Pet Butler franchise unit economics
Pet Butler franchisees run pet waste removal routes from wrapped pickup trucks, selling recurring route subscriptions to households across one or more territories.
Pet Butler in the news
- Pet Butler Brings Franchise Owners Together to Drive Innovation, Collaboration and Business Success · Franchising.com ·
The Pet Butler headline above is the publisher's own and links to the publisher. Averan Advisors checked this Pet Butler link on 11 October 2026. Franchise news lists news on 95 brands, including Pet Butler. Pet Butler is in the Pet Care franchise guide.
Pet Butler franchise at a glance
Pet Butler's Item 19 reports 2025 sales for 39 businesses trading a full year, with revenue a truck, the price of a stop and stops an hour.
Pet Butler franchisees averaged $102,592 of sales in 2025, with a median of $108,667, according to Item 19 of Pet Butler’s 2026 FDD, issued 30 March 2026. Fees paid to Pet Butler come to about 16.19%* of sales. Pet Butler charges a royalty of 12% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- A Pet Butler franchise costs $96,325 to $121,486 to open, including a $46,000 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Pet Butler reported 38 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- 67% of reporting Pet Butler locations reached the average.
- Work out Pet Butler's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from Pet Butler'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 →- A truck-hour is worth $70.02. $19.45 a stop at 3.60 stops an hour *, so the system-average truck runs about 28 hours of paid stop time a week to reach $102,592.
- Fees paid to the brand are $16,613 on a $102,592 truck. 16.2% of it *, 854 stops, or 237 route hours, go to covering them. The $18,000 local advertising requirement comes on top.
- Local advertising is a flat $18,000 a territory until that territory bills $360,000. The requirement is the greater of 5% or $18,000 *, and 38 franchisees hold 93 territories, an average obligation of $44,053 each *.
- One household in 423 is a customer. 142 customers a truck against a 60,000-home territory *, so growth is a penetration problem.
- The lowest-selling truck pays 18.2% to the brand and the highest-selling 14.6%. $52,988 against $384,043 *, because $2,250 of fixed fees lands the same on both.
How much does a Pet Butler franchise make?
The average Pet Butler unit reported $102,592 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $108,667. 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 16.2% 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 territories are below.
An hour of truck time
Route ratios, 2025
| Measure | Average | Median | Low | High | Reaching the average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue a stop | $19.45 | $18.10 | $15.28 | $70.73 | 12 of 39, 31% |
| Stops an hour | 3.60 | 3.35 | 2.05 | 5.12 | 17 of 37, 46% |
| Revenue a customer | $724 | $673 | $409 | $2,148 | 13 of 39, 33% |
| Revenue a truck | $102,592 | $108,667 | $52,988 | $384,043 | 26 of 39, 67% |
| Revenue a truck-hour * | $70.02 | $60.64 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Every ratio is as the brand reported it and the truck-hour line multiplies revenue a stop by stops an hour, marked *.
The system-average truck makes 5,275 stops a year. 101 stops a week at 3.60 an hour *. That is about 28 paid hours, leaving time in the week for the drive out and home.
A customer buys 37 stops a year at $19.45 each. That is $724 of revenue *, which matches a weekly Pet Butler route with a few missed weeks.
46% of owners reach the average of 3.60 stops an hour. At Pet Butler 31% reach the average on revenue a stop, so pricing separates this system more than speed does.
The median truck bills $6,075 more than the average truck. That is $108,667 against $102,592, with 67% at or above the average. Revenue a truck is the one Pet Butler ratio where the median sits above the average, because the lowest-selling trucks pull the average down.
Raising revenue a stop by a dollar is worth $5,275 a truck *. The filed range runs from $15.28 to $70.73, so the room is real.
Top performers
What separates the top Pet Butler performers
Pet Butler publishes a range for its trucks instead of grouped averages. The highest-selling Pet Butler truck billed $384,043 in 2025. The lowest-selling Pet Butler truck billed $52,988. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The highest-selling Pet Butler truck sells 7.2× the lowest-selling one. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Capacity.Capacity is the number of trucks, 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 $96,325 to $121,486, a 1.3× range inside one brand.
