Garage Living franchise unit economics
Garage Living franchisees run showroom-based businesses that sell and install garage cabinetry, slatwall, overhead storage and floor coatings.
Garage Living franchise at a glance
Garage Living's 2026 FDD reports fiscal 2025 sales, cost of goods, labor and gross profit by quartile for 30 business operations covering 37 territories, with separate figures for single-territory and multi-territory operations.
Garage Living franchisees averaged $1,631,626 of sales in fiscal 2025, with a median of $1,470,778, according to Item 19 of Garage Living’s 2026 FDD, issued 16 April 2026. The 30 in that group are 88%* of Garage Living’s 34 U.S. business operations at the end of 2025. Fees paid to Garage Living come to about 8.5%* of sales.
- A Garage Living franchise costs $246,450 to $323,900 to open, including a $60,000 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Garage Living charges a royalty of 6.5% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- Garage Living reported 47 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- 43% of reporting Garage Living locations reached the average.
- At the average Garage Living location, cost of goods took 41.3% of sales.
- Work out Garage Living's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Garage 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 →- The published margin sits after labor as well as materials. 41.29% plus 24.23% plus 34.48% adds to exactly 100.00% *, giving $562,585 on the average business.
- Royalty and marketing fee paid to the brand take 8.5% of sales. Those are a 6.5% royalty and a 2% marketing fee *, $138,688 at the average. The local marketing requirement of 3% to 6% adds $48,949 to $97,898.
- The top quartile bills 4.5 times the bottom. That is $2,949,020 against $653,351, with a single high of $3,592,713 and a low of $322,407.
- Multi-territory operations report far more from each territory than single-territory ones. That is $2,194,972 to $3,007,606 against $555,328 to $2,519,267, as printed.
- The two sub-tables describe 49 territories and 36 business units. That compares with a stated population of 37 territories and 30 business operations *.
How much does a Garage Living franchise make?
The average Garage Living unit reported $1,631,626 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $1,470,778. Item 19 of the Garage Living FDD publishes average cost of goods sold of 41.29%, labor of 24.23% and gross margin of 34.48% for its reporting businesses, and what an owner keeps depends on the costs set out below. Fees come off the top first, at about 8.5% 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.
Single and multi
Revenue per territory, single and multi-territory, 2025
| Tier | Structure | Territories | Business units | Average per territory | Median | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Single territory | 6 | 6 | $2,519,267 | $2,508,793 | $1,742,058 | $3,592,713 |
| Second | Single territory | 6 | 6 | $1,447,999 | $1,470,778 | $1,269,804 | $1,661,698 |
| Third | Single territory | 6 | 6 | $1,034,250 | $1,061,498 | $846,676 | $1,096,057 |
| Fourth | Single territory | 6 | 6 | $555,328 | $554,529 | $322,407 | $818,626 |
| Top | Multi territory | 6 | 3 | $3,007,606 | $3,131,314 | $2,852,054 | $3,131,314 |
| Second | Multi territory | 6 | 3 | $2,714,288 | $2,992,600 | $2,251,362 | $3,039,449 |
| Third | Multi territory | 6 | 3 | $2,441,716 | $2,551,708 | $2,221,732 | $2,852,054 |
| Fourth | Multi territory | 7 | 3 | $2,194,972 | $2,229,139 | $2,111,823 | $2,251,362 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it, with both tables headed "Gross Sales/Territory".
Every multi-territory tier reports above every single-territory tier except the top. That is $2,194,972 at the lowest-selling multi tier against $1,447,999 at the second-highest-selling single tier, as printed. Read at face value, holding more than one territory is worth more per piece of ground at Garage Living than holding one.
The two tables together describe 49 territories and 36 business units. That compares with a stated 37 and 30 *. Twelve extra territories and six extra units have to be accounted for before either table can be read as a clean split of the population.
Three business units hold 7 territories in the lowest-selling multi tier. That is 2.3 each, against 2.0 in the other three tiers. If the printed figure is a unit's total, that tier's per-territory result would be $940,702 *, below every single-territory tier except the fourth.
The single-territory top tier's high of $3,592,713 is the system's own high. So the highest-selling business in the whole filing holds one territory. Its tier averages $2,519,267 across six businesses, which is below the multi-territory top tier's $3,007,606 but above every other multi tier's minimum.
The single-territory bottom tier runs $322,407 to $818,626. It averages $555,328 across six businesses. At the published 34.48% margin that is $191,478 to cover rent on a showroom, fees of $63,863 at the low fee rate, marketing and the owner *, the tightest position in the system.
