Fresh Coat franchise unit economics
Fresh Coat franchisees sell interior and exterior painting to homeowners and businesses from a home office, with the work delivered by subcontracted crews.
Fresh Coat franchise at a glance
The 62 franchises reporting a full year averaged $751,964 in 2025 against $659,219 in 2024, up 14.1%. Average gross profit after direct labor and paint fell from 43.79% to 37.8%.
Fresh Coat franchisees averaged $751,964 of sales in 2025, with a median of $653,107, according to Item 19 of Fresh Coat’s 2026 FDD, issued 17 April 2026. The 62 in that group are 34%* of Fresh Coat’s 182 locations. Fees paid to Fresh Coat come to about 8.8%* of sales. A Fresh Coat franchise costs $86,150 to $125,250 to open.
- A Fresh Coat franchise costs $86,150 to $125,250 to open, including a $54,900 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Fresh Coat charges a royalty of 6% of sales, a 2% brand fund contribution and a $499 monthly technology fee.
- Fresh Coat reported 182 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- 27% of reporting Fresh Coat locations reached the average.
- At the average Fresh Coat location, cost of goods took 62.2% of sales.
- Work out Fresh Coat's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Fresh Coat's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
Own this franchise?
See what your numbers should look like every month.
Talk to Averan → Move your books and accounting to Averan →- Revenue rose $92,745 and gross profit fell $4,430. That is $751,964 at 37.8% against $659,219 at 43.79% *, 14.1% more billing for 1.5% less kept.
- The bottom quarter nearly doubled while the top quarter rose 6.4%. That is $146,705 to $291,457 against $1,388,967 to $1,477,436, the gap between the two narrowed from 9.5 times to 5.1 times *.
- The rebate ladder returns the whole $54,900 fee at $4,000,000 over five years. That is $800,000 a year *, against a system average of $751,964, a shortfall of $240,180 across the five.
- Local advertising has a minimum of $36,000, which is 12.35% of a bottom-quarter franchisee’s revenue. Brand charges and marketing together take 22.41% there against 15.20% at the highest-selling franchisees *.
- The second quartile’s median gross profit of 61.3% sits above its own highest of 42.8%. 61.3% is also the highest figure across all 62 franchises.
How much does a Fresh Coat franchise make?
The average Fresh Coat unit reported $751,964 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $653,107. Item 19 of the Fresh Coat FDD publishes gross revenue and gross profit percentage by quartile for 62 franchises in 2024 and 2025, and what an owner keeps depends on the costs set out below. Fees come off the top first, at about 8.8% 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 Fresh Coat performers
Fresh Coat splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $1,477,436 a year. The lowest averaged $291,457. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $653,107. The average was $751,964. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 5.1× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory quoted at 200,000 people, with no storefront. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $86,150 to $125,250, a 1.5× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 8.8% 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.Fresh Coat crew labor and paint take 62.2% of sales. The levers are crew pricing, paint buying terms and the price quoted on each job.
- Sales depend on painting jobs.Every job is quoted, so the owner works on how many quotes close and how many crew days each job takes.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 62 of 182 locations. 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 of the Fresh Coat FDD publishes gross revenue and gross profit percentage by quartile for 62 franchises in 2024 and 2025. Ask the franchisor or current owners for any cost line the filing leaves out.
Discounts available
- Fresh Coat takes 10% off the then-current fee for each additional franchise after the first, if each fee is paid in full at signing.
- Fresh Coat takes up to 15% off for honorably discharged veterans who meet its VetFran requirements.
From Item 5 of the Fresh Coat 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Two years side by side
Sales by quartile, 2024 and 2025
Across 62 franchises in each of 2025 and 2024, revenue moved up on every measure and gross profit percentage moved down on almost all of them.
| quartile | 2024 franchises | 2024 average | 2025 franchises | 2025 average | Change * | 2025 median | 2025 range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 15 | $1,388,967 | 15 | $1,477,436 | +6.4% | $1,297,437 | $924,632–$3,011,119 |
| Second | 15 | $760,191 | 17 | $701,974 | −7.7% | $693,805 | $613,746–$795,231 |
| Third | 16 | $392,934 | 15 | $543,655 | +38.4% | $543,539 | $430,915–$612,914 |
| Fourth | 16 | $146,705 | 15 | $291,457 | +98.7% | $273,564 | $106,847–$428,512 |
| All | 62 | $659,219 | 62 | $751,964 | +14.1% | $653,107 | $106,847–$3,011,119 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it and the change column is marked *.
The bottom quarter nearly doubled, from $146,705 to $291,457 *. The third quarter by sales rose 38.4%, so the two lowest quarters produced the year's growth while the second fell 7.7%.
The distance between the highest-selling and lowest-selling quarters halved. 9.47 times in 2024 to 5.07 times in 2025 *, though the single highest-selling franchise still bills 28.2 times the lowest-selling one.
Attainment fell from 46.77% to 27.0%. About 17 of the 62 owners reached the average in 2025 *, against about 29 the year before, while the average itself rose. A few large franchises pulled the mean up.
