7.6, 7.4 and 8.1. The bottom group has more years open than the two above it.
The top group averages 9.4 times the bottom group. That is $4,067,716 against $434,041. And the bottom group's own range runs from $79,873 to $595,840, 7.5 times inside one group, with a median above its own average. That means several businesses sit far below the rest.
System sales grew 129.8% in nine years, from $41,595,669 to $95,585,008 *. Sales grew 6.8% in the most recent year after a dip in 2023. Across the same period the franchised territory count rose from 70 at the start of 2023 to 112 at the end of 2025, on 59 openings against 17 terminations.
Top performers
What separates the top Archadeck Outdoor Living performers
Archadeck Outdoor Living splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $4,067,716 a year. The lowest averaged $434,041. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $1,121,450. The average was $1,673,607. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 9.4× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory quoted at 600,000 people, with no storefront. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $215,400 to $239,300, a 1.1× range inside one brand.
- Lease cost.Occupancy cost ran 0.9% of sales in this filing. Rent stays the same when sales fall, so it takes a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 7.6% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Live operating levers
- Products and materials.Products and materials take 59.8% of sales, against earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization of 2.2%. The levers are buying terms, price discipline and waste.
- Occupancy cost.Rent and building costs take 0.9% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
- Jobs.Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 55 of 113 locations. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded.
Top performers
How far apart the locations are
Archadeck Outdoor Living reports its locations in performance groups, from the highest-selling to the lowest. The group-by-group figures are in the tables on the Model and Finance tabs.
Fees and what it costs to open
Royalty and national fund by annual sales
| Gross sales | Royalty | Effective royalty rate | National fund | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $8,796,480, highest reported | $367,877 | 4.18% | $30,000 | $397,877 | 4.52% |
| $4,067,716, top band average | $202,370 | 4.98% | $30,000 | $232,370 | 5.71% |
| $1,673,607, system average | $102,048 | 6.10% | $25,104 | $127,152 | 7.60% |
| $1,474,146, second band average | $91,078 | 6.18% | $22,112 | $113,190 | 7.68% |
| $859,168, third band average | $55,846 | 6.50% | $12,888 | $68,734 | 8.00% |
| $434,041, bottom band average | $28,213 | 6.50% | $6,511 | $34,724 | 8.00% |
Ours, built from the published schedule applied to filed revenue figures.
Franchise fees take 8.00% at $434,041 and 4.52% at $8,796,480. That is a 3.48-point difference *, from the royalty stepping down each million and the national fund stopping at $30,000. The $30,000 cap is reached at $2,000,000 of sales, which the average benchmarked franchisee had just passed.
Crossing $1,000,000 drops the marginal rate to 5.5% and $2,000,000 drops it to 4.5%. Because the tiers are marginal, there is no jump at any threshold, and the effective rate falls steadily. Reaching $3,000,000 puts every further dollar at 3.5%, half the entry rate.
The minimum royalty is $2,000 a month for nine months of the year. That is $18,000, implying $276,923 of annual sales at the 6.5% rate *. The bottom group averages $434,041, so the minimum bites only at the very lowest-selling end, where the minimum reported figure is $79,873.
Advertising is required at $50,000 per territory each year. The 40 benchmarked franchisees hold 69 territories, implying $86,250 on average, against $89,749 actually spent *. The average business spent $3,499 more than its requirement, and each added territory adds $50,000 a year of required advertising.
What it costs to open a territory
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up expenses and working capital, first year | $80,000 | $85,000 |
| Start-up advertising, first year | $60,000 | $75,000 |
| Franchise fee | $59,500 | $59,500 |
| Travel and living while training | $6,000 | $7,500 |
| Guarantee fund initial contribution | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Computer hardware and software | $3,900 | $4,800 |
| Tools and equipment | $1,000 | $2,500 |
| Total | $215,400 | $239,300 |
As the brand reported it, reordered here by size.
Discounts available
- Archadeck Outdoor Living takes 15% off one territory's fee for honorably discharged veterans.
- Archadeck Outdoor Living charges $30,000 for each additional contiguous territory bought at the same time as the first.
- Archadeck Outdoor Living takes 20% off one additional territory for existing franchisees operating at least 18 months.
- Archadeck Outdoor Living takes 20% off the fee for franchisees of its Empower Brands affiliates in compliance for at least two years.
- Archadeck Outdoor Living may take 10% to 50% off the fee for employees of its franchisees with at least two years of service.