Live operating levers
- Routes.Each van costs the same per day. Track stops per van and the distance between them.
- Fees.Pet Butler’s fees run about 16.2% of sales, and Pet Butler sets no minimum royalty.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 39 businesses that traded all of 2025: the 38 franchised at year end and one that a franchisee ran until late December 2025, when the brand's affiliate took it over.
- What the filing does not include.Item 19 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations. Ask the franchisor or current owners for cost and profit figures.
Discounts available
- Pet Butler charges $27,600 instead of $46,000 for a first territory to eligible pet-industry professionals (Pet Industry Professional Program).
From Item 5 of the Pet Butler 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
16.2% of a truck
Fees and advertising per truck
| Charge | Rate | Lowest-selling $52,988 | Average, $102,592 | Highest-selling, $384,043 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 12% of gross sales, weekly | $6,359 | $12,311 | $46,085 |
| Marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, cap 4% | $1,060 | $2,052 | $7,681 |
| Local advertising | Greater of 5% or $18,000 a territory | $18,000 | $18,000 | $19,202 |
| Software, technology, education | $100 and $75 a month, $150 a year | $2,250 | $2,250 | $2,250 |
| Paid to the brand | n/a | $9,669 | $16,613 | $56,016 |
| Share of the truck paid to the brand | n/a | 18.2% | 16.2% | 14.6% |
| Total with local advertising | n/a | $27,669 | $34,613 | $75,218 |
The rates, minimums and fixed fees are as the brand reported it and the dollar figures apply them to the filed revenue-a-truck figures, marked *.
Covering the fees paid to the brand takes 854 stops, or 237 route hours. At the system average *, that is 16.2% of the truck’s year. The $18,000 of local advertising takes a further 925 stops, or 257 route hours.
The lowest-selling truck pays 18.2% of its revenue to the brand. That is against 14.6% at the highest-selling *, because $2,250 of the fees is fixed and lands identically whatever the truck bills. The $18,000 local advertising minimum is also fixed below $360,000 of territory revenue.
The marketing fund may double from 2% to 4%. That would add $2,052 at the average truck *, a stated cap worth carrying in any model.
Software and technology fees may rise by up to 100% a year. The $100 and $75 monthly charges both sit under that adjustment right, so $2,100 of annual fees could become $4,200.
An understatement of 5% or more puts the audit cost on the owner. Royalty is paid weekly on the Wednesday after the reporting week, so the reporting rhythm is tight and worth automating.
The $18,000 territory
Advertising requirement by territory revenue
| Territory gross sales | 5% of sales * | Requirement | Share of sales * |
|---|---|---|---|
| $102,592 | $5,130 | $18,000 | 17.5% |
| $200,000 | $10,000 | $18,000 | 9.0% |
| $360,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 | 5.0% |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 5.0% |
The greater-of-5%-or-$18,000 rule is as the brand reported it and the columns apply it at each revenue level, marked *.
The minimum applies until a territory bills $360,000 *. That is three and a half times the system-average truck, so nearly every owner in this system is paying the flat number.
Thirty-eight franchisees cover 93 territories. An average of 2.45 each *, and the requirement applies to each one, $44,053 of annual local advertising for the average multi-territory owner *.
Extra homes cost 50 cents each above 60,000. So a second territory is cheap to buy and expensive to hold, because the $18,000 advertising minimum arrives with it.
Underspending is billed. A shortfall against the minimum is paid to the brand and routed into the fund, so the choice is where the money goes.
There is no sales target to keep the territory. The brand keeps other Pet Butler businesses out while the owner stays in compliance. Pet Butler may not change the boundaries during the term without the owner’s consent. So the map is secure even when the numbers dip.
What it costs to open, and the network
Cost to open, including the truck
| Measure | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Filed total | $96,325 | $121,486 |
| Initial franchise fee | $46,000 | $46,000 |
| Initial marketing campaign fee | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Truck wrap and decals | $2,380 | $5,000 |
| The truck itself, bought outright | $32,150 | $39,500 |
| Total with the truck * | $128,475 | $160,986 |
Every line is as the brand reported it, with the truck assumed financed in the estimate and added here at its filed outright cost, marked *.
