Pestmaster franchise unit economics
Pestmaster franchisees run pest and vector control businesses that sell recurring service contracts to residential, commercial and government customers across one or more territories.
Pestmaster franchise at a glance
Pestmaster's Item 19 lists 2025 gross sales and territory count for each of 33 reporting franchises, which hold 57 territories between them.
Pestmaster franchisees averaged $514,024 of sales in 2025, with a median of $148,210, according to Item 19 of Pestmaster’s 2026 FDD, issued 10 April 2026. The 33 in that group are 44%* of Pestmaster’s 75 locations. Fees paid to Pestmaster come to about 9%* of sales. A Pestmaster franchise costs $92,850 to $208,600 to open.
- A Pestmaster franchise costs $92,850 to $208,600 to open, including a $42,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Pestmaster charges a royalty of 7% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- 21% of reporting Pestmaster locations reached the average.
- Work out Pestmaster's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Pestmaster'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 →- Territory count accounts for 2.4% of the variation in revenue across the 33 franchises. That is a correlation of 0.154 *. Five territories produced $25,632 each at one franchise; one territory produced $556,075 at another.
- One franchise is 41.2% of the system's reported revenue. That is $6,985,408 of $16,962,800 *. Strip it out and the average falls from $514,024 to $311,794.
- The median franchise bills $148,210 against an average of $514,024. Only 7 of 33 reach the average, 21%.
- The fee waiver costs more than the fee above $106,250 of annual sales. The option refunds $42,500 for four extra points of royalty over ten years *; the median franchise bills $148,210.
- Brand cost runs 9.1% of revenue at the largest franchise and 33.0% at the smallest. That is 9% of sales plus $6,420 of fixed annual fees *.
How much does a Pestmaster franchise make?
The average Pestmaster unit reported $514,024 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $148,210. 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 9% 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 Pestmaster performers
Pestmaster splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $1,683,735 a year. The lowest averaged $58,366. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $148,210. The average was $514,024. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 28.8× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Capacity.Capacity is the number of vans, times the hours they run, times how full their schedules are. The build sets how much you can sell.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory, with no storefront. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $92,850 to $208,600, a 2.2× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 9.0% 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.
Live operating levers
- Accounts.Accounts bill year after year. Track how many you keep as well as how many you win.
- 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.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 33 of 75 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 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations. The only margin figures in the document come from the brand’s own locations.
Top performers
How far apart the locations are
Pestmaster 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.
Every franchise
Gross sales by quartile, 2025
| quartile | Franchises | Territories * | Average gross sales | Median | Range | Revenue per territory * | Reaching the quarter average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 8 | 18 | $1,683,735 | $823,996 | $374,876 – $6,985,408 | $748,327 | 2 (25%) |
| Second | 9 | 10 | $234,691 | $242,823 | $148,210 – $365,526 | $211,222 | 5 (55%) |
| Third | 8 | 15 | $114,220 | $119,230 | $84,262 – $142,660 | $60,917 | 4 (50%) |
| Fourth | 8 | 14 | $58,366 | $60,489 | $26,724 – $81,916 | $33,352 | 4 (50%) |
| All 33 | 33 | 57 | $514,024 | $148,210 | $26,724 – $6,985,408 | $297,593 | 7 (21%) |
Gross sales, quartile averages, medians, ranges and attainment are as the brand reported it. The territory counts and revenue-per-territory figures are marked *, summed from the individual franchise rows.
The correlation between territories held and revenue is 0.154. That puts 2.4% of the variation on how much ground a franchise holds *. Franchise #21 holds five territories and bills $128,159, $25,632 each. Franchise #6 holds one and bills $556,075. Ground is close to irrelevant here.
One franchise is 41.2% of reported system revenue. That is $6,985,408 of $16,962,800 *, on two territories. Add the second-largest and two of 33 franchises account for 53.7%. Remove the largest and the system average falls from $514,024 to $311,794, and revenue per territory from $297,593 to $181,407.
