PuroClean franchise unit economics
PuroClean franchisees restore property after water, fire, mold and biohazard losses, billed largely to insurers. Across 393 owners the average was $941,644 and half sold less than $500,496. One decision separates them: owners who employing a business development rep averaged $1,488,476 against $611,312 for the rest. The lever is a hiring decision.
- Primary source
- PuroSystems, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
- Items read
- Items 5 and 6 for fees; Item 7 for cost to open; Item 19 for sales and any profit figure; Item 20 for the location count
- Population
- 393 of 433 locations
- Our calculations
- Marked on the page with an asterisk. Method
- Last reviewed
- 26 September 2026
Disclosure-based. Not a forecast, not an offer to sell a franchise, and not advice.
Across 393 reporting franchisees the average was $941,644 and the median $500,496. Split the same group by whether the franchisee employs a business development rep: those who do averaged $1,488,476; the rest averaged $611,312. One hire, 2.44 times the revenue.
- Franchisees employing a business development rep average 2.44 times the revenue. $1,488,476 across 148 of them against $611,312 across 245 *, and on medians the gap is wider still at 2.64 times, $870,962 against $329,911.
- The royalty steps from 10% down to 3% and resets every January. Eight brackets of $250,000 each, so the effective rate is 9.23% at a franchisee without a rep and 7.52% at one with *. The extra revenue has a 6.33% marginal rate.
- The bottom tenth of the system has a median of $398. Across 39 franchisees averaging $15,287, against a top tenth averaging $4,276,094 *, and the lowest figure in every single table is $0.
- A converted independent restoration business bills more at 2.6 years than the system does at 5.7. $1,066,124 across 8 conversion franchisees against $941,644 systemwide *, so the book of insurance relationships travels with the owner.
- Only 28% of franchisees clear their own system average. 112 of 393, and the median sits at 53.2% of the mean *, one of the most right-skewed distributions in this library.
How much does a PuroClean franchise make?
The average PuroClean unit reported $941,644 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $500,496. 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 12.6% 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.
Every location, lowest to highest
The average is $941,644, half sell less than $500,496, and the lowest sells nothing.
| Tier | Franchisees | Average years trading | Average | Median | Highest | Lowest | Median as a share of the average * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10% | 39 | 10.3 | $4,276,094 | $3,735,330 | $20,337,574 | $2,141,536 | 87.4% |
| Top 25% | 98 | 8.0 | $2,563,500 | $1,725,542 | $20,337,574 | $1,077,722 | 67.3% |
| Top 50% | 197 | 7.2 | $1,652,139 | $1,073,445 | $20,337,574 | $500,496 | 65.0% |
| All franchisees | 393 | 5.7 | $941,644 | $500,496 | $20,337,574 | $0 | 53.2% |
| Bottom 50% | 196 | 4.2 | $227,523 | $242,969 | $495,673 | $0 | 106.8% |
| Bottom 25% | 98 | 3.8 | $100,895 | $99,743 | $242,919 | $0 | 98.9% |
| Bottom 10% | 39 | 5.0 | $15,287 | $398 | $65,583 | $0 | 2.6% |
Every figure apart from the right-hand column is as the brand reported it; that column is marked *.
The top tenth bills 280 times the bottom tenth. $4,276,094 against $15,287 *, and outlet to outlet the range runs from $20,337,574 to zero, which is the widest distribution in this library.
Years open tracks the tiers almost perfectly. 10.3 years at the top tenth, 8.0, 7.2, then 4.2 and 3.8 in the lower halves *. The exception being the bottom tenth at 5.0 years, which means those franchisees have had time and are still billing $398 at the median.
The median is 53.2% of the average across the whole system. $500,496 against $941,644 *, so the published average describes a franchisee in the upper third.
Inside the bottom half the median sits above the mean. $242,969 against $227,523 *, which happens because a cluster at or near zero drags the average below the middle franchisee.
Top performers
What separates the top PuroClean performers
PuroClean splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The best group averaged $4,276,094 a year. The worst averaged $15,287. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $500,496. The average was $941,644. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Trade area and site.A 279.7× gap between bands is not an operating gap. Catchment, daytime population and what sits next door set the ceiling before the first customer arrives.
- Territory, and how much of it is real.This model sells from a territory rather than a building. Two owners with the same brand and different ground are running different businesses, and density decides how much driving sits between jobs.
- What you spend to open.Opening costs $108,503 to $277,118, a 2.6× range inside one brand. The high end usually buys more capacity, so the cheapest build is not always the cheapest route to the top band.
