Mechanical trades franchise finance
The median brand here reports average revenue of $1,368,481 a unit. Percentage fees at the median brand come to 8.1% of sales. The median cost to open runs $143,886 to $287,801.
Mechanical trades franchises at a glance
- Averan Franchise compares fourteen mechanical trades franchise brands, each from its own 2026 FDD.
- The cost to open a mechanical trades franchise runs from $95,935 at Plumbing Paramedics to $454,248 at 1-Tom-Plumber.
- Service Experts reports the highest average sales of these brands, at $6,881,668, and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing the lowest, at $656,635.
- Franchise fees take 6.99% to 9.12% of sales across the eleven brands where Averan Franchise works out the figure.
These figures come from each brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
Find a mechanical trades brand
This guide covers fourteen brands, each from its own 2026 FDD. Open one, or pick two and compare them.
All 14 brands
The brands in this group
Each brand has its own page on how its locations make money, with every figure set out against the brand’s disclosure document it comes from.
- 1-800-Plumber 59 locations · Revenue per technician per month
- 1-Tom-Plumber 56 locations · Job count against price per job
- Aire Serv Revenue by group · Minimums that exceed revenue at the bottom, plus an inverse license cliff worth 1% of each threshold
- Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Same population ranked by territory and by franchisee
- BlueFrog Plumbing + Drain 43 locations · Revenue per franchisee by territories held
- Heating + Air Paramedics 22 locations · Fee refund for royalty points
- Mister Sparky One franchisee holds a third of the system
- Mr. Electric Gross sales banded by TERRITORY POPULATION, each cut into top and bottom 10%, 25% and 50% plus an all-group row - read against a minimum license fee that is itself set by population band
- Mr. Rooter Revenue by group · License fee, marketing fund and software paid to Mr. Rooter at 8.10% of sales at the average, with local marketing of the greater of $50,000 or 8% of sales spent by the owner
- One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning The same 88 franchisees ranked twice - by revenue per territory and by total revenue - showing that scale comes from territory count while yield per territory falls as count rises
- Plumbing Paramedics Per-outlet Gross Sales and Jobs, 3 businesses
- Roto-Rooter No financial performance representation
- Service Experts Full P&L · P&L split by general manager years open
- Varsity Zone 64 locations · Single reporting franchisee
The figures, brand by brand
| Measure | Median | Brands | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sales per unit | $1,368,481 | 12 of 14 | Median of each brand’s disclosed average |
| Median sales per unit | $944,801 | 9 of 14 | Median of each brand’s disclosed median |
| Initial franchise fee | $43,000 | 13 of 14 | |
| Royalty | 6% | 14 of 14 | Headline rate |
| Brand or advertising fund | 2% | 12 of 14 | |
| Fees paid to the brand | 8.1% | 11 of 14 | Royalty, brand fund and other fees paid to the brand or its affiliates, as a share of average sales |
| Cost to open, low | $143,886 | 14 of 14 | |
| Cost to open, high | $287,801 | 14 of 14 | |
| Profit margin | Fewer than three disclose | 0 of 14 | Each brand’s own profit line; definitions differ |
| Labor, share of revenue | Fewer than three disclose | 1 of 14 | |
| Building costs, share of revenue | Fewer than three disclose | 0 of 14 | |
| Unit growth over each FDD’s Item 20 period (2025, or 2023 to 2025) | 13.5% | 12 of 14 | (End − start) ÷ start |
| Customers lost over each FDD’s Item 20 period (2025, or 2023 to 2025) | 12.9% | 11 of 14 | Terminated, non-renewed, reacquired and ceased, ÷ opening units; transfers excluded |
Each figure is the median of the brands that disclose it, and the Brands column counts them.
How we calculated this
Revenue is each brand's own reported figure on its own unit basis, so the median describes the group and no single brand. Growth and customers lost are our calculations from each brand's outlet table. Where fewer than three brands disclose a figure, no benchmark is shown.
The model
The business model the top performers in mechanical trades are running
What the top performers can do that others cannot
Four of the fourteen brands here sell a call-out.
What the customer is buying
The customer buys a repair when something breaks. At two of them the model is different: the customer buys a job sold in the home, which asks something else of the owner. A location at the middle brand sells $1,368,481 a year, and the median top group sells $3,708,514. The offer is the same at both ends of that range, so the difference is volume.
Who the customer is, and how often they come back
This is an acquisition business. Each job is won again, so lead flow, the close rate and what the average job is worth decide the year. A median 33% of locations reach their own brand’s average, so most of the system is below the number the brand advertises, and the gap usually comes from low demand. Effort is usually not the cause. The top group sells $3,708,514 against $217,625 at the bottom. Trade area and site set that range before an owner takes a booking.
How the money works
Opening costs $95,935 to $454,248 across the group, and inside one brand the top of the range is typically 2.0 times the bottom. At the middle brand franchise fees take 8.1% of sales.
Top performers
These are the things that separate top performers in mechanical trades
Across the mechanical trades brands that publish both figures, the median top group of locations sells $3,708,514 a year and the median bottom group sells $217,625. Across these brands, a median of 33% of locations reach their own brand’s average.
Decided before you open
- Opening cost against sales.The top group sells $3,708,514 a year against a build that tops out at $454,248, so at the heavy end of the range a location sells $8.16 for every dollar it cost to open.
