CareBuilders At Home franchise unit economics
CareBuilders At Home franchisees run a non-medical home care agency, placing caregivers with older adults across a territory of roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people aged 65 or over. The franchisor handling wages funding and back office. Across 22 offices, the year to September 2025 averaged $1,909,010 of sales, with 35.00% left after caregiver costs. A 9% royalty on revenue therefore takes 25.7% of what the business keeps.
- Primary source
- CareBuilders At Home, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
- Items read
- Items 5 and 6 for fees; Item 19 for sales and any profit figure; Item 20 for the location count
- Population
- 22 of 28 locations
- Our calculations
- Marked on the page with an asterisk. Method
- Last reviewed
- 26 September 2026
Disclosure-based. Not a forecast, not an offer to sell a franchise, and not advice.
This is one of the few home care documents that reports a cost line. On average 35.00% is left after caregiver wages, payroll taxes, benefits, insurance and card fees. On a $1,909,010 average that is $668,154 of gross profit, and a 9% royalty on revenue takes 25.7% of it.
- A 9% royalty on revenue is 25.7% of gross profit. Because the business keeps 35.00% of every dollar after direct costs *, and at the lowest-selling reported margin of 21.41% the same royalty takes 42.0%.
- Add local marketing and the brand’s share of gross profit reaches 28.6%. 1% of revenue or $1,000 a month, whichever is greater, 46.7% of gross profit at the lowest-selling margin and 20.7% at the highest-selling *.
- Gross profit runs from 21.41% to 48.25%. A 26.84-point range across 22 outlets *, and the median improved 2.23 points in two years, from 33.94% to 36.17%.
- Revenue grew 20.7% in two years. $1,581,248 to $1,909,010 on the average and $1,316,957 to $1,609,462 on the median *, with the highest-selling outlet reaching $5,347,452.
- The royalty minimum reaches $112,000 a year and then compounds. Zero in the first half-year, rising to $56,000 a half by year four, then 5% more every six months, $196,347 a year by year ten *.
How much does a CareBuilders At Home franchise make?
The average CareBuilders At Home unit reported $1,909,010 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $1,609,462. 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 10% 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 margin
Three years of sales, and what was left after caregiver costs.
| Measure | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average revenue | $1,581,248 | $1,848,551 | $1,909,010 | +20.7% |
| Median revenue | $1,316,957 | $1,443,200 | $1,609,462 | +22.2% |
| Highest | $3,755,249 | $3,964,066 | $5,347,452 | +42.4% |
| Lowest | $221,946 | $360,533 | $87,864 | −60.4% |
| Average gross profit | 33.88% | 33.97% | 35.00% | +1.12 points |
| Median gross profit | 33.94% | 34.16% | 36.17% | +2.23 points |
| Highest gross profit | 47.71% | 48.18% | 48.25% | +0.54 points |
| Lowest gross profit | 23.05% | 22.40% | 21.41% | −1.64 points |
| Gross profit at the average * | $535,727 | $627,953 | $668,154 | +24.7% |
The brand reported every sales figure and every margin, for the years ending 30 September. The change column and gross profit line are marked *.
The figure here is what is left after caregiver costs. Wages, payroll taxes, fringe benefits, insurance, card processing at 3% and an affordable care processing fee of 1% all come out before the 35.00%. It is what the business has to cover everything else.
Gross profit grew faster than revenue. 24.7% against 20.7% over two years *. The margin also rose 1.12 points.
The middle office improved its margin twice as fast as the average. 2.23 points against 1.12 *, which says the gain is broad, and the median is now above the mean at 36.17%.
The lowest office's margin fell every year. 23.05% to 22.40% to 21.41%, so while the middle improved, the bottom of the system went the other way. At 21.41% franchise fees come to 46.7% of what is left *.
The lowest revenue reported fell to $87,864. Down from $360,533 the year before. By year four the minimum royalty is $112,000 a year, so that office is far below it *.
Top performers
What separates the top CareBuilders At Home performers
CareBuilders At Home splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The best group averaged $5,347,452 a year. The worst averaged $87,864. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $1,609,462. The average was $1,909,010. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Trade area and site.A 60.9× gap between bands is not an operating gap. Catchment, daytime population and what sits next door set the ceiling before the first customer arrives.
- Territory, and how much of it is real.This model sells from a territory rather than a building, quoted at 40,000 people. Two owners with the same brand and different ground are running different businesses, and density decides how much driving sits between jobs.