Live operating levers
- Claims, the operating driver.This model bills on claims. The work is done first and the carrier pays later, so the owner funds wages and materials in between and the speed of collection matters as much as the volume won. It is worth watching every week, because by the time it turns up in a monthly close the quarter is half gone.
- Fees, and where the minimum bites.Fees run about 12.6% of sales. A minimum sits underneath the percentage, so the low-volume location pays the higher effective rate. The brand charges the weakest locations the most. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum and know which side of it you are on, because the answer changes what an extra dollar of sales is worth.
- The first year.This filing shows how a new location builds up, so the ramp can be underwritten from the document rather than assumed. Read two things out of it: the month sales cross the point where costs are covered, and how much cash you fund before that month arrives. Everything before break-even is paid for by you.
Context you underwrite around
- The reporting screen.393 of 433 locations are behind these figures. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded, so the numbers describe locations that cleared that screen, not the system as a whole.
- What the disclosure leaves out.Item 19 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations. Anything below the sales line has to come from the franchisor or from owners you call.
The one hire
One employee, and the revenue more than doubles.
A business development rep, in this brand’s definition, is an employee the franchisee hires to make repeat contact calls on insurance agents, adjusters and property managers. The same revenue tables appear three times: for everyone, for those who employ one, and for the rest.
| Group | Franchisees | Average years trading | Average gross sales | Median | Highest | Clearing the average | Against the other group * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With a development rep | 148 | 6.1 | $1,488,476 | $870,962 | $20,337,574 | 41 of 148, 28% | 2.44× |
| Without one | 245 | 5.4 | $611,312 | $329,911 | $8,553,907 | 78 of 245, 32% | n/a |
| All franchisees | 393 | 5.7 | $941,644 | $500,496 | $20,337,574 | 112 of 393, 28% | n/a |
| Conversion contracts | 8 | 2.6 | $1,066,124 | $861,979 | $2,314,505 | 3 of 8, 38% | 1.13× the system |
Every figure apart from the right-hand column is as the brand reported it; that column is marked *.
On medians the gap is wider than on averages. 2.64 times against 2.44 * ($870,962 against $329,911) so the effect shows up in the middle of each group.
The rep-employing group’s top tenth averages $5,974,998. Against $2,657,989 for the top tenth without one *, so the gap holds at 2.25 times even among the highest-selling franchisees in each group.
At the bottom the two groups look alike. In the bottom tenth, owners with a sales rep averaged $139,788 and those without averaged $2,593 *. The middle figures were $143,724 and $0. The lowest-selling owners without a rep are barely trading at all.
Conversions arrive already built. $1,066,124 at an average of 2.6 years trading, against $941,644 for a system averaging 5.7 *. The insurance relationships come with the owner.
A royalty that resets
Ten percent, falling to three, then back to ten in January.
The royalty on mitigation work is charged in eight brackets of $250,000 each, stepping down as the calendar year’s cumulative receipts rise. On 1 January the rate resets to 10% and the climb begins again.
| Cumulative total sales in the calendar year | Rate on that step | Where a franchisee at this level sits * |
|---|---|---|
| First $249,999.99 | 10% | Bottom half, $227,523 |
| $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9% | System median, $500,496 |
| $500,000 to $749,999.99 | 8% | Without a rep, $611,312 |
| $750,000 to $999,999.99 | 7% | System average, $941,644 |
| $1,000,000 to $1,249,999.99 | 6% | n/a |
| $1,250,000 to $1,499,999.99 | 5% | With a rep, $1,488,476 |
| $1,500,000 to $1,749,999.99 | 4% | n/a |
| $1,750,000 and above | 3% | Top quartile, $2,563,500 |
| Franchisee | total sales | Royalty for the year | Effective royalty rate | With marketing and supply at 4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom quartile average | $100,895 | $10,090 | 10.00% | 14.00% |
| Without a rep, the median | $329,911 | $32,192 | 9.76% | 13.76% |
| Without a rep, the average | $611,312 | $56,405 | 9.23% | 13.23% |
| All franchisees, the average | $941,644 | $80,915 | 8.59% | 12.59% |
| With a rep, the average | $1,488,476 | $111,924 | 7.52% | 11.52% |
| Top quartile average | $2,563,500 | $146,905 | 5.73% | 9.73% |
| The largest franchisee | $20,337,574 | $680,127 | 3.34% | 7.34% |
The brackets and rates are as the brand reported it. Every dollar amount and both rate columns are marked *, applying the published ladder to each level of receipts.
The rep-employing franchisee pays 1.71 points less of its revenue in royalty. 7.52% against 9.23% *. Part of the cost of hiring a rep comes back as a lower royalty rate.
