Go Painting franchise unit economics
Go Painting franchisees run commercial painting businesses that estimate, sell and deliver exterior painting and coating jobs with paint crews.
Go Painting franchise at a glance
Go Painting’s Item 19 reports 2025 gross revenue for five franchised owners holding ten territories open all year, signed contracts for the same owners and gross margin for three affiliate-owned Unforgettable Coatings locations.
Go Painting reports that five franchised owners holding ten territories averaged $508,994 of 2025 gross revenue, with a median of $447,186, according to Item 19 of Go Painting’s 2026 FDD, issued 10 April 2026. Fees paid to Go Painting come to about 10.37%* of sales. A Go Painting franchise costs $136,700 to $180,200 to open.
- A Go Painting franchise costs $136,700 to $180,200 to open for one territory, including a $59,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand’s 2026 FDD.
- Go Painting charges a royalty of 7% of gross revenue up to $749,999 a territory, 6% from $750,000 and 5% from $3 million, plus 2% for national marketing and branding.
- Go Painting’s owner with one territory billed $779,185 in 2025, and the owner with three territories billed $149,062 a territory.
- Go Painting’s five reporting owners signed an average of $811,881 of contracts in 2025, 1.60 times their average revenue*.
- Go Painting had 39 franchised territories and 3 affiliate-owned locations at the end of 2025, up from 10 franchised territories a year earlier.
- Go Painting franchisees sell and run commercial exterior painting and coating work in a marketing territory of about 250,000 people.
These figures come from Go Painting's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors. The 1.60 times ratio and the 10.37% fee share are Averan calculations.
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Talk to Averan → Averan Go Painting Conversion Package →- The owner with one territory billed more in 2025 than any owner with two or three. That owner billed $779,185. The two-territory owners billed $539,947, $430,445 and $348,210, and the three-territory owner billed $447,186. Per territory, the range runs from $779,185 to $149,062, 5.2 times*.
- Signed contracts averaged $811,881 against $508,994 of gross revenue, 1.60 times*. The FDD states that signed contracts are amounts owed on completion of the work, not revenue received in 2025. The single-territory owner signed $1,829,040 and billed $779,185, a difference of $1,049,855*.
- Franchised gross margins ran from 32% to 49%; the three affiliate locations ran from 28% to 32%. The affiliate locations averaged $8,726,736 of gross revenue*, 17.1 times the franchised average*. The FDD states that their labor line includes project management and overhead costs a franchisee would not be expected to incur, and gives adjusted gross margins of 34% to 38%.
- The royalty tiers are measured per territory. The FDD’s example: an owner with two territories needs $1,500,000 of gross revenue in a calendar year to pay 6% the next year. The single-territory owner reached 103.9% of its $750,000 tier*; the other four owners were below their tiers on 2025 revenue.
- From the third royalty year, the franchise agreement requires $1,000,000 of gross revenue a year. The quota is $500,000 in the second royalty year and $1,000,000 from the third, combined across territories. In 2025, two of the five reporting owners billed more than $500,000 and none billed $1,000,000. If an owner misses the quota, the franchisor may shrink the territory, remove its protection or treat it as a default.
Gross revenue
How much does a Go Painting franchise make?
| Owner | Territories | Gross revenue | Revenue per territory | Gross margin | Gross margin % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner 1 | 2 | $348,210 | $174,105 | $129,478 | 37% |
| Owner 2 | 2 | $539,947 | $269,973 | $231,415 | 43% |
| Owner 3 | 1 | $779,185 | $779,185 | $332,821 | 43% |
| Owner 4 | 3 | $447,186 | $149,062 | $145,115 | 32% |
| Owner 5 | 2 | $430,445 | $215,223 | $208,868 | 49% |
| Average / median | $508,994 / $447,186 |
Gross revenue in Item 19 is total revenue from all sources with no exclusions, on an accrual basis. The 29 franchised territories that opened during 2025 are excluded.
Five franchised owners holding ten territories averaged $508,994 of gross revenue in 2025, with a median of $447,186. The lowest owner billed $348,210 and the highest $779,185. These ten territories were the only franchised territories open for all of 2025.
The figures are per owner, not per territory. Four of the five owners hold two or three territories. Across the ten territories, revenue averaged $254,497 a territory*.
Gross margin is revenue less the labor, subcontractor and materials cost of each job. The five owners ran from 32% to 49%. The FDD does not report overhead, owner pay or profit for the franchised owners.
Affiliate locations
The three affiliate locations, 2025
| Location | Gross revenue | Labor and subcontractor | Materials and other | Gross margin | Adjusted gross margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $12,447,229 | $6,131,770 (49%) | $2,862,856 (23%) | $3,452,603 (28%) | $4,319,220 (35%) |
| Salt Lake City | $7,653,154 | $3,711,004 (48%) | $1,577,137 (21%) | $2,365,013 (31%) | $2,624,104 (34%) |
| Phoenix | $6,079,824 | $2,737,246 (45%) | $1,379,410 (23%) | $1,963,168 (32%) | $2,320,116 (38%) |
The labor line includes $866,617 in Las Vegas, $259,091 in Salt Lake City and $356,948 in Phoenix of project management staff and other overhead costs that the FDD says a franchisee would not be expected to incur.