Pet-service professionals pay $27,600 instead of $46,000. That is a 40% reduction on a first territory for those converting an existing pet business, the largest single discount in the fee schedule.
The $30,000 marketing campaign fee equals two thirds of the franchise fee. It is payable at initial training, and the Flex Start route spreads it over a schedule while adding $5,000 to $15,000 of local marketing on top.
The system stands at 38 franchised businesses covering 93 territories. Three more are company-operated, after five openings in 2024, none in 2025 and one business handed to the affiliate in late December.
Two terminations in 2023 and zero since. One business ceased in 2025. This is a small, stable system where a single unit moves the percentages.
A transfer costs 2.5% of trailing gross sales, floored at $7,500 and capped at $17,500. A marketing campaign fee of the greater of 5% of trailing sales or $30,000 comes on top. So a buyer of an average truck pays about $37,500 above the purchase price *.
Questions we get asked
Questions an owner asks
How much does a Pet Butler franchise make?
Pet Butler franchisees averaged $102,592 of sales in 2025, with a median of $108,667, according to Item 19 of Pet Butler’s 2026 FDD, issued 30 March 2026. Fees paid to Pet Butler come to about 16.19%* of sales. Pet Butler charges a royalty of 12% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
What does a Pet Butler truck bill?
In 2025, across 39 businesses trading a full year, revenue a truck averaged $102,592 with a median of $108,667. The lowest-selling truck billed $52,988 and the highest-selling $384,043.
What drives that figure at Pet Butler?
Two ratios matter most. Revenue a stop averaged $19.45 and stops an hour averaged 3.60, which multiply to $70.02 a truck-hour on our reading. At the median the same multiplication gives $60.64.
How many stops is that at Pet Butler?
About 5,275 a year for the average truck, or 101 a week, which is roughly 28 hours of paid stop time. A customer buys about 37 stops a year at $724 of annual revenue.
What fees does Pet Butler charge?
Pet Butler charges a 12% royalty paid weekly and a 2% marketing charge that can rise to 4%. Operating software costs $100 a month, technology $75 a month and training $150 a year. Local advertising is separate and is the greater of 5% of the prior year's sales or $18,000, for each territory. On our reading the royalty, marketing fund and software, technology and training fees paid to the brand total $16,613 against the average truck, or 16.2%.
Why does the minimum advertising charge matter so much at Pet Butler?
The Pet Butler minimum matters because 5% of sales only overtakes $18,000 at $360,000 of territory revenue, which is three and a half times the average truck. Below that the requirement is a flat number, and it applies to every territory held. With 38 franchisees covering 93 territories, the average owner faces about $44,053 a year.
How much does a Pet Butler franchise cost to open?
$96,325 to $121,486 as the brand reported it, which includes a $46,000 franchise fee and a $30,000 initial marketing campaign fee but assumes the truck is financed. Buying the truck outright adds $32,150 to $39,500, putting the real range at roughly $128,475 to $160,986. Pet-service professionals may pay $27,600 for the franchise fee instead of $46,000.
How secure is the Pet Butler territory?
Secure while you comply. A territory holds up to 60,000 houses. The brand keeps other Pet Butler owners out of it during the agreement. There is no sales target to keep it. Extra homes above 60,000 cost 50 cents each with approval.
Which two numbers should run weekly at Pet Butler?
Track revenue a stop against $19.45, because each dollar of it is worth $5,275 a year on an average truck. Then track stops an hour against 3.60, because the two multiply into the truck-hour that pays for everything.
- 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.
- The Pet Butler filing does not show how a new location builds up, so the first-year curve has to be assumed.
Questions worth putting to Pet Butler
These are questions the Pet Butler filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to Pet Butler 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 Pet Butler 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 Pet Butler 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 your truck-hour worth?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around $70.02 a truck-hour, an $18,000 minimum advertising charge that lands on every territory. On the lowest-selling truck, fees paid to the brand and that charge together take 52% of its revenue.
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
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 Pet Butler, LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are marked with an asterisk 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. Pet Butler® 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: Pet Butler, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 30 March 2026.