British Swim School franchise unit economics
British Swim School franchisees rent lane time at existing commercial pools and sell subscription swim and water-survival lessons across a territory.
British Swim School franchise at a glance
The 168 British Swim School outlets that filed an income statement averaged net operating income of 25.05% of revenue in 2025. British Swim School’s FDD defines net operating income as gross revenue less cost of sales and operating expenses, before owner pay, interest, depreciation and amortization.
British Swim School franchisees averaged $432,912 of sales in 2025, with a median of $295,286, according to Item 19 of British Swim School’s 2026 FDD, issued 21 April 2026. The 168 in that group are 58%* of British Swim School’s 289 locations. Fees paid to British Swim School come to about 12%* of sales.
- A British Swim School franchise costs $122,700 to $176,050 to open, including a $59,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- British Swim School charges a royalty of 10% of sales, a 2% brand fund contribution and a $250 monthly technology fee.
- At the average British Swim School location, wages took 32.91%, rent and space costs took 16.8% and cost of goods took 2.71% of sales.
- Work out British Swim School's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
- British Swim School franchisees sell subscription swim lessons across a territory of up to 25,000 children under ten.
These figures come from British Swim School'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 →- From year four franchise fees take $42,000 a year whatever you bill. The median outlet bills $295,286, where 10% comes to $29,529. The minimum costs $12,471 more, which is 15 customers of pure margin *, and it holds for every outlet under $420,000 of sales.
- Labor and pool rent take half of revenue. Labor is $142,480 and pool rent $72,719 on $432,912 of sales, or 49.7% *, and the pool rent share of 16.8% sits inside the 10% to 25% of lesson revenue a pool owner is owed.
- Net operating income after operating costs is 25% of revenue and the median outlet keeps 21%. That is $108,457 on $432,912 and $63,095 on $295,286, both before owner pay. The average includes an outlet billing $2,319,232.
- Today’s brand and minimum marketing charge reaches $83,506 for a median outlet. The filed statement shows $52,648 *, a $30,858 difference that takes median net operating income from $63,095 to $32,237. That is 28.3% of revenue going to the brand and its required media.
- Median revenue in the pre-2022 class fell 15.1% in three years. It went from $465,080 to $395,028 while outlets went from 138 to 289. Inside that class the top quartile fell 4.5% while the bottom rose 12.1%.
How much does a British Swim School franchise make?
The average British Swim School unit reported $432,912 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $295,286. The brand’s disclosure document puts net operating income at 25.1% of revenue. Fees come off the top first, at about 12% 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.
Top performers
What separates the top British Swim School performers
British Swim School splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $1,307,986 a year. The lowest averaged $123,873. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $295,286. The average was $432,912. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 10.6× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory, with no storefront. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $122,700 to $176,050, a 1.4× range inside one brand.
- Lease cost.Occupancy cost ran 16.8% 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 12.0% 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.
- Cash needed in the first year.British Swim School outlets signed in 2025 averaged $119,685 and those signed in 2024 averaged $256,871 in 2025.
Live operating levers
- Wages.Wages take 32.9% of sales, against net operating income of 25.1%. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
- Occupancy cost.Pool rent takes 16.8% of British Swim School sales. It is paid for lane time, so the levers are lane hours booked and how full each class runs.
- Enrollment.Track how many lesson places are filled, the price of each, and how long families stay.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 168 of 289 locations. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded.
The costs, line by line
Average operating statement, 2025
| Line | Average | Share of revenue | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $432,912 | 100% | $295,286 |
| Cost of sales, labor | $142,480 | 33% | $104,552 |
| Cost of sales, pool rental | $72,719 | 17% | $29,136 |
| Cost of sales, lesson supplies | $11,744 | 3% | $2,068 |
| Total cost of sales | $226,943 | 52% | $164,893 |
| Gross profit | $205,968 | 48% | $130,393 |
| Royalty | $43,291 | 10% | $29,529 |
| Marketing fee | $8,658 | 2% | $5,906 |
| Advertising and promotion | $21,951 | 5% | $17,213 |
| Merchant and bank fees | $10,567 | 2% | $6,629 |
| Technology | $4,951 | 1% | $3,812 |
| Insurance | $4,739 | 1% | $3,153 |
| Office supplies and expense | $1,758 | 0% | $519 |
| Training | $1,596 | 0% | $538 |
| Total operating expenses | $97,512 | 23% | $67,298 |
| Net operating income after operating costs | $108,457 | 25% | $63,095 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it, from 168 outlets that traded at least nine months of 2025. Net operating income after operating costs sits ahead of the owner’s own pay, any office rent, interest and depreciation.
Net operating income is 25% of revenue. $108,457 on $432,912, and $63,095 on a median of $295,286, a 21% median margin in a business that leases its main asset by the lane hour. That is what renting capacity instead of building it buys an owner.
Labor is 33% of revenue. That is $142,480 of instructors and deck staff. Every point of labor drift is $4,329 at the average outlet and $2,953 at the median.
Pool rent averages $72,719 and the median outlet pays $29,136. The average is 2.5 times the median *. The big multi-pool outlets have most of the rent in this column, so a single-market owner should model the median.