The three affiliate locations trade as Unforgettable Coatings and are owned by the franchisor’s affiliate, UCI Holding Co. Item 1 states that the affiliates began operating in 2007, 2010 and 2013. The FDD says they are run in substantially the same manner as the franchised outlets.
The affiliate locations averaged $8,726,736 of gross revenue in 2025*. Labor and subcontractor cost ran from 45% to 49% of revenue and materials from 21% to 23%. Gross margin ran from 28% to 32%, and from 34% to 38% after the FDD’s adjustment for the overhead in the labor line.
The affiliate locations did not pay royalties or brand fund fees. The FDD shows imputed royalties of $746,834, $535,720 and $425,587 and imputed brand fund fees of $248,945, $153,063 and $121,596 for demonstration.
Owner by owner
Revenue and signed contracts by owner, 2025
| Owner | Territories | Gross revenue | Signed contracts | Signed contracts per territory | Signed ÷ revenue* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner 3 | 1 | $779,185 | $1,829,040 | $1,829,040 | 2.35 |
| Owner 2 | 2 | $539,947 | $545,601 | $272,801 | 1.01 |
| Owner 4 | 3 | $447,186 | $509,911 | $169,970 | 1.14 |
| Owner 5 | 2 | $430,445 | $811,488 | $405,744 | 1.89 |
| Owner 1 | 2 | $348,210 | $363,366 | $181,683 | 1.04 |
| Average | 2 | $508,994 | $811,881 | 1.60 |
Signed contracts are the value of contracts franchisees signed with customers in 2025, owed on completion of the work. The ratio column and the two-territory average are Averan calculations.
Item 19 lists each owner separately and does not group owners into bands. The highest owner billed $779,185 and the lowest $348,210, 2.24 times apart*. Two of the five owners billed more than the $508,994 average.
Owner 3 signed $1,829,040 of contracts and billed $779,185. Owner 5 signed $811,488 and billed $430,445. For Owners 1, 2 and 4, signed contracts and revenue were within 14% of each other*.
The franchise agreement sets a minimum of $500,000 of gross revenue in the second royalty year and $1,000,000 from the third. The minimum applies to combined revenue across all of an owner’s territories. In 2025, Owners 2 and 3 billed more than $500,000 and Owners 1, 4 and 5 billed less. Item 19 does not say which royalty year each owner was in.
Brand charges
Brand charges
| Charge | Rate or amount | At $508,994 a year |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 7% of gross revenue up to $749,999 a territory; 6% from $750,000; 5% from $3 million | $35,630* |
| National marketing and branding | 2% of monthly gross revenue | $10,180* |
| Local marketing (required spend) | Year 1: at least $15,000; year 2 on: the greater of 1% of gross revenue or $10,000 | $10,000, not in total |
| Technology and software | $499–$599 a month for one user | $5,988* |
| Annual convention | $1,000 a year, whether or not you attend | $1,000 |
| SEO and digital marketing (required spend) | At least $1,750 a month, paid to the approved vendor | Not in total |
| Bookkeeping and accounting software and services | $350–$500 a month, paid to approved vendors | Not in total |
| Sales commission | 10% of gross revenue on jobs originated and negotiated by the franchisor or its national sales representatives | Not in total |
| Paid to the brand: royalty, national marketing, technology and convention | $52,797 (10.37%)* |
Averan totals use the 7% royalty tier, which applies to a two-territory owner below $1,500,000, the lowest technology fee and the $1,000 convention fee. The year-2 local marketing minimum of $10,000 is spent by the owner and is not in the total. The SEO spend would add $21,000 a year, 4.13% of the average.
The royalty rate is set each 1 January from the previous year’s gross revenue per territory and does not change during the year. The FDD’s example: an owner with two territories needs $1,500,000 of gross revenue in a calendar year to pay 6% the following year.
The minimum royalty is measured over each calendar year. It is the sum of monthly amounts that start at $0 for the first six royalty months and rise in steps. For two territories or fewer the monthly amount is $500 in months 7–12, $1,000 in months 13–24 and $1,500 from month 73. Twelve months at $1,000 is $12,000*, which equals 7% of $171,429*. A shortfall is collected in a year-end true-up.
A job originated and negotiated by the franchisor or its national sales representatives carries a 10% sales commission. The commission is in addition to the royalty. With the 7% royalty and 2% national marketing fee, the charges on that revenue come to 19%*. The FDD states that leads merely referred to the owner carry no commission.
Other charges in Item 6 include a transfer fee of the greater of $15,000 or 5% of the price, a $5,000 renewal fee, additional on-site training at $2,500 a day and regional marketing cooperative contributions of up to $25,000 a year if 66% of the region’s franchisees vote for them.