Top performers
What separates the top Garage Living performers
Garage Living splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $2,949,020 a year. The lowest averaged $653,351. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $1,470,778. The average was $1,631,626. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.A 4.5× gap between bands, and 11.1× between the highest-selling and lowest-selling single location, is too wide for operations alone to explain. Catchment, daytime population and what sits next door set the ceiling before the first customer arrives.
- Territory and showroom.A Garage Living business sells from a showroom inside its territory, and the showroom adds $72,000 to $105,000 to the build.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $246,450 to $323,900, a 1.3× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 8.5% 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 41.3% of sales. The levers are buying terms, price discipline and waste.
- 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 30 of Garage Living’s 34 U.S. business operations, holding 37 of its 41 U.S. franchised territories. 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 Garage Living FDD publishes average cost of goods sold of 41.29%, labor of 24.23% and gross margin of 34.48% for its reporting businesses. Ask the franchisor or current owners for any cost line the filing leaves out.
Top performers
How far apart the locations are
Garage 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.
Highest to lowest, by sales
Revenue by quartile, 2025
| quartile | Average gross sales | Median | Lowest | Highest | Margin at 34.48% * | Brand fees at 8.5% * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | $2,949,020 | $2,888,126 | $2,221,732 | $3,592,713 | $1,016,822 | $250,667 |
| Second | $1,785,816 | $1,742,058 | $1,479,494 | $2,152,071 | $615,749 | $151,794 |
| All 30 | $1,631,626 | $1,470,778 | $322,407 | $3,592,713 | $562,585 | $138,688 |
| Third | $1,193,707 | $1,096,057 | $1,057,091 | $1,462,062 | $411,590 | $101,465 |
| Fourth | $653,351 | $611,386 | $322,407 | $1,048,166 | $225,275 | $55,535 |
Averages, medians and ranges are as the brand reported it. The margin and brand-fee columns are marked *, applying the published 34.48% gross profit and the 8.5% royalty and marketing fee to each level.
The top quartile averages $2,949,020 and the bottom $653,351. That is four and a half times, with a single high of $3,592,713 against a low of $322,407, eleven times across a system of 30 businesses. In a population this small, two or three businesses can move any quartile average.
The median of $1,470,778 is 90% of the average. 13 of the 30 Garage Living business units, 43%, reach the average.
The third quartile spans $1,057,091 to $1,462,062. That is a 1.4-fold range, against 1.6 times in the top quartile and 3.3 times in the bottom. The lowest-selling group has all the dispersion: its high of $1,048,166 sits just below the third quarter's minimum while its low is a third of that.
Average unit growth in 2025 was 7.17% with a median of 3.50%. The gap between them says a few businesses grew hard while the typical one grew modestly. Applied to the average business, 3.50% is $57,107 of additional sales and 7.17% is $116,988 *.
Twenty of the 37 territories exceeded the average while only 13 of 30 business units did. That is 54% against 43%. That gap is the multi-territory operations pulling the territory count up, the units above average tend to hold more than one piece of ground.
Where the money goes
Cost percentages at each revenue level
| Level | Gross sales | Cost of goods at 41.29% | Labor at 24.23% | gross profit at 34.48% | Less royalty, marketing fee and 3% local marketing, 11.5% | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest business | $3,592,713 | $1,483,431 | $870,514 | $1,238,767 | $413,162 | $825,606 |
| Top quartile | $2,949,020 | $1,217,651 | $714,447 | $1,016,822 | $339,137 | $677,685 |
| Second quartile | $1,785,816 | $737,364 | $432,703 | $615,749 | $205,369 | $410,380 |
| System average | $1,631,626 | $673,698 | $395,343 | $562,585 | $187,637 | $374,948 |
| System median | $1,470,778 | $607,284 | $356,370 | $507,124 | $169,139 | $337,985 |
| Third quartile | $1,193,707 | $492,882 | $289,235 | $411,590 | $137,276 | $274,314 |
| Fourth quartile | $653,351 | $269,769 | $158,307 | $225,275 | $75,135 | $150,140 |
| Lowest business | $322,407 | $133,122 | $78,119 | $111,166 | $37,077 | $74,089 |
The three percentages are as the brand reported it and add to exactly 100.00%. Every dollar figure is marked *, applying them to each published revenue level. The fee column applies the low end of the schedule, a 6.5% royalty, a 2% marketing fee and a 3% local marketing requirement.
Materials are the single largest line at 41.29% of sales. That is $673,698 at the average business *. Cabinetry, slatwall, overhead racks and coating fluid are bought from the franchisor's affiliate as the designated supplier. So that line is a payment to the brand's side of the table as well as a cost of the work.