The median is 86.9% of the average. $653,107 against $751,964 *, so the middle franchise bills nearly $99,000 less than the mean suggests.
Gross profit
Gross profit by quartile, 2024 and 2025
Gross profit here is revenue less direct labor and paint. Everything else (royalty, advertising, technology, insurance, vehicles, office, the owner’s own pay) comes out of what is left. On that definition the average across 62 franchises is 37.8%.
| quartile | 2024 average | 2025 average | Change * | 2025 highest | 2025 median | 2025 lowest | Reaching the average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 45.07% | 37.4% | −7.67 pts | 46.0% | 36.0% | 28.0% | 53.3% |
| Second | 39.41% | 41.0% | +1.59 pts | 42.8% | 61.3% | 29.5% | 52.9% |
| Third | 42.42% | 36.5% | −5.92 pts | 50.07% | 37.5% | 20.0% | 60.0% |
| Fourth | 48.05% | 34.7% | −13.35 pts | 57.0% | 36.9% | 18.0% | 66.6% |
| All | 43.79% | 37.8% | −5.99 pts | 61.3% | 40.0% | 18.0% | 61.1% |
Every percentage is as the brand reported it and the change column is marked *.
The margin fell in three of the four quarters by sales. The bottom quartile lost 13.35 points of the margin while nearly doubling sales *. Growth at the bottom of the system came at a price.
Applied to the filed averages, gross profit dollars fell. $751,964 at 37.8% is $284,242, against $659,219 at 43.79% giving $288,672 *, $4,430 less, or 1.5%.
The range on the same line is 18.0% to 61.3%. That is 43.3 points *, on a measure counting only crew cost and paint. Two owners billing the same money can differ by more than $300,000 of gross profit.
The Fresh Coat top quartile kept 37.4% in 2025, down from 45.07% in 2024. The second quartile kept 41.0%, the third 36.5% and the fourth 34.7% *.
How the fees step, and the rebate
Royalty and advertising requirement
Royalty steps down from 6% to 4% as revenue rises, with a monthly minimum of $1,000 after the first year. The national branding fund is 2% with a $350 monthly minimum and technology is $499 a month. On top, a franchisee must spend the greater of 10% of revenue or $3,000 a month locally for three years, then the greater of 8% or $3,000.
| Sales | Royalty | National branding | Technology | To the franchisor | Share | Local advertising at 8% | All in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,011,119, the highest franchise | $150,445 | $60,222 | $5,988 | $216,655 | 7.20% | $240,890 | 15.20% |
| $1,477,436, the first quartile | $83,872 | $29,549 | $5,988 | $119,409 | 8.08% | $118,195 | 16.08% |
| $751,964, the system average | $45,118 | $15,039 | $5,988 | $66,145 | 8.80% | $60,157 | 16.80% |
| $653,107, the system median | $39,186 | $13,062 | $5,988 | $58,236 | 8.92% | $52,249 | 16.92% |
| $291,457, the fourth quartile | $17,487 | $5,829 | $5,988 | $29,304 | 10.05% | $36,000 | 22.41% |
| $106,847, the lowest franchise | $12,000 | $4,200 | $5,988 | $22,188 | 20.77% | $36,000 | 54.46% |
Rates, minimums and the revenue figures are as the brand reported it; every dollar figure and share is marked *.
Local advertising costs more than the royalty at every level shown. That is $60,157 against $45,118 at the system average *, and at the highest franchise $240,890 against $150,445.
The minimum advertising spend is 12.35% of sales for an owner in the bottom quarter. $36,000 on $291,457 *, against 8% which would be $23,317, $12,683 more than the rate alone.
The royalty rate resets to 6% every January. So a franchisee at $1,477,436 pays 6% on the first $1,000,000 each year before any reduction applies. The Fresh Coat franchisee has to apply in writing within three months of crossing the line.
Franchise fee rebate schedule
The brand offers to give the $54,900 franchise fee back in stages against cumulative revenue goals. Each stage requires the one before it, and the final stage returns the remainder of the fee.
| By the end of year | Cumulative revenue required | Rebate | Implied annual average * | System average cumulative * | Position * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $1,000,000 | $10,000 | $500,000 | $1,503,928 | +$503,928 |
| 3 | $1,800,000 | $10,000 | $600,000 | $2,255,892 | +$455,892 |
| 4 | $2,800,000 | $10,000 | $700,000 | $3,007,856 | +$207,856 |
| 5 | $4,000,000 | Remainder of the fee | $800,000 | $3,759,820 | −$240,180 |
Thresholds and rebates are as the brand reported it; the last three columns are marked *.
The last rung asks for 6.4% more than the system average produces. $800,000 a year against $751,964 *, and that is measured from the first day of trading.
The first three rungs return $30,000 of the $54,900. A franchisee at the system average clears all three *, so the realistic reading of this ladder is a $30,000 rebate.