From Item 5 of the Archadeck Outdoor Living 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
The build is 0.13 to 0.14 times the average franchisee's revenue. That is $215,400 to $239,300 against $1,673,607 *. The Item 7 build has no showroom, fleet or inventory line. The money goes to fee, first-year advertising and working capital.
$60,000 to $75,000 of the build is first-year advertising. That is more than the $50,000 annual requirement in later years. Combined with $80,000 to $85,000 of working capital, two thirds of the investment is money to be spent.
The territory costs 9.9 cents a head at the base price and 8.3 cents above 600,000. That is $59,500 for 600,000 people *. Against the single-territory average of $1,230,148, a full territory returns its own fee in about eighteen days of billing.
A $5,000 guarantee fund payment is due on joining. It supports a third-party completion guarantee and post-completion warranty. If that cover ends, the franchisor may raise every royalty rate by up to half a point, worth $8,368 a year at the system average *.
Profit and loss
Profit and loss for reporting franchisees, 2024
| Line | Average | Share of revenue | Median | Reaching the average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $2,024,296 | 100.0% | $1,398,994 | 13 (33%) |
| Cost of material | $607,210 | 30.0% | $412,550 | 12 (30%) |
| Construction labor | $404,371 | 20.0% | $275,359 | 10 (25%) |
| Other construction costs | $198,879 | 9.8% | $108,137 | 12 (30%) |
| Total cost of goods sold | $1,210,459 | 59.8% | n/a | n/a |
| Gross profit | $813,837 | 40.2% | n/a | n/a |
| Salaries, wages, payroll taxes and benefits | $262,415 | 13.0% | $179,300 | 16 (40%) |
| Royalty fees | $121,093 | 6.0% | $86,945 | 12 (30%) |
| All other operating expenses | $115,658 | 5.7% | $67,323 | 13 (33%) |
| Advertising and marketing | $89,749 | 4.4% | $64,991 | 15 (38%) |
| Sales salaries and commissions | $64,472 | 3.2% | $13,148 | 14 (35%) |
| National brand marketing fund | $30,000 | 1.5% | $20,985 | 15 (38%) |
| Vehicle expenses | $30,086 | 1.5% | $14,624 | 10 (25%) |
| Insurance | $22,322 | 1.1% | $9,886 | 8 (20%) |
| Rent, utilities, repairs and maintenance | $18,859 | 0.9% | $7,125 | 16 (40%) |
| Telephone and communications | $8,781 | 0.4% | $4,261 | 9 (23%) |
| Warranty expenses | $5,510 | 0.3% | $3,248 | 14 (35%) |
| Total operating expenses | $768,945 | 38.0% | n/a | n/a |
| Earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization | $44,892 | 2.2% | n/a | n/a |
| Total owner expense, added back | $159,667 | 7.9% | $84,333 | 10 (25%) |
| Adjusted for owner-related expenses | $204,559 | 10.1% | n/a | n/a |
As the brand reported it, reordered here by size within each block.
The business earned $44,892 after paying the owner. That is 2.2% of $2,024,296. The 10.1% figure is that residual plus $159,667 of owner salary, commission, wages tax and benefits added back.
Royalty and the national fund come to $151,093, 3.4 times the $44,892 residual *. The royalty works out at 6.0% of revenue in the cost study.
Cost of goods takes 59.8% and operating expenses take 38.0%. That leaves 2.2%. Materials at 30.0%, construction labor at 20.0% and other construction costs at 9.8% are the whole of the first block. Office and production wages at 13.0% is the largest line in the second. One point of gross profit is worth $20,243, 45% of the entire residual *.
Other construction costs are $198,879, 9.8% of revenue. They cover permits, fees, dumpsters, rental and ancillary subcontractors for plumbing, electrical, masonry and concrete. That is more than advertising, vehicles and insurance combined, and it is the line most likely to be estimated loosely on a proposal.
The median business bills $1,398,994 against an average of $2,024,296. Only 13 of the 40 reach the average, and the range runs from $402,451 to $7,727,027. So the benchmark table describes the upper third of a wide distribution, and a median business should read every line proportionally downward.
Sales salaries average $64,472 against a median of $13,148. A five-fold gap between mean and median on one line says a minority of these businesses employ dedicated salespeople and most have the owner selling.