The median franchise bills $148,210, 29% of the average. Only 7 of 33 reach $514,024. Across the two lowest quartiles, sixteen franchises average $86,293 between them *, which is the figure a prospective owner should sit with.
The fourth quartile holds 14 territories and bills $33,352 a territory. That compares with $748,327 in the first quartile *. That is twenty-two times as much, on the same brand, the same services and comparable ground.
Nineteen of the 33 franchises hold a single territory and average $213,182. The fourteen multi-territory franchises average $922,310 across 38 territories, $339,798 each *. That looks like multi-territory winning, until you notice the multi-territory average is carried almost entirely by the two largest businesses in the system.
Years open
Gross sales by years open, 2025
| Years open | Franchises | Average gross sales | Median | Range | Reaching the group average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 or more | 11 | $1,219,726 | $554,519 | $72,237 – $6,985,408 | 3 (27%) |
| 5 to 9 | 7 | $264,997 | $244,230 | $80,478 – $599,509 | 3 (43%) |
| 1 to 5 | 15 | $112,722 | $84,576 | $26,724 – $374,876 | 5 (33%) |
As the brand reported it.
The nine-year group averages $1,219,726 and the one-to-five group averages $112,722. That is nearly eleven times as much. Some of that is build-up and some is survivorship. The largest franchise in the system opened before 1996 and sits inside the oldest group, pulling its average up by itself.
The oldest group's median is $554,519 and its lowest member bills $72,237. That is after nine or more years. So time in the business is a condition for the largest Pestmaster outcomes, but a franchise open nine years can still be billing under $75,000.
The five-to-nine group averages $264,997 and the one-to-five group $112,722. That is a 2.4-times step across roughly four years of trading. On that path a franchise starting today would expect to reach the second quarter's $234,691 somewhere around year six.
Fifteen of 33 reporting franchises have traded under five years. That is 45%. Read against a system where 11 further franchises were excluded for reporting under twelve months, this is a network in the middle of a rebuild.
Fees & the waiver
Franchise Option Program against the standard fee
| Annual gross sales | Extra royalty at 4 points | Over ten years | Against a $42,500 fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $6,985,408, largest franchise | $279,416 | $2,794,163 | 66 times the fee |
| $514,024, system average | $20,561 | $205,610 | 4.8 times the fee |
| $234,691, second quartile average | $9,388 | $93,876 | 2.2 times the fee |
| $148,210, system median | $5,928 | $59,284 | 1.4 times the fee |
| $106,250, break-even * | $4,250 | $42,500 | Equal |
| $58,366, fourth quartile average | $2,335 | $23,346 | 55% of the fee |
We built this from the filed terms.
Any franchise averaging more than $106,250 a year pays more through the option than the fee itself *. The system median is $148,210 and the average is $514,024, so for most of this network the waiver is the more expensive route. It is financing, priced accordingly.
At the system average the option costs $205,610 to avoid $42,500. That is 4.8 times. For a franchise at the largest reporting business's scale it would cost $2,794,163. The program makes sense for a business that expects to stay small, and becomes steadily worse the better it does.
The option costs less than the fee only at fourth-quartile sales. At $58,366 of annual sales the four points cost $23,346 over ten years against a $42,500 fee saved. Eight of the 33 reporting franchises sit at or below that level, which is the honest size of the group the program favors.
What the fees come to
| Franchise | Gross sales | Royalty at 7% | Brand fund at 2% | Technology and email | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largest reporting | $6,985,408 | $488,979 | $139,708 | $6,420 | $635,107 | 9.1% |
| System average | $514,024 | $35,982 | $10,280 | $6,420 | $52,682 | 10.2% |
| System median | $148,210 | $10,375 | $2,964 | $6,420 | $19,759 | 13.3% |
| Fourth quartile average | $58,366 | $4,086 | $1,167 | $6,420 | $11,673 | 20.0% |
| Smallest reporting | $26,724 | $1,871 | $534 | $6,420 | $8,825 | 33.0% |
We built these figures by applying the published rates to the filed revenue.