Cost to open
Cost to open
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $59,500 | $59,500 |
| Initial marketing kit | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Initial advertising and marketing campaigns, including kickoff | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Working capital, first three months | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Technology and software setup fees | $12,000 | $14,000 |
| Supplies, inventory and equipment | $2,500 | $10,000 |
| Contractor license, licenses and bonds | $500 | $5,000 |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| Travel and living expenses for training | $2,500 | $3,500 |
| Professional services | $1,500 | $3,500 |
| Vehicle (wrap and equipment, first three months) | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Database subscription user fee | $1,700 | $1,700 |
| Office set-up, lease, rent and miscellaneous* | $2,000 | $6,000 |
| Total | $136,700 | $180,200 |
The last line combines four Item 7 lines: lease and utility deposits ($0–$1,000), premises rent ($0–$1,500), office set-up ($500–$1,500) and miscellaneous opening costs ($1,500–$2,000).
The cover page states that $84,500 to $94,500 of the total is paid to the franchisor or its affiliate. Of the $12,000 to $14,000 technology setup, $10,000 is paid to the franchisor. The FDD expects owners to run the business from home, and the vehicle line covers the wrap and equipment, not the truck itself.
The initial franchise fee falls per territory as more territories are bought at once. Two territories cost $99,500, three $134,500, four $164,500 and five $194,500. The FDD puts the total investment for two to five territories at $176,700 to $315,200. Honorably discharged veterans receive 10% off the fee for the first territory.
The typical time from signing to opening is about 60 days. Training and opening must be completed within 90 days of signing. Training is about 69 hours online and 36 hours on the job in Utah, and is included in the initial fee.
Locations
Locations, 2023 to 2025
| Year | Franchised at start | Franchised opened | Franchised closed | Franchised at end | Affiliate-owned at end | Total at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| 2025 | 10 | 29 | 0 | 39 | 3 | 42 |
Closed counts terminations, non-renewals, reacquisitions and other closures; all were zero. There were no transfers in the three years.
Go Painting began offering franchises in September 2023 and had 39 franchised territories at the end of 2025. The 2025 openings were in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. No franchised territory closed or changed hands in the three years.
At 31 December 2025, 4 franchise agreements were signed but not yet open, all in Texas. The franchisor projects 9 new franchised territories in the next fiscal year, 7 in Texas and 2 in Colorado.
The FDD lists the franchisor’s financial condition as a special risk. Go Painting, LLC reported a net loss of $1,047,397 in 2025 and member’s equity of minus $463,208 at year end. The notes state that its members have indicated they intend to keep providing capital. The cover risks also state that the primary trademark is not federally registered.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask
How much does it cost to open a Go Painting franchise?
The 2026 FDD estimates $136,700 to $180,200 for one territory, including the $59,500 initial franchise fee, a $20,000 marketing kit and $15,000 to $25,000 of working capital. Of the total, $84,500 to $94,500 is paid to the franchisor or its affiliate. Two to five territories bought together are estimated at $176,700 to $315,200.
What fees does Go Painting charge?
A royalty of 7% of gross revenue up to $749,999 a territory, 6% from $750,000 and 5% from $3 million, and 2% for national marketing and branding. Owners must also spend at least $1,750 a month on SEO and digital marketing and at least $10,000 or 1% a year on local marketing from year two, and pay a technology fee of $499 to $599 a month. On Averan’s reading, the royalty, national marketing, technology and convention fees paid to the brand come to 10.37% of sales at the 2025 average*.
How much does a Go Painting franchise make?
Five franchised owners holding ten territories averaged $508,994 of 2025 gross revenue, with a median of $447,186. The lowest owner billed $348,210 and the highest $779,185. The figures are per owner, and four of the five hold two or three territories.
How many Go Painting locations are there?
At the end of 2025 there were 39 franchised territories and 3 affiliate-owned locations, which trade as Unforgettable Coatings. Twenty-nine franchised territories opened in 2025 and none closed. Four more agreements were signed but not yet open.
Does Go Painting report profit?
No. Item 19 reports gross margin, which is revenue less labor, subcontractor and materials cost, for each franchised owner and for the three affiliate locations. Franchised gross margins ran from 32% to 49% in 2025. Overhead, owner pay and profit are not reported.
Is there a minimum sales requirement for Go Painting?
Yes. There is no quota in the first royalty year. Owners must reach $500,000 of gross revenue in the second royalty year and $1,000,000 a year from the third, combined across their territories. If an owner falls short, the franchisor may reduce the territory, remove its protection or treat it as a default.
Questions worth putting to Go Painting
These are questions the filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to the franchisor directly.
- Is the revenue in Item 19 gross sales or collected revenue, and how many locations sit below the average?
- Which factors does Go Painting see in its highest-selling locations, such as territory, years open and staffing?
- 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 Go Painting 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 also checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →Reporting for a Go Painting owner
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Other brands in the Painting guide: 360 Painting · CertaPro Painters · Five Star Painting · Fresh Coat · WOW 1 DAY PAINTING.
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.
- What does this location earn on the money I put into it?It works out the payback period and cash-on-cash return for one unit.
- 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 Go Painting, 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. Go Painting is a 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: Go Painting, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 10 April 2026.