Cost ratios by third, 2024
| Measure | Top third average | Middle third average | Bottom third average | Full range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 49.4% | 40.6% | 27.6% | −4.8% – 63.1% |
| Cost of materials | 22.2% | 29.8% | 37.2% | 11.8% – 51.7% |
| Construction labor | 13.1% | 20.0% | 30.4% | 5.8% – 56.2% |
| Other construction costs | 3.0% | 8.2% | 18.6% | 0.0% – 38.5% |
| Salaries, wages and benefits | 4.1% | 11.3% | 22.2% | 0.0% – 36.5% |
| Advertising and marketing | 1.7% | 4.8% | 7.6% | 0.0% – 12.1% |
As the brand reported it.
21.8 points of gross profit separate the top and bottom thirds. That is 49.4% against 27.6%. On the average business that is $441,296 *, nearly ten times the entire residual profit line. Every other comparison on this page is smaller than this one.
Other construction costs run 3.0% to 18.6%, a 15.6-point range. That is the widest proportional gap of any line here. Permits, dumpsters and ancillary trades are the costs a proposal absorbs, and some businesses absorb six times as much of them as others.
Office and production wages run 4.1% to 22.2%. With a top-third minimum of 0.0%, meaning some businesses run with the owner answering the phone. The bottom third's 22.2% on the average revenue would be $449,394 *, ten times the residual, so staffing decisions are the second-largest lever after estimating.
Advertising runs 1.7% to 7.6% while the requirement is $50,000 per territory. On the average revenue, 1.7% is $34,413 and would fall short of the minimum for a single territory *. So the top third on this measure is spending less than the current agreement asks, which older agreement terms may account for.
Projects and mix
Contract price by project type
| Project type | Average sales price | Median sales price | Projects | Share of classified projects * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deck and sunroom combination | $96,857 | $78,690 | 18 | 1.0% |
| Deck and porch combination | $82,593 | $78,426 | 150 | 8.5% |
| Sunroom | $78,901 | $73,494 | 52 | 2.9% |
| Hardscape patio with other design elements | $76,906 | $61,335 | 209 | 11.8% |
| Screened porch | $50,817 | $48,400 | 131 | 7.4% |
| Open porch | $49,120 | $40,118 | 112 | 6.3% |
| Deck | $37,116 | $30,925 | 906 | 51.1% |
| Hardscape patio | $35,259 | $26,850 | 143 | 8.1% |
| Pergola | $18,194 | $15,703 | 52 | 2.9% |
| All residential projects | $45,484 | $36,317 | 1,946 | n/a |
Prices and project counts are as the brand reported it, reordered here by average price; the share column is marked *, against the 1,773 classified projects.
Decks are 51.1% of classified Archadeck projects at $37,116, the third-cheapest type on the list *. Only pergolas ($18,194) and plain hardscape patios ($35,259) cost less, while the four types above $75,000 together account for 24.2% of projects.
Moving one deck to a deck and porch combination adds $45,477. That is $82,593 against $37,116, as much as an entire average project *. At roughly 37 projects a year, converting three deck sales to combinations adds $136,431 of revenue with no extra leads.
Adding design elements to a hardscape patio more than doubles the ticket. That is $76,906 against $35,259, a difference of $41,647 *. And the higher-value version is the more common of the two, at 209 projects against 143, so the system already knows how to sell it.
The average business builds about 37 projects a year. That is $1,673,607 of average gross sales divided by $45,484 *. At the benchmark study's larger $2,024,296 that is 45. Either way, this is a business running fewer than one project a week, so the price of each project drives revenue.
39% of projects reach the average price. The median is $36,317 against a mean of $45,484, a $9,167 gap that the large combination and sunroom jobs create. A business whose median project sits at $30,925, the deck median, is running the system's cheapest mix.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does an Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise make?
Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees averaged $1,673,607 of sales, with a median of $1,121,450, according to Item 19 of Archadeck Outdoor Living’s 2026 FDD, issued 27 January 2026. The 55 in that group are 49%* of Archadeck Outdoor Living’s 113 locations. Fees paid to Archadeck Outdoor Living come to about 7.6%* of sales.
What should an Archadeck business be billing at Archadeck Outdoor Living?
The 55 franchisees operating across 93 territories for the whole 12 months to 30 September 2025 averaged $1,673,607 of gross sales with a median of $1,121,450, ranging from $79,873 to $8,796,480. 28 of the 55, 49%, reached the average. By group: 13 above $2.4m averaging $4,067,716, 14 between $1.2m and $2.4m averaging $1,474,146, 15 between $600k and $1.2m averaging $859,168, and 13 below $600k averaging $434,041. The 31 single-territory franchisees averaged $1,230,148 and the 24 multi-territory ones $2,246,410. System gross sales were $95,585,008 in that year.
