Budget Blinds franchise unit economics
Budget Blinds franchisees run a mobile showroom from a home or small office that sells and installs blinds, shades, shutters and drapery across a territory measured in households.
Budget Blinds franchise at a glance
In its 2026 FDD Budget Blinds reports 2025 gross sales by the number of territories each franchisee holds, with the average, median and quartile points for each group and the change from 2024.
Budget Blinds’ 282 single-territory franchisees open all of 2025 averaged $774,915 of sales, with a median of $522,826, according to Item 19 of Budget Blinds’ 2026 FDD, issued 1 April 2026. Budget Blinds’ Item 19 covers 612 franchisees holding 1,192 territories, and Budget Blinds reported 1,355 franchised outlets at the end of 2025. Fees paid to Budget Blinds come to about 6.35%* of sales for a Tier 1 territory at that average and 9.41%* at the median.
- A Budget Blinds franchise costs $100,500 to $211,250 to open, including a $19,950 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Budget Blinds charges a royalty of 3.5% of sales and a $600 monthly technology fee.
- 88 of Budget Blinds’ 282 single-territory franchisees, or 31%, reached the single-territory average.
- Work out Budget Blinds's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Budget Blinds'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 →- A Tier 1 territory pays a $30,000 minimum royalty until $857,143 of sales. The single-territory median is $522,826, where 3.5% would be $18,299 *, so the minimum costs $11,701 more, and more than half of single-territory owners sit under the crossover.
- Brand charges take 9.41% of a median Tier 1 single-territory owner. That is $49,200 on $522,826 *, a $30,000 minimum royalty, $12,000 of flat national advertising and $7,200 of technology, against a 3.5% headline.
- Single-territory sales fell at every point in the distribution. The average dropped 9.2% to $774,915, the median 6.1% to $522,826, the 75th percentile 4.7% and the 25th percentile 16.4% to $340,525*. The 25th percentile fell further than any other Budget Blinds single-territory measure.
- Among owners with three or more territories the average rose and the median fell. Among franchisees with three or more territories the average rose 3.4% to $2,594,079 while the median fell 4.9% to $1,823,078*, so sales at the top of that Budget Blinds group grew and sales at its middle shrank.
- The national advertising fee rises 50% at 1,500 territories. $1,000 a month becomes $1,500 for a Tier 1 territory, and the system stood at 1,355 at the end of 2025, 145 away *, which is a $6,000 a year step for a single-territory owner.
How much does a Budget Blinds franchise make?
Budget Blinds’ 282 single-territory franchisees averaged $774,915 of sales in 2025 and their median was $522,826. The brand’s disclosure document discloses revenue and not profit, so what an owner keeps depends on the cost structure set out below. Fees come off the top first, at about 6.3% 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 Budget Blinds performers
Budget Blinds publishes percentiles for its owners instead of grouped averages. The Budget Blinds 75th percentile single-territory owner reported $921,140 of sales in 2025. The Budget Blinds 25th percentile single-territory owner reported $340,525. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $522,826. The average was $774,915. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The Budget Blinds 75th percentile single-territory owner sells 2.7× the 25th percentile owner. 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 $100,500 to $211,250, a 2.1× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 6.3% 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
- Sales depend on installations.The sale happens in the customer’s home, so the owner works on how many appointments are booked, how many close, and what the average install is worth.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 612 Budget Blinds franchisees holding 1,192 territories, against 1,355 franchised Budget Blinds outlets at the end of 2025. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded.
- What the filing does not include.Item 19 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations. Ask the franchisor or current owners for cost and profit figures.
Discounts available
- Budget Blinds takes 15% off the Initial Franchise Fee and the first Initial Territory Fee for current or honorably discharged U.S. veterans and their spouses.
- Budget Blinds charges a $60,000 territory fee instead of $70,000 for a second Tier 1 territory bought at the same time as the first.
From Item 5 of the Budget Blinds 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Every location, lowest to highest
Revenue by number of territories operated, 2025
| Measure | One territory | Two territories | Three or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchisees reporting | 282 | 202 | 128 |
| Highest | $9,336,975 | $9,044,089 | $18,753,237 |
| 75th percentile | $921,140 | $1,442,552 | $3,178,585 |
| Average | $774,915 | $1,201,857 | $2,594,079 |
| Average of the middle half | $565,256 | $995,854 | $2,024,073 |
| Median | $522,826 | $967,557 | $1,823,078 |
| 25th percentile | $340,525 | $658,841 | $1,195,398 |
| Lowest | $53,370 | $76,111 | $412,200 |
| At or above their own average | 88, 31% | 78, 39% | 45, 35% |
Every figure is as the brand reported it, covering 612 franchisees who traded all of 2025 and reported. The brand puts that at 82% of those open all year, with multi-territory figures being totals across all of an owner's territories.
The single-territory average is 1.48 times its own median. That is $774,915 against $522,826 *, and only 88 of 282 reach the average, so an owner planning against it is planning against the top third.