Opening and the system
Cost to open
| Line | Low | High | Share of the low column * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $54,900 | $54,900 | 63.7% |
| Additional funds, three months | $21,000 | $43,000 | 24.4% |
| Travel and living while training | $3,000 | $4,500 | 3.5% |
| Grand opening promotion | $3,000 | $4,000 | 3.5% |
| Insurance | $2,800 | $8,000 | 3.3% |
| Computer system | $1,000 | $3,000 | 1.2% |
| Compliance with regulations | $450 | $1,350 | 0.5% |
| Furniture and equipment | $0 | $1,000 | 0.0% |
| Rent, telephone, bank, licensing and other deposits | $0 | $2,000 | 0.0% |
| Monthly office rental | $0 | $1,000 | 0.0% |
| Vehicle | $0 | $2,500 | 0.0% |
| Total | $86,150 | $125,250 | 100% |
Amounts are as the brand reported it and the share column is marked *; both columns add to their stated totals exactly.
Franchised outlets, 2023 to 2025
| Year | At start | Opened | Terminated | Failed to renew | Reacquired | Ceased for other reasons | At end | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 166 | 29 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 174 | 7 |
| 2024 | 174 | 37 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 187 | 6 |
| 2025 | 187 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 182 | 8 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it, and start plus openings less departures reconciles to the year-end count in all three years.
2025 was the first net loss in three years. That is 23 openings against 28 departures *, after 37 against 24 and 29 against 21.
Terminations more than quadrupled. 3 in 2024 to 13 in 2025 *, while reacquisitions and other closures held steady at 7 each.
One agreement is signed against 28 projected openings. So almost all of next year’s growth is still to be sold *.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a Fresh Coat franchise make?
Fresh Coat franchisees averaged $751,964 of sales in 2025, with a median of $653,107, according to Item 19 of Fresh Coat’s 2026 FDD, issued 17 April 2026. The 62 in that group are 34%* of Fresh Coat’s 182 locations. Fees paid to Fresh Coat come to about 8.8%* of sales. A Fresh Coat franchise costs $86,150 to $125,250 to open.
What does a Fresh Coat franchise bill?
The 62 franchises reporting a full year averaged $751,964 in 2025 with a median of $653,107, ranging from $106,847 to $3,011,119. By quartile the averages run $1,477,436, $701,974, $543,655 and $291,457. In 2024 the same-sized group averaged $659,219.
What is gross profit here at Fresh Coat?
Gross profit here is revenue less direct labor and paint only. On that definition it averaged 37.8% in 2025 against 43.79% in 2024, with a median of 40.0% and a range of 18.0% to 61.3%. Everything else (royalty, advertising, technology, insurance, vehicles, office and the owner’s own pay) comes out of what is left.
What fees does Fresh Coat charge?
The royalty is 6% on the first $1,000,000 of sales a year, 5% to $2,000,000 and 4% above. Fresh Coat charges a $1,000 monthly minimum after the first year and a reset to 6% every January. Fresh Coat charges a 2% national branding fund with a $350 monthly minimum, and technology at $499 a month. At the system average that is $66,145, or 8.80% of revenue.
What must be spent on advertising at Fresh Coat?
It is the greater of 10% of revenue or $3,000 a month for the first three years, then the greater of 8% or $3,000. At the system average that is $60,157 a year, which is more than the royalty. For an owner in the bottom quarter, the $36,000 minimum is 12.35% of sales. Brand charges and advertising together reach 22.41%.
Can the Fresh Coat franchise fee be earned back?
The brand rebates $10,000 at $1,000,000 of cumulative revenue in two years, $10,000 more at $1,800,000 in three, $10,000 more at $2,800,000 in four. The remainder comes at $4,000,000 in five. Each rung requires the one before it. A franchise at the 2025 system average clears the first three and falls $240,180 short of the last.
How much does a Fresh Coat franchise cost to open?
$86,150 to $125,250, of which $54,900 is the franchise fee and $21,000 to $43,000 working capital. Office rent, vehicle and furniture all start at zero because the business runs from a home office with subcontracted crews. The fee covers a territory of 175,000 to 200,000 people, with $500 for each further 1,000 above that.
- Item 19 of the Fresh Coat FDD gives no profit after every cost. It publishes gross revenue and gross profit percentage by quartile for 62 franchises in 2024 and 2025, so what an owner keeps after all costs is not disclosed.
Questions worth putting to Fresh Coat
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- How would wages and rent at a new Fresh Coat location compare with the figures in the filing? Item 19 of the Fresh Coat FDD publishes gross revenue and gross profit percentage by quartile for 62 franchises in 2024 and 2025.
- Which factors does Fresh Coat 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 Fresh Coat 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 growth buying margin or spending it?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around gross profit per job after crew and paint, lead cost against the minimum advertising charge, and the royalty step measured across the calendar year.
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
Fresh Coat reads against the rest of the painting group: 360 Painting · CertaPro Painters · Five Star Painting · WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. The painting 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.
- 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 F.C. Franchising Systems, Inc.’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. Fresh Coat® 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: F.C. Franchising Systems, Inc., 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 17 April 2026.