What does an Archadeck profit and loss look like at Archadeck Outdoor Living?
An independent benchmarking firm compiled one for 40 franchisees operating at least 24 months at 31 December 2024. On average revenue of $2,024,296: materials $607,210 (30.0%), construction labor $404,371 (20.0%) and other construction costs $198,879 (9.8%) give a gross profit of $813,837 (40.2%). Operating expenses of $768,945 (38.0%) leave $44,892, or 2.2%. Adding back $159,667 of total owner expense gives $204,559, or 10.1%. The largest operating lines are office and production wages at $262,415, royalty at $121,093, other operating expenses at $115,658 and advertising at $89,749. Median revenue was $1,398,994.
How big is a project at Archadeck Outdoor Living?
1,946 residential projects were sold system-wide in the 12 months to 30 September 2025 at an average price of $45,484 and a median of $36,317, with 39% at or above the average. By type: deck and sunroom combination $96,857, deck and porch combination $82,593, sunroom $78,901, hardscape patio with other design elements $76,906, screened porch $50,817, open porch $49,120, deck $37,116, hardscape patio $35,259 and pergola $18,194. Decks were 906 of the 1,773 classified projects, over half the system's work at close to its lowest average price.
What fees does Archadeck Outdoor Living charge?
Royalty runs in marginal tiers on calendar-year gross sales. Archadeck's royalty is 6.5% on the first $1,000,000, 5.5% to $2,000,000, 4.5% to $3,000,000 and 3.5% above, reset each January, reported by the 10th and paid by the 20th. From the second full calendar year a minimum royalty of $2,000 a month applies from March through November, abatable at the franchisor's discretion for winter weather. The national branding and marketing fee is 1.5% of gross sales capped at $30,000 a calendar year, raisable to 2.5% on 90 days' notice. Individual advertising must reach at least $50,000 per territory each year, paid to third parties. If the national guarantee company stops providing its completion guarantee or post-completion warranty, each royalty rate may rise by up to 0.50%.
Who does bookkeeping for an Archadeck franchise at Archadeck Outdoor Living?
Three mechanics decide how much the close is worth here. Sales for reporting count completed projects only, excluding work sold and still in progress. So a business with a large pipeline and a slow build schedule looks smaller than it is unless work in progress is tracked separately. On 37 projects a year, one delayed job moves a noticeable share of a month's reported sales. Royalty runs on marginal calendar-year tiers that reset every January. That means the effective rate falls through the year and the accrual is a moving figure. The national fund stops at $30,000, a second threshold on the same calendar. And with an average business earning $44,892 after the owner is paid against $1,210,459 of cost of goods, job-level costing is the only thing standing between a profitable year and a flat one, particularly the other-construction-costs line. That runs 3.0% to 18.6% across the system and covers permits, dumpsters and the ancillary trades most easily left out of an estimate. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.
Questions worth putting to Archadeck Outdoor Living
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- Is the profit figure in Item 19 before or after owner pay, and how many locations sit below it?
- Which factors does Archadeck Outdoor Living see in its highest-selling locations, such as trade area, years open and size?
- How long does a new location take to reach the average you publish, and what does the build-up look like month by month?
- At what level of sales do the minimum charges stop applying and the percentage take over?
- How many Archadeck Outdoor Living locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. It checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →What does your project mix look like at Archadeck Outdoor Living?
We review your unit economics, cash forecast and reporting, built around ticket size, gross profit and the owner line that separates two very different profit figures.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Archadeck Franchisor, LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are labeled where they appear, the figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours. This page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice. Archadeck Outdoor Living® is a registered trademark of its owner. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: Archadeck Franchisor, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 27 January 2026.
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Archadeck Outdoor Living reads against the rest of the remodel, garage and closets group: Bath Tune-Up · Closets by Design · DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen · Kitchen Tune-Up · Precision Garage Door Service · The Tailored Closet. The remodel, garage and closets guide compares all of them on the same figures.
Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
- At what level of sales does a minimum fee stop costing me more than the percentage?It works out the sales level where a minimum fee stops applying.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?It builds a 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- My payroll percentage keeps climbing. Is that a payroll problem?It shows how to tell whether payroll is rising or revenue is falling.
- What should I be looking at every week?It lists the handful of numbers that move before the P&L does.
- Do I need a bookkeeper, a controller, or a CFO?It explains what each role owns and when the next hire pays for itself.