Card processing costs more than technology and insurance together. $10,567 against $4,951 and $4,739, 2.4% of revenue *, which is what a subscription business collected monthly by card looks like, and it is worth 13 customers a year.
Lesson supplies come to 3% of revenue. That is $11,744, with a median of $2,068, so delivery is close to free once the lane and the instructor are paid. So the operating decisions here are pool hours and class fill.
Discounts available
- British Swim School takes $2,500 off the first franchise's fee for firefighters, law enforcement, EMTs, and teachers and school staff (Community Heroes Program).
- British Swim School takes 20% off the first franchise's fee for veterans who qualify under VetFran.
- British Swim School charges $99,500 for two and $139,500 for three Standard Territories under an Area Development Agreement.
- British Swim School lets area developers in good standing add territories at $40,000 each within 24 months of opening the first.
From Item 5 of the British Swim School 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
The minimum charges
Royalty and fees
| Charge | Rate or minimum | A year * | 10% overtakes it at * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 10% of gross sales | n/a | n/a |
| minimum royalty, second full year | $1,500 a month | $18,000 | $180,000 of sales |
| minimum royalty, third full year | $2,500 a month | $30,000 | $300,000 of sales |
| minimum royalty, fourth year onward | $3,500 a month | $42,000 | $420,000 of sales |
| Marketing fund | 2% of gross sales | n/a | n/a |
| Local advertising | $15,000 a year | $15,000 | n/a |
| Search engine optimization | $300 a month | $3,600 | n/a |
| Digital marketing | $1,416.66 a month | $17,000 | n/a |
| Required media minimum | n/a | $35,600 | n/a |
Every rate and minimum is as the brand reported it for a standard territory, and the annual totals and crossover points are marked *.
The minimum overtakes the rate at $420,000 of sales. The oldest class has a median of $395,028 *, so more than half of the most experienced outlets in the system pay $42,000. Every class average below the pre-2022 one sits under the crossover too.
In the bottom quartile of mature outlets the minimum is 33.9% of revenue. $42,000 on an average of $123,873 *, three and a half times the headline rate, and 50 of that outlet’s roughly 148 customers work purely to pay it.
The required media minimum of $35,600 is the same for every outlet. That is $15,000 local, $3,600 of search work and $17,000 of digital *, a flat figure for an outlet billing $123,873 and for one billing $2,319,232. So it lands as 28.7% of revenue at the bottom and 1.5% at the top.
Filed advertising came to $21,951, which is $13,649 under today’s minimum. That is 5.1% of revenue *. Owners on earlier agreements have lighter marketing terms, so a new outlet should model the $35,600.
A median outlet on today’s terms costs $83,506 of brand and media cost. $42,000 of royalty, $5,906 of marketing fund and $35,600 of required media *, against $52,648 in the filed statement, a $30,858 difference that leaves $32,237 of the median $63,095.
The mature class
Revenue by quartile for older outlets
| quartile | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top quarter | $1,369,980 | $1,356,644 | $1,307,986 | −4.5% |
| Second quarter | $611,875 | $585,541 | $557,986 | −8.8% |
| Third quarter | $346,873 | $318,532 | $309,131 | −10.9% |
| Bottom quarter | $110,507 | $123,994 | $123,873 | +12.1% |
| Class average | $606,775 | $596,178 | $574,744 | −5.3% |
| Class median | $465,080 | $425,232 | $395,028 | −15.1% |
Every quartile, average and median figure is as the brand reported it and the change column is marked *.
The median mature outlet lost $70,052 of revenue in three years. $465,080 down to $395,028 *, 84 customers at the system rate, one in six of what a median mature outlet holds.
The top quarter still averages $1,307,986 and the bottom $123,873. A range of 10.56 times inside one cohort *, same brand, same age, same fee schedule, so the difference is pool count, lane hours and fill rate.
Three quarters of the class fell and one rose. They fell 4.5%, 8.8% and 10.9%, and one rose 12.1%. The lowest-selling outlets are being repaired while the highest-selling are giving ground, which is what a system looks like when new capacity lands near established territories.
Revenue in the 2023 and 2024 classes rose every year. The 2023 signings went $213,514 to $330,867 to $376,169 and the 2024 signings went $134,106 to $256,871 *, a 76.2% and a 91.5% climb, so the build-up is real and the plateau arrives somewhere near the mature median.
The system went from 138 outlets to 289 in three years. 175 opened and 24 left, a departure rate of 14 for every 100 that opened *, which is low, and the 19 agreements signed and awaiting opening say the pipeline continues.
Customers and pools
Revenue and customers by signing class, 2025
| Class | Outlets | Average revenue | Average customers | Revenue a customer * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-2022 | 88 | $574,744 | 660 | $870.82 |
| 2022 | 13 | $384,722 | 464 | $829.14 |
| 2023 | 36 | $376,169 | 449 | $837.79 |
| 2024 | 69 | $256,871 | 320 | $802.72 |
| 2025 | 38 | $119,685 | 185 | $646.95 |
| All 244, weighted * | 244 | $374,562 | 448 | $835.51 |
Class outlet counts, average revenue and average customers are as the brand reported it, and the weighted row and every revenue-a-customer figure are marked *.