Labor at 24.23% excludes the owner entirely. Whatever the owner draws, in whatever role, sits outside both the 24.23% and the 34.48%. An owner who works in the Garage Living business has to pay themselves out of what is left after the 34.48%.
After materials, labor and the low fee rate, the average business retains $374,948. That is 23.0% of sales *. That has to cover a showroom lease the investment table prices at $3,000 to $5,000 a month, plus utilities, insurance, vehicles, bookkeeping and the owner.
At the bottom quartile the same arithmetic leaves $150,140. That is on $653,351 of sales *. Against a showroom, a grinding crew and an owner, that is a business supporting one income at most, and at the system's lowest-selling business it falls to $74,089.
The median margin of 35.08% beats the average of 34.48%. It is higher by 0.6 of a point. Combined with a median cost of goods below the average and a median labor cost below it too, the typical business runs slightly leaner than the mean. That points to one or two high-cost outliers.
Fees and what it costs to open
Brand and marketing fees at each sales level
| Level | Gross sales | Royalty at 6.5% | Marketing fee at 2% | Local marketing at 3% | Total with 3% local marketing | Total with 6% local marketing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top quartile | $2,949,020 | $191,686 | $58,980 | $88,471 | $339,137 | $427,608 |
| Second quartile | $1,785,816 | $116,078 | $35,716 | $53,574 | $205,369 | $258,943 |
| System average | $1,631,626 | $106,056 | $32,633 | $48,949 | $187,637 | $236,586 |
| System median | $1,470,778 | $95,601 | $29,416 | $44,123 | $169,139 | $213,263 |
| Third quartile | $1,193,707 | $77,591 | $23,874 | $35,811 | $137,276 | $173,088 |
| Fourth quartile | $653,351 | $42,468 | $13,067 | $19,601 | $75,135 | $94,736 |
We applied the published rates to filed sales.
The royalty and marketing fee paid to the brand are 8.5%; with local marketing the percentage charges run 11.5% at the low local rate and 14.5% at the ceiling. That is $187,637 to $236,586 at the average business *. That three-point range is set annually by the franchisor against the franchisee's own circumstances, so it is a negotiated figure.
A secondary market pays $2,000 a month against 6.5%. $24,000 a year, which equals 6.5% at $369,231 of sales *. Below that the flat fee costs more and above it costs less. The system's bottom quartile averages $653,351, comfortably above the crossover.
Materials are bought from the franchisor's affiliate. That covers initial inventory of $20,000 to $25,000 and showroom fixtures of $30,000 to $50,000 at opening, and the ongoing 41.29% cost of goods line. Read together with the 8.5% royalty and marketing fee, the brand's side of the table receives a little under half of every dollar the business collects.
Opening a showroom
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| Additional funds, three months | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Furniture, fixtures and displays | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Equipment | $35,000 | $45,000 |
| Building work | $30,000 | $35,000 |
| Initial inventory | $20,000 | $25,000 |
| Rent, three months | $9,000 | $15,000 |
| Computer system and software | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| Insurance, three months | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Training expenses | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Signage | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Website development fee | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Grand opening promotional campaign | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Vehicle | $3,500 | $4,000 |
| Professional fees | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Bookkeeping, three months | $2,250 | $2,250 |
| Lease, utility and security deposits | $1,200 | $2,400 |
| Licenses and permits | $500 | $750 |
| Bookkeeping upfront fee | $500 | $500 |
| Total | $246,450 | $323,900 |
As the brand reported it, reordered here by size.
$114,500 of the $246,450 low column is payable to the franchisor and its affiliate. That is 46.5% *, the $60,000 fee, $30,000 of fixtures, $20,000 of inventory and the $4,500 website. At the high end it is $139,500 of $323,900, or 43.1%.
The showroom adds $72,000 to $105,000 to the build before the franchise fee. Building work at $30,000 to $35,000, fixtures at $30,000 to $50,000, three months of rent at $9,000 to $15,000 and signage, $72,000 to $105,000 before the franchise fee *. Failing to open a showroom counts as a non-conformity serious enough to drop a business out of the performance tables.
Grinding equipment alone is $35,000 to $45,000. Bought or leased from third parties at volume prices the affiliate has negotiated, and non-returnable once taken. That single line is about 14% of the whole build at either end of the range *.
Working capital (cash to run the business day to day) of $30,000 to $50,000 covers three months. That compares with fee and local marketing obligations of $46,909 to $59,147 a quarter at the average Garage Living business * and a showroom lease running from day one. The $30,000 low end of the reserve is less than one quarter of those fees.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a Garage Living franchise make?