The middle half of single-territory owners averages $565,256. That leaves out the top and bottom quarters and is $209,659 below the headline average *.
A second territory adds $426,942 of average sales. Averages run $774,915, $1,201,857 and $2,594,079 across groups averaging one, two and four territories, so per territory that runs $774,915, $600,929 and $648,520 *.
A single-territory owner reported $9,336,975. That compares with a $774,915 group average and a $53,370 minimum *, a 175-fold range inside one territory count, which is what a mobile showroom with an open ceiling on capacity allows at both ends.
The three-or-more group starts at $412,200. Its lowest-selling owner runs at least three territories and bills less than the single-territory median across all of them, so territory count buys reach.
What 2025 did
Single-territory revenue, 2024 and 2025
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 | Change * |
|---|---|---|---|
| One territory, 75th percentile | $966,358 | $921,140 | −4.7% |
| One territory, average | $853,650 | $774,915 | −9.2% |
| One territory, median | $556,955 | $522,826 | −6.1% |
| One territory, 25th percentile | $407,517 | $340,525 | −16.4% |
| Two territories, average | $1,252,032 | $1,201,857 | −4.0% |
| Two territories, median | $968,124 | $967,557 | −0.1% |
| Three or more, average | $2,508,917 | $2,594,079 | +3.4% |
| Three or more, median | $1,917,040 | $1,823,078 | −4.9% |
Both years are as the brand reported it and the change column is marked *.
The bottom quarter of single-territory owners lost $66,992 of sales. $407,517 down to $340,525, a 16.4% fall *, three and a half times the drop the 75th percentile took, so the damage concentrated at the bottom.
The single-territory average fell further than its median. 9.2% against 6.1% *, which means the highest-selling single-territory owners gave up more dollars than the middle did, even as the bottom gave up more percentage.
The two-territory median moved $567. $968,124 to $967,557, a $567 move, the steadiest line in the whole table, while the same group’s average slipped 4.0% *.
The three-or-more group’s average rose and its median fell. Up 3.4% to $2,594,079 against down 4.9% to $1,823,078, a gap of $771,001 between mean and median *, widened by a year in which the very top grew and everyone else in the group gave ground.
On today’s minimum fees, the $66,992 the bottom quarter lost saves them nothing in royalty. A Tier 1 owner at $407,517 and one at $340,525 both pay the same $30,000 *, which is the clearest statement of what a dollar minimum does in a down year.
The minimums and the tiers
Brand charges for a single-territory owner
| Tier | Households | minimum royalty a month | minimum a year * | 3.5% overtakes at * | National advertising a year * | Technology a year * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 36,000 or more | $2,500 | $30,000 | $857,143 | $12,000 | $7,200 |
| Tier 2 | 25,000 to 36,000 | $1,875 | $22,500 | $642,857 | $9,000 | $7,200 |
| Tier 3 | Under 25,000 | $1,250 | $15,000 | $428,571 | $6,000 | $7,200 |
Household groups, monthly minimums, the flat national advertising fee and the $600 monthly technology charge are as the brand reported it. The annual totals and crossover points are marked *.
At the single-territory median a Tier 1 owner pays 9.41% and a Tier 3 owner 6.02%. $49,200 against $31,499 on the same $522,826 *, so the tier an owner buys into is worth $17,701 a year at the middle of the system.
At the 25th percentile the Tier 1 load reaches 14.45%. That is $49,200 on $340,525 *, more than four times the headline rate, and the point at which a low-percentage royalty stops being a low-cost one.
More than half of single-territory owners sit below the Tier 1 crossover. The median is $522,826, the crossover $857,143 and the 75th percentile $921,140 *, so somewhat more than the top quarter of single-territory owners in a Tier 1 territory pay the percentage.
National advertising is a flat dollar figure. $1,000 a month for a Tier 1 territory, rising to $1,500 once the system reaches 1,500 US territories. A franchisee has no claim on that money being spent in their own territory.
Local marketing has no required spend today. The franchisor may impose one through the manual up to 8% of sales. The only concrete figure anywhere is $10,000 to $15,000 of initial marketing in the first three months. So the marketing obligation is a reserved right.
Openings and resales
Franchised outlets and transfers, 2023 to 2025
| Year | At start | Opened | Terminations | Non-renewals | Ceased, other | At end | Net * | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,298 | 78 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1,362 | +64 | 69 |
| 2024 | 1,362 | 35 | 7 | 1 | 23 | 1,366 | +4 | 87 |
| 2025 | 1,366 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 1,355 | −11 | 97 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it and the net column is marked *, with the brand owning zero outlets itself in all three years.
Openings fell 79% in two years while departures more than doubled. Openings went from 78 to 35 to 16 and departures from 14 to 31 to 27 *, and 2025 is the first net decline, at 11 territories.
253 territories changed hands in three years. That compares with 72 departures *, so an owner leaving this system has been three and a half times likelier to sell than to shut. The resale count rose every year while openings collapsed.