An established customer is worth $870.82 a year and a first-year one $646.95. That is a gap of $223.87 *. The build-up is as much about holding families across seasons as about signing them. That is because the mature classes convert the same enrollment into a third more revenue.
Break-even sits near $210,132 of revenue, or 252 customers. That is $90,644 of fixed cost against a 43.1% contribution rate after labor, pool rent, supplies, the marketing fund and card charges *, on today’s fee schedule with the $42,000 minimum royalty and the $35,600 media minimum in the fixed base.
The median outlet clears break-even by $85,154, or 102 customers. $295,286 against $210,132 *, a hundred families is the whole cushion, so a bad autumn enrollment window is the event that matters most in this model.
A British Swim School outlet earns $178,624 of revenue a pool. The median is $110,671 a pool, and some outlets run as many as nine pools. The top quartile at $1,307,986 is running roughly seven pools’ worth of volume.
Pool rent is 16.8% of revenue. That is $72,719 against $432,912 *, inside the 10% to 25% range a pool owner is owed. So the rent line is where an experienced owner finds points.
Questions we get asked
Questions an owner asks
How much does a British Swim School franchise make?
British Swim School franchisees averaged $432,912 of sales in 2025, with a median of $295,286, according to Item 19 of British Swim School’s 2026 FDD, issued 21 April 2026. The 168 in that group are 58%* of British Swim School’s 289 locations. Fees paid to British Swim School come to about 12%* of sales.
What does a British Swim School outlet bill?
Across the 168 outlets that filed an income statement, the 2025 average was $432,912 of sales with $108,457 of net operating income, which is 25%. The median outlet billed $295,286 and kept $63,095, which is 21%. Across the wider group of 244 outlets, class averages ran from $574,744 for the pre-2022 signings down to $119,685 for the 2025 signings.
Where does the money go at British Swim School?
Labor takes 33% of revenue, pool rental 17% and lesson supplies 3%, so cost of sales is 52% and gross profit 48%. Royalty is 10%, the marketing fund 2%, advertising and promotion 5%, card and bank charges 2%, technology 1% and insurance 1%. Total operating expenses come to 23%.
What fees does British Swim School charge?
British Swim School charges a royalty of 10% of gross sales plus 2% into the marketing fund. The royalty has a monthly minimum once the initial period ends, of $1,500 in the second full year, $2,500 in the third and $3,500 from the fourth onward, payable whatever the month’s sales were. Technology runs about $250 a month at the start and rises toward $820 a month at 1,000 active students.
When does the minimum royalty start to bite at British Swim School?
The minimum applies below $420,000 of annual sales from the fourth year, where the $42,000 minimum exceeds the 10% rate. The pre-2022 class median is $395,028, so most of the oldest outlets in the system sit under it. For the bottom quartile of that class, averaging $123,873, the minimum works out at 33.9% of revenue.
What is the marketing requirement at British Swim School?
A standard British Swim School territory also spends $15,000 a year on local advertising, $3,600 on search engine optimization and $17,000 on digital marketing. That is $35,600 a year as a flat dollar figure with a percentage alternative absent. On top of that sits the 2% marketing fund, and in the first year a mailer program costing about $5,650. The outlets in the filed statement spent $21,951 on advertising and promotion, because earlier agreements have lighter terms.
How much does a British Swim School franchise cost to open?
A British Swim School standard territory costs $122,700 to $176,050 to open on a $59,500 initial franchise fee, of which $86,700 goes to the franchisor or its affiliates. A targeted territory runs $95,200 to $151,050 on a $39,500 fee. Two or three territories under an area development agreement run $212,300 to $426,550.
How stable is the British Swim School system?
British Swim School had 289 franchised outlets at the end of 2025, up from 138 two years earlier. Across 2023 to 2025, 175 opened and 24 left, 22 terminations, one non-renewal and one that ceased for other reasons. The brand owns zero outlets itself. A further 51 businesses trade in Canada, and 19 agreements were signed and awaiting opening at year end.
Which two numbers should run monthly at British Swim School?
Track active customers against 252, because that is where break-even sits on today’s fee schedule at $835.51 of revenue a customer. Then track pool rent as a share of the revenue each pool produces against 16.8%, because the lane-hour deal is the one cost line an owner renegotiates.
Questions worth putting to British Swim School
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 British Swim School 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 British Swim School 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 is a lane hour earning you?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around $835.51 of revenue a customer, a break-even at 252 customers. Pool rent measured against the revenue each pool actually produces.
Talk to Averanthe franchise library, all 447 brands · how franchise unit economics work · running the books across several locations · what Averan does for franchise owners
British Swim School reads against the rest of the swim schools and youth sports group: Big Blue Swim School · Goldfish Swim School. The swim schools and youth sports 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.
- I run several locations. Which ones actually make money?It shows each location's contribution to profit and the reporting it takes to see it.
- How much of Item 19 can I rely on?It explains what an Item 19 financial performance representation tells you and what it leaves out.
Where these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from British Swim School Franchising, 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. British Swim School® 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: British Swim School Franchising, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 21 April 2026.