Live operating levers
- Four of the fourteen brands here sell a call-out.
Business model attribute
- Service
- Service calls to homes and businesses
- Unit economics
- Paid calls a day times the average ticket
- Two of the fourteen brands here run a recurring plan.
Business model attribute
- Service
- Recurring plans and booked return visits
- Unit economics
- Customers on a plan times visits a month
- Fees as a share of sales.Fees run a median 8.1% of sales across eleven brands, from 7.0% to 9.1%. Where a minimum applies, lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. At $3,708,514 the fees cost $300,390 a year; at $217,625 they cost $17,628.
- Two brands here price their cost lines.Of these fourteen filings, only 1-800-Plumber and Varsity Zone publish wages, rent or cost of sales, so for the others the operating gap between the top and the bottom cannot be read from the documents. For them, the sales figures are all you are given, and everything that turns those sales into earnings has to come from owners you call. Ask three at each end of the system for wages as a share of sales, rent as a share of sales, and what is left at the end.
Context you underwrite around
- First-year build-up.Two of fourteen filings in this group show how a new location builds up. The others do not show it.
- Brands without sales bands.Three brands publish only an average, with no sales bands.
Operating levers
What each brand’s top performers actually work on
These are the levers each brand's filing supports. Each brand has three to five, read from its own 2026 FDD. Filter by type of business, or open a brand for the figures underneath.
14 brands
1-800-Plumber
Mechanical trades
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.3% 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.
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
- Wages. Wages take 32.3% of sales. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
1-Tom-Plumber
Mechanical trades
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.3% 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.
- Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
Aire Serv
Mechanical trades
- Sales depend on service calls. A technician finishes only so many calls a day, so the owner works on how many of them turn into paid work and what the average ticket is worth.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.2% 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.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
Mechanical trades
- Sales depend on service calls. A technician finishes only so many calls a day, so the owner works on how many of them turn into paid work and what the average ticket is worth.
- Memberships and rebooking. A recurring plan turns appointments into a monthly subscription and keeps the schedule fuller. Rebooking before the customer leaves keeps it full.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.7% 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.
BlueFrog Plumbing + Drain
Mechanical trades
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.1% 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.
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
Heating + Air Paramedics
Mechanical trades
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.6% 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.
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
Mister Sparky
Mechanical trades
- Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.6% 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.
Mr. Electric
Mechanical trades
- 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.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.3% 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.
Mr. Rooter
Mechanical trades
- Sales depend on service calls. A technician finishes only so many calls a day, so the owner works on how many of them turn into paid work and what the average ticket is worth.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.1% 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.
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning
Mechanical trades
- Sales depend on service calls. A technician finishes only so many calls a day, so the owner works on how many of them turn into paid work and what the average ticket is worth.
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.5% 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.
- Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.
Plumbing Paramedics
Mechanical trades
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
- Fees and the minimum. A minimum fee applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Roto-Rooter
Mechanical trades
- What you can change after opening. This filing prices none of the operating lines. Across the Home Services brands in this library that do disclose them, the largest is the cost of what you sell at a median 43.8% of sales *
Service Experts
Mechanical trades
- 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.
- Memberships and rebooking. A recurring plan turns appointments into a monthly subscription and keeps the schedule fuller. Rebooking before the customer leaves keeps it full.
Varsity Zone
Mechanical trades
- Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.0% 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.
- Jobs. Each job is won separately. Track how many quotes turn into work and the average job value.
- 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.
How fast new mechanical trades locations build sales
The pages for two of the fourteen mechanical trades brands in Averan Franchise show how a new location's sales build after opening, by month or by years open, in dollars from each brand's FDD. The months before sales cover costs are the ones to plan cash for, and the minimum fee calculator shows what the fees cost during them.
Common questions
How much does a mechanical trades franchise cost to open?
Among the fourteen mechanical trades brands in Averan Franchise that publish it, the cost to open runs from $95,935 at Plumbing Paramedics to $454,248 at 1-Tom-Plumber, according to their 2026 FDDs.
Which mechanical trades franchise costs the least to open?
Plumbing Paramedics has the lowest starting cost of the mechanical trades brands in Averan Franchise, at $95,935 to $193,260.
Which mechanical trades franchise has the highest average sales?
Service Experts reports the highest average sales of the mechanical trades brands in Averan Franchise, at $6,881,668 in its 2026 FDD.
What do mechanical trades franchise fees cost as a share of sales?
Across the eleven mechanical trades brands where Averan Franchise works out the figure, franchise fees take 6.99% to 9.12% of sales.
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.
- At what point do spreadsheets stop coping?It explains what changes at around ten units and why lenders care.
- I run several locations. Which ones actually make money?It shows each location's contribution to profit and the reporting it takes to see it.
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 →How many jobs did you run last week?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around job count, a minimum fee your brand imposes. We also map your chart of accounts to the benchmark you are being measured against.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from
Every figure here comes from the brands' 2026 FDDs and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brands. The medians, growth and customers lost figures are our own calculations. The figures describe past performance at other businesses. They are not a projection of your results. This page is an educational summary and is not an offer to sell a franchise or financial, legal or tax advice. All trademarks belong to their owners. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.