Live operating levers
- Placements, the operating driver.This model bills on placements. The fee is earned when someone is hired and lost again if they leave inside the guarantee, so a placement that does not stick costs the firm twice. It is worth watching every week, because by the time it turns up in a monthly close the quarter is half gone.
- Fees, and where the minimum bites.Fees run about 10.0% of sales. A minimum sits underneath the percentage, so the low-volume location pays the higher effective rate. The brand charges the weakest locations the most. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum and know which side of it you are on, because the answer changes what an extra dollar of sales is worth.
- The first year.This filing shows how a new location builds up, so the ramp can be underwritten from the document rather than assumed. Read two things out of it: the month sales cross the point where costs are covered, and how much cash you fund before that month arrives. Everything before break-even is paid for by you.
Context you underwrite around
- The reporting screen.22 of 28 locations are behind these figures. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded, so the numbers describe locations that cleared that screen, not the system as a whole.
- What the disclosure leaves out.Item 19 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations. Anything below the sales line has to come from the franchisor or from owners you call.
The brand’s share of gross profit
Read the fees against gross profit.
| gross profit | Gross profit on $1,909,010 * | Royalty at 9% | Royalty share of gross profit * | With local marketing * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.25%, the highest-selling | $921,097 | $171,811 | 18.7% | 20.7% |
| 36.17%, the median | $690,489 | $171,811 | 24.9% | 27.6% |
| 35.00%, the average | $668,154 | $171,811 | 25.7% | 28.6% |
| 21.41%, the lowest-selling | $408,719 | $171,811 | 42.0% | 46.7% |
The brand reported the rates and the shares kept. We worked out every dollar figure, holding sales at the 2025 average so the margin is the only thing that moves.
One point of the margin is worth $19,090 at the average office. On $1,909,010 of revenue *, which is more than the whole annual local marketing requirement, and it comes from rate and caregiver cost.
Moving from the lowest office's share to the average is worth $259,434. 21.41% to 35.00% at the same revenue *. The single largest lever anywhere in this model, and it drops the brand’s share from 46.7% to 28.6%.
Local marketing is 1% of revenue or $1,000 a month, whichever is greater. The $12,000 yearly minimum applies below $1,200,000 of sales *, which covers the bottom of the system. It sits alongside a brand development fund of up to 1% once that fund is established.
The brand development fund is still at zero. Up to 1% of total sales, with 60 days&rsquo. Notice before it starts. An owner planning this business should allow another $19,090 a year at average sales *.
Direct costs include a 1% processing fee on top of card fees. Card processing at 3% or the going rate, and a 1% health care processing fee. Both are counted before the margin is worked out. So four points of revenue disappear before a caregiver is paid.
A minimum that compounds
The minimum rises every year of the agreement.
| Period | Minimum for the half year | For the year * | 9% overtakes it at * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year one, first half | $0 | n/a | n/a |
| Year one, second half | $9,000 | $9,000 | $100,000 |
| Year two | $18,000 each half | $36,000 | $400,000 |
| Year three | $36,000 each half | $72,000 | $800,000 |
| Year four | $56,000 each half | $112,000 | $1,244,444 |
| Year five onward | Previous half plus 5% | $120,540 rising | $1,339,333 rising |
| Year ten * | n/a | $196,347 | $2,181,633 |
The half-year minimums and the 5% escalator are as the brand reported it and every annual figure, crossover and the year-ten projection are marked *.
By year four, sales must reach $1,244,444 before 9% costs more than the minimum. *. The middle office sells $1,609,462, above the year-four minimum. The year-ten minimum of $2,181,633 is above even the highest office in 2024.
The escalator compounds at 10.25% a year. The minimum rises 5% every six months *. Sales grew 20.7% over two years.
A shortfall is taken out of the distributed balance. The franchisor funds caregiver wages and holds the receivable. So any minimum that goes unmet is deducted from what it distributes, with the remainder payable within 10 days. The minimum has to be paid in cash whatever sales do.
The lowest-selling outlet billed $87,864. Against a fourth-year minimum of $112,000 *, more royalty than revenue times nine percent by a wide margin, and a clear illustration of what this schedule does to a lower-selling agency.
Territory can be bought by the head. $1.85 for each extra person aged 65 or over added to the territory. An owner facing a rising minimum can buy more market at that price.
Territory and the system
Twenty-eight agencies, and two clean years.
| Year to 30 September | At start | Opened | Terminations | At end | Net * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 19 | +2 |
| 2024 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 22 | +3 |
| 2025 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 28 | +6 |
The brand reported every figure. We worked out the net column. The system grew from 17 to 28 offices, with three leaving over three years.