Franchise fees take 9.1% at the largest franchise and 33.0% at the smallest *. $6,420 of fixed annual technology and processing is 24.0% of the smallest franchise's revenue and 0.09% of the largest's. On a business billing $26,724 a year, the software costs more than the royalty.
At the median the load is 13.3% and at the fourth quartile average 20.0%. That sits before the minimum monthly royalty, which would push the smaller rows higher still. For a business at $58,366 of annual sales, one dollar in five of everything billed goes to the brand before a chemical is bought.
The 2026 initial fee was charged at anywhere from $0 to $42,500. The same range held for 2025, alongside a 20% reduction for military members and first responders. So the headline fee is a starting point in a negotiation more often than a price.
The network and what it costs to open
Franchised outlets, 2023 to 2025
| Year | Start | End | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 52 | 52 | 0 |
| 2024 | 52 | 57 | +5 |
| 2025 | 57 | 75 | +18 |
As the brand reported it.
Franchised territories grew from 52 to 75, up 44% in three years. 18 were added in 2025 alone. Against 44 franchises holding those 75 territories, the system averages 1.7 territories each, and the expansion has been in territories.
Zero franchises permanently closed in 2025. Of the 44 Pestmaster franchises, 11 reported for less than a full year, and two of those were opened during 2025 by the franchisor's own brand leader. A system growing 18 territories in a year with zero closures is a steady shape; the reporting exclusions are what a prospective owner should ask about.
Company-owned outlets halved from 6 to 3. That happened across three years, while franchised Pestmaster territories rose 44%. The franchisor's affiliates are stepping back from operating as the franchise base grows.
What it costs to open a territory
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $42,500 | $42,500 |
| Vehicle and wrap | $10,000 | $60,000 |
| Additional funds | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Licensing | $1,000 | $18,000 |
| Advertising | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| Training | $3,000 | $7,000 |
| Equipment | $1,500 | $6,500 |
| Technology and office supplies | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Signage | $0 | $5,000 |
| Real estate and utilities | $0 | $3,500 |
| Chemical storage and handling | $700 | $2,000 |
| Inventory and supplies | $700 | $2,000 |
| Safety gear | $750 | $1,500 |
| Uniforms | $200 | $600 |
| Total | $92,850 | $208,600 |
As the brand reported it, reordered here by size.
Discounts available
- Pestmaster takes 20% off the first franchise's fee for current U.S. Armed Forces members and honorably discharged veterans.
- Pestmaster takes 20% off the first franchise's fee for police officers, firefighters and paramedics/EMTs.
- Pestmaster takes 25% off the fee for the second and later franchises when three or more are bought in one transaction.
- Pestmaster may take up to 10% off the fee for franchises in hard-to-serve or underserved markets.
- Pestmaster takes 50% off the fee for pest-control businesses of at least one year with more than $75,000 in sales over the prior six months that convert to Pestmaster.
- Pestmaster may refund the initial franchise fee after opening in exchange for a royalty that is 4 points higher for 10 years (Franchise Option Program).
From Item 5 of the Pestmaster 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Licensing runs $1,000 to $18,000, an eighteen-fold range. Pest and vector control is a licensed trade, and Pestmaster licensing requirements vary by state. That makes this line the one that most changes the entry price depending on where a territory sits.
The build is 0.18 to 0.41 times the system average revenue. That is $92,850 to $208,600 against $514,024, or 0.63 to 1.41 times the median $148,210 *. Measured against the median, this is one of the heavier entries in the library relative to what a typical business actually bills.
$42,500 of fee plus $9,000 of opening advertising is 55% of the low column. The vehicle, at $10,000 to $60,000, is the next largest commitment. A pest control business is a truck, a license and a chemical store. So the capital is light and the operating question is entirely about filling the route.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a Pestmaster franchise make?