Garage Living franchisees averaged $1,631,626 of sales in fiscal 2025, with a median of $1,470,778, according to Item 19 of Garage Living’s 2026 FDD, issued 16 April 2026. The 30 in that group are 88%* of Garage Living’s 34 U.S. business operations at the end of 2025. Fees paid to Garage Living come to about 8.5%* of sales.
What should a Garage Living business be billing?
Across 30 business operations holding 37 territories and trading the full 12 months of 2025, average gross sales were $1,631,626 with a median of $1,470,778. 13 of the 30 Garage Living business units, 43%, and 20 of the 37 territories, 54%, exceeded the average. By quartile the averages were $2,949,020, $1,785,816, $1,193,707 and $653,351. The highest business billed $3,592,713 and the lowest $322,407. Average unit growth in 2025 was 7.17% with a median of 3.50%. There were 41 United States franchised territories held by 34 business operations at 31 December 2025, plus three company-owned outlets. Four non-conforming operations in four territories are excluded from the figures.
What does the work actually cost at Garage Living?
Cost of goods averaged 41.29% of sales and labor 24.23%, leaving a gross profit of 34.48%. Those three add to exactly 100.00%. That is marked *. So the margin here is after labor. The medians were 41.28%, 23.73% and 35.08%. Cost of goods covers materials, freight, inventory adjustments, use tax, consumables and supplies, combined across all product categories. The franchisor's affiliate is the designated supplier of the core products. Labor covers direct and indirect labor and explicitly excludes whatever the owner draws. At the average business the margin is $562,585. After the low fee rate $374,948 remains to cover showroom rent, utilities, insurance, vehicles, bookkeeping, professional fees and the owner's own pay.
Does a second territory help at Garage Living?
The printed figures say yes, though they need reading carefully. The multi-territory table reports gross sales per territory of $3,007,606, $2,714,288, $2,441,716 and $2,194,972 across its four tiers, against $2,519,267, $1,447,999, $1,034,250 and $555,328 for single-territory operations. Every multi tier sits above every single tier except the highest-selling one. However, the two tables add to 49 territories held by 36 business units against a stated population of 37 territories held by 30 business operations. That is marked *. The multi rows show 2.0 to 2.3 territories per unit. So if a figure labeled per territory is in fact a unit's whole sales, the multi results would roughly halve.
What fees does Garage Living charge?
The royalty is 6.5% of sales in a primary market, or a flat $2,000 a month in a secondary market. A marketing fee of 2% in a primary market and $1,400 a month in a secondary one, which may rise to 3% or $1,600. A local marketing requirement of 3% to 6% of sales, set against a plan the franchisor develops and adjustable annually after the first year, with cooperative contributions counting toward it. Garage Living charges a $4,500 website development fee at signing and bookkeeping at $750 a month. The royalty and marketing fee paid to the brand come to 8.5% of sales, which is marked *, and the local marketing requirement adds 3% to 6%. Separately, the franchisor's affiliate is the designated supplier of the core products inside the 41.29% cost of goods line.
Who does bookkeeping for a Garage Living franchise?
Three mechanics shape the close. The published benchmarks (41.29% cost of goods, 24.23% labor, 34.48% margin) are defined precisely and add to exactly 100%. So a set of books can be mapped straight onto them, but only if labor is split between direct and indirect and the owner's own draw is kept out of both. Getting that wrong is the difference between a business that looks average and one that looks broken. Second, the local marketing requirement moves between 3% and 6% annually by agreement with the franchisor. That makes a three-point share of revenue a planning variable. The marketing plan it is measured against has to be documented. Third, royalty reports are due on the 7th after month end with payment on the 15th, so the close has a hard eight-day deadline every month. Underneath it, materials at 41% bought from a single designated supplier make inventory and job costing the largest controllable line in the business. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.
- Item 19 of the Garage Living FDD gives no profit after every cost. It publishes average cost of goods sold of 41.29%, labor of 24.23% and gross margin of 34.48% for its reporting businesses, so what an owner keeps after all costs is not disclosed.
Questions worth putting to Garage Living
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 Garage Living location compare with the figures in the filing? Item 19 of the Garage Living FDD publishes average cost of goods sold of 41.29%, labor of 24.23% and gross margin of 34.48% for its reporting businesses.
- Which factors does Garage 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 Garage 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 →Where does your cost of goods sit against 41.29% at Garage Living?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around a published benchmark that adds to exactly 100%, a marketing group set annually, and an eight-day monthly close.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Garage Living Franchise Systems USA, 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. Garage 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: Garage Living Franchise Systems USA, Inc., 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 16 April 2026.
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Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
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- 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.