Fourteen opened and three left across three years. All three departures in 2023 *, so the system has run two clean years while growing 47% from 19 to 28.
Six of the 22 reporting outlets are legacy franchisees. Holding territories at the high end of the 30,000 to 40,000 range of people aged 65 or over. So a quarter of the reporting group sits on more market than a new owner would buy.
The territory is exclusive while you comply, and measured in seniors. Roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people aged 65 or over defined by zip code, fixed as at the agreement date whatever the postal service does later. More can be added at $1.85 a head.
Licensing can cost you the territory in practice. Where a franchisee lacks the required licenses or certifications when a territory is granted or transferred, the franchisor may let another franchisee serve it. So state licensing is a condition of the protection.
Six outlets are too new to report. Those offices had been open under a year at the year end, so 21.4% of the system is outside the figures on this page *. No office closed during the year, inside or outside the reporting group.
Questions we get asked
Questions an owner asks.
What does a CareBuilders agency bill?
Across 22 offices open at least a year to 30 September 2025, sales averaged $1,909,010. Half sold less than $1,609,462. The highest was $5,347,452 and a low of $87,864. Nine of the 22 beat the average. Two years earlier the average was $1,581,248 and the median $1,316,957.
What margin does it run at?
35.00% on average for 2025, and 36.17% at the middle office. That is after caregiver wages, payroll taxes, benefits, insurance, card processing at 3% and a health care processing fee of 1%. The highest-selling outlet ran 48.25% and the lowest-selling 21.41%. Both the average and the median improved across the three years.
What does the brand take?
9% of net revenue in royalty, subject to semi-annual minimums, plus local marketing of 1% of total sales or $1,000 a month, whichever is greater. A brand development fund of up to 1% of total sales is disclosed but has yet to be established. On our reading that is 25.7% of what is left after caregiver costs, or 28.6% once local marketing is counted.
How does the royalty minimum work?
Nothing in the first half-year, then $9,000. Year two costs $18,000 for each half, year three $36,000 for each half and year four $56,000 for each half. From year five each half-year minimum is the previous one plus 5%. On our arithmetic that is $112,000 a year by year four, rising to about $196,347 by year ten. Shortfalls are deducted from the distributed balance and any remainder is payable within 10 days.
What is the territory?
A zip-code area anticipated to hold roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people aged 65 or over, exclusive while the franchisee is in full compliance. The zip codes stay as defined at the agreement date whatever the postal service does later. Additional seniors can be added at $1.85 each. Where a franchisee lacks the required licenses, the franchisor may let another franchisee serve the territory.
What does it cost to open?
The initial franchise fee is $49,500, with a 10% discount for honourably discharged veterans, plus a $10,000 launch program fee. Fees actually collected last year ranged from $0 to $49,500. The rest of the opening cost is small: three months of rent at $3,000 to $5,000, equipment at $2,000 to $5,000 and a computer system.
How stable is the system?
28 outlets at the end of the year to September 2025, up from 17 two years earlier. Fourteen opened and three left across the three years, all three departures falling in 2023. Zero outlets closed during the most recent year, and the brand owns zero outlets itself.
Which two numbers should run monthly?
Gross profit against 35.00%, because a single point is worth $19,090 at average revenue and it moves the brand’s share of your gross profit by roughly a point in the other direction. And revenue against the half-year minimum that applies to your year, since a shortfall comes straight out of your distributed balance.
- No profit figure. The filing reports sales and not earnings, so what an owner keeps is not disclosed.
- 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 CareBuilders At Home
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.
- What separates the highest-selling locations from the lowest: trade area, years open, size, or the owner?
- 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 CareBuilders At Home locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Finance Diagnostic 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. Checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →What is a point of margin worth to you?
A structured review of your unit economics, cash forecast. Reporting, built around the 35.00% system margin, the $19,090 a single point is worth. The semi-annual minimum your year is carrying.
Request the reviewthe franchise library, all 243 brands · how franchise unit economics work · running the books across several locations · what Averan does for franchise owners
CareBuilders At Home reads against the rest of the non-medical home care group: Assisting Hands Home Care · Caring Senior Service · ComForCare · Comfort Keepers · Executive Home Care · FirstLight Home Care. The non-medical home care 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?How royalty, ad fund and minimums actually work on a monthly statement.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?A 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- My payroll percentage keeps climbing. Is that a payroll problem?Usually it is a revenue problem wearing a payroll costume.
- I run several locations. Which ones actually make money?Location-level contribution, and what it takes to see it.
- How much of Item 19 can I rely on?What a financial performance representation does and does not tell you.