Pestmaster franchisees averaged $514,024 of sales in 2025, with a median of $148,210, according to Item 19 of Pestmaster’s 2026 FDD, issued 10 April 2026. The 33 in that group are 44%* of Pestmaster’s 75 locations. Fees paid to Pestmaster come to about 9%* of sales. A Pestmaster franchise costs $92,850 to $208,600 to open.
What should a Pestmaster franchise be billing?
The 33 franchises operating 57 territories that reported for all twelve months of 2025 averaged $514,024 of gross sales with a median of $148,210, ranging from $26,724 to $6,985,408. 7 of the 33, 21%, reached the average. By quartile the averages were $1,683,735 across 8 franchises, $234,691 across 9, $114,220 across 8 and $58,366 across 8. Revenue per territory works out at $297,593 across the system, and $748,327, $211,222, $60,917 and $33,352 by quartile. One franchise accounts for 41.2% of the reported total.
Does holding more territories help at Pestmaster?
Only slightly, on these figures. The correlation between territory count and gross sales across the 33 franchises is 0.154, which puts 2.4% of the variation on ground held. Franchise #21 holds five territories and bills $128,159; Franchise #6 holds one and bills $556,075. Nineteen single-territory franchises average $213,182 and fourteen multi-territory ones average $922,310 across 38 territories. But that second figure is carried almost entirely by the two largest businesses in the system.
Should I take the fee waiver at Pestmaster?
The Franchise Option Program refunds the $42,500 initial franchise fee within ten days of opening, in exchange for a four-point royalty increase, 7% to 11%, for ten years covering the initial term and the first renewal. Four points over ten years equals $42,500 at $106,250 of annual gross sales. So any business averaging more than that pays more through the program than it saved. The system median is $148,210 and the average $514,024. At the average the option costs $205,610 to avoid $42,500. It favors a business that expects to stay in the fourth quartile.
What fees does Pestmaster charge?
Pestmaster charges a continuing royalty of 7% of monthly gross sales or a minimum monthly royalty, whichever is greater, plus a brand fund fee of 2%. Technology costs $500 a month, additional email licenses $15 a month each, and payment processing $35 a month per account plus transaction fees. A renewal costs 20% of the then-current initial franchise fee. Additional training is $500 per attendee per day, a vehicle left unwrapped 120 days after signing costs $250 a month, late submissions cost $100 per violation plus interest. A management fee of up to $5,000 a day applies if the franchisor has to step in and operate the business.
Who does bookkeeping for a Pestmaster franchise?
Three things shape the Pestmaster close. First, the royalty is the greater of 7% and a minimum monthly figure, so a business in the lower half of this distribution accrues the minimum. The effective rate rises as revenue falls, and at the fourth quartile’s $58,366 the Pestmaster franchise fees come to 20.0% of sales. Second, if the Franchise Option Program was taken, the royalty is 11% for ten years, and that decision belongs in the model as financing. Third, pest control is a licensed trade with state-specific requirements priced anywhere from $1,000 to $18,000, a recurring compliance calendar as much as a cost line. Underneath all three, there is no system-level cost data, so your own route-level costing is the only source of a margin figure. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.
- The filing gives no profit figure. The filing reports sales and not earnings, so what an owner keeps is not disclosed.
- The filing breaks out 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 Pestmaster
These are questions the Pestmaster filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to Pestmaster directly.
- What do locations at the median spend on wages and rent as a share of sales? The filing reports sales only.
- Which factors does Pestmaster 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 Pestmaster 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. Checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →What is each territory actually producing at Pestmaster?
We review your unit economics, cash forecast and reporting, built around revenue per territory and the fixed fees that decide this model.
Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from Pestmaster Franchise Network, 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. Pestmaster® 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: Pestmaster Franchise Network, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 10 April 2026.
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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.