Selling costs $5,000 a territory or 6% of the price, capped at $50,000. The brand adds $15,000 if its own marketing produced the buyer, so on a $500,000 sale the transfer bill reaches $45,000 * if the buyer came from the brand’s database.
The pipeline is 6 signed and 15 projected. That compares with 16 opened in 2025 and 1,355 standing, so the system is now being renewed almost entirely through resales.
Territory is a fixed list of zip codes that stays fixed. The codes stay the same even as postal boundaries and populations move. The brand may still reclassify the tier at renewal. That is the one place a territory’s minimum fees can change without the territory changing.
Questions we get asked
Questions an owner asks
How much does a Budget Blinds franchise make?
Budget Blinds’ 282 single-territory franchisees open all of 2025 averaged $774,915 of sales, with a median of $522,826, according to Item 19 of Budget Blinds’ 2026 FDD, issued 1 April 2026. Budget Blinds’ Item 19 covers 612 franchisees holding 1,192 territories, and Budget Blinds reported 1,355 franchised outlets at the end of 2025. Fees paid to Budget Blinds come to about 6.35%* of sales for a Tier 1 territory at that average and 9.41%* at the median.
What does a Budget Blinds territory bill?
For the 282 single-territory franchisees reporting a full 2025, the average was $774,915 and the median $522,826, with a 75th percentile of $921,140 and a 25th of $340,525. The middle half averaged $565,256. Two-territory owners averaged $1,201,857 across both territories and three-or-more owners $2,594,079 across an average of four.
What fees does Budget Blinds charge?
Budget Blinds charges a royalty of 3.5% of sales or a monthly minimum by territory tier, whichever is greater, $2,500 for Tier 1, $1,875 for Tier 2 and $1,250 for Tier 3, plus a flat national advertising fee of $1,000, $750 or $500 a month by the same tiers. Technology costs $600 a month for the first territory plus $300 for each additional one.
When does 3.5% overtake the minimum at Budget Blinds?
Budget Blinds' minimum applies below $857,143 of annual sales in a Tier 1 territory, $642,857 in Tier 2 and $428,571 in Tier 3. The single-territory median is $522,826 and the 75th percentile $921,140. So in a Tier 1 territory somewhat more than the top quarter of single-territory owners has a royalty that moves with sales.
What is the real load at Budget Blinds?
On our reading, a Tier 1 single-territory owner at the median pays $49,200 (9.41% of $522,826) and at the 25th percentile 14.45%. The same owner in a Tier 3 territory pays $31,499 and $28,200, or 6.02% and 8.28%. The headline rate of 3.5% applies only above the crossover.
Is there a local marketing requirement at Budget Blinds?
The requirement is zero today. The franchise agreement reserves the right to require local marketing up to 8% of sales through the manual. The only concrete figure disclosed is $10,000 to $15,000 of initial marketing in the first three months. National advertising is the flat monthly fee, and the brand is free to spend it anywhere it chooses.
How much does a Budget Blinds franchise cost to open?
A Budget Blinds franchise costs $100,500 to $211,250 to open for a single territory, excluding office or workspace costs. That is a $19,950 franchise fee plus a territory fee of $30,000, $45,000 or $70,000 by tier, a vehicle at $10,000 to $48,000, initial marketing of $10,000 to $15,000 and $25,000 to $40,000 of additional funds. Veterans get 15% off both the franchise fee and the first territory fee.
How stable is the Budget Blinds system?
Budget Blinds had 1,355 territories at the end of 2025, down from 1,366. Across 2023 to 2025, 129 opened and 72 left, 28 terminations, 9 non-renewals and 35 that ceased for other reasons. Over the same period, 253 Budget Blinds territories transferred to new owners. The brand owns zero outlets itself.
Which two numbers should run monthly at Budget Blinds?
Track sales against $71,429 a month, which is where 3.5% overtakes the Tier 1 minimum, and against $35,714 in a Tier 3 territory. Then track sold jobs against quoted jobs, because with the royalty fixed below the crossover, every point of close rate falls straight through to the owner.
- The filing gives no profit figure. The filing reports sales and not earnings, so what an owner keeps is not disclosed.
- The filing breaks out no cost lines. Wages, rent and cost of goods are not broken out, so margin cannot be rebuilt from the document.
Questions worth putting to Budget Blinds
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- What do locations at the median spend on wages and rent as a share of sales? The filing reports sales only.
- Which factors does Budget Blinds 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 Budget Blinds 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 →Is your royalty a rate or a minimum?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around the crossover point for your tier, the real load at your sales level. What your close rate is worth once the royalty stops moving.
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Budget Blinds reads against the rest of the window coverings group: Gotcha Covered.
Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
- Money arrives before the service does. How should that be booked?It explains deferred revenue and why the bank balance and the profit line disagree.
- 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.
- Do I need a bookkeeper, a controller, or a CFO?It explains what each role owns and when the next hire pays for itself.
- Revenue was the highest it has been. Why did profit not move?It traces where the extra revenue went, line by line.
Where these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Budget Blinds, 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. Budget Blinds® 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: Budget Blinds, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 1 April 2026.