On the extra revenue a rep brings, the marginal royalty is 6.33%. $55,519 of additional royalty on $877,164 of additional receipts *, well below the 10% a franchisee pays on its first quarter of a million.
The January reset is the part to plan around. Every owner starts each year at 10%, whatever they billed the year before *. The first quarter costs the most, and a seasonal or storm-driven year pays differently from a level one on identical annual receipts.
Opening and the system
$108,503 to open, and a system adding 82 in three years.
| Route in | Initial franchise fee | With finance options | With purchase of vehicle and equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New franchise | $59,000 | $108,503 to $152,618 | $233,503 to $277,118 |
| Conversion of an existing business | $29,500 to $59,000 | $56,298 to $152,518 | $56,298 to $277,018 |
All figures are as the brand reported it.
| Year | Franchised at start | Franchised at end | Net change | Growth * | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 351 | 403 | +52 | +14.8% | 0 |
| 2024 | 403 | 411 | +8 | +2.0% | 0 |
| 2025 | 411 | 433 | +22 | +5.4% | 0 |
Every column apart from growth is as the brand reported it.
Entry is 11.5% of what an average franchisee bills in a year. $108,503 against $941,644 *, and even the fully purchased version at $233,503 is a quarter of a year’s receipts.
A conversion can enter for a quarter of what a new franchise costs. $56,298 against $233,503 on the purchase route *, and those eight conversions bill above the system average at less than half its average years open.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
What does a PuroClean franchisee bill?
The 393 franchisees reporting for 2025 averaged $941,644 with a median of $500,496, ranging from $20,337,574 down to zero. By tier the averages run $4,276,094 at the top tenth, $2,563,500 at the top quartile, $227,523 at the bottom half and $15,287 at the bottom tenth.
Does hiring a business development rep pay?
The 148 franchisees employing one averaged $1,488,476 against $611,312 for the 245 without, which is 2.44 times, and on medians 2.64 times. The two go together. Owners with a rep have traded 6.1 years against 5.4, and an owner already billing well can more easily afford the salary.
What does the brand take?
A royalty on mitigation work that starts at 10% of the first $249,999.99 of the calendar year’s receipts and steps down through eight brackets to 3% above $1,750,000, resetting to 10% each January. Add a 2% marketing fee and a 2% minimum equipment and supply purchase requirement. In effective terms that is 12.59% all in at the system average and 11.52% at a franchisee with a development rep.
What does it cost to open?
$108,503 to $152,618 with finance options, or $233,503 to $277,118 buying the vehicle and equipment outright, on a $59,000 franchise fee. A conversion of an existing restoration business pays $29,500 to $59,000 and can enter from $56,298, because it already owns the vehicles and equipment.
How long does it take to build?
Years in business follow the same order: 10.3 on average in the top tenth, 8.0 in the top quartile and 7.2 in the top half. 4.2 and 3.8 in the lower halves. The exception is the bottom tenth at 5.0 years, which has had the time and still shows a median of $398.
Is converting an existing business better than starting one?
On these figures the eight conversion franchisees averaged $1,066,124 at 2.6 average years trading, above the whole system’s $941,644 at 5.7 years. Eight is a small group, but the direction is what an owner would expect: the insurance and property manager relationships move with the business.
- No profit figure. The filing reports sales and not earnings, so what an owner keeps is not disclosed.
- 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 PuroClean
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- What do locations at the median spend on wages and rent as a share of sales? The filing reports sales only.
- What separates the highest-selling locations from the lowest: trade area, years open, size, or the owner?
- 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 PuroClean locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Finance Diagnostic 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 →Would a development rep pay for itself in your business?
A structured review of your unit economics, cash forecast. Reporting, built around the $1,488,476 and $611,312 benchmarks, your effective royalty rate against the ten-to-three ladder. The cash it takes to have a salaried hire before the work arrives.
Request the reviewthe franchise library, all 243 brands · how franchise unit economics work · running the books across several locations · what Averan does for franchise owners
PuroClean reads against the rest of the restoration group: 1-800 WATER DAMAGE · DRYmedic · Paul Davis · Rainbow Restoration · Restoration 1 · ServiceMaster Restore. The restoration guide compares all of them on the same figures.
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?How royalty, ad fund and minimums actually work on a monthly statement.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?A 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- My payroll percentage keeps climbing. Is that a payroll problem?Usually it is a revenue problem wearing a payroll costume.
- Revenue was the highest it has been. Why did profit not move?Where the extra revenue went, line by line.
- At what point do spreadsheets stop coping?What changes at around ten units, and why lenders care.