ServiceMaster Restore franchise unit economics
ServiceMaster Restore franchisees work water, fire and storm claims for insurers and property managers across a territory. Recorded sales calls sort the money: ownership groups logging 412 sales activities per franchise billed $1,193,437 each, while groups logging zero billed $280,612. Outbound effort sets the ceiling.
- Primary source
- ServiceMaster Restore, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
- Items read
- Item 7 for cost to open; Item 19 for sales and any profit figure; Item 20 for the location count
- Population
- 428 of 1910 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.
Sales calls get counted here. Ownership groups in the top program logged 412 recorded sales activities per franchise and billed $1,193,437 each; unenrolled groups logged zero and billed $280,612. Whatever else separates a restoration business, activity sits right beside revenue.
- Revenue per franchise rises 4.3 times across the program groups, in step with recorded sales activity.$1,193,437 at 412 activities a franchise down to $280,612 at zero *.
- The median ownership group recorded zero months with 30 or more sales activities.Against 11.4 of 12 months in the top program group.
- A single-franchise owner bills $1,024,401; a franchise inside a multi-franchise group bills $767,407.33% more from one license *.
- Signing the construction amendment takes construction revenue outside the royalty base.Construction is 24% of gross service sales on average and 86% at the highest, worth 2.4 to 8.6 points of revenue *.
- The system fell from 2,071 franchises to 1,910 in three years.And 618 of the 1,910 still operate under Former Licenses the franchisor is converting.
How much does a ServiceMaster Restore franchise make?
The average ServiceMaster Restore unit reported $3,146,371 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $1,893,622. 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 14% 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 ServiceMaster Restore performers
ServiceMaster Restore splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The best group averaged $23,093,004 a year. The worst averaged $387,244. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $1,893,622. The average was $3,146,371. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Trade area and site.A 59.6× gap between bands is not an operating gap. Catchment, daytime population and what sits next door set the ceiling before the first customer arrives.
- Capacity, fixed at build.capacity is None vans multiplied by hours multiplied by how full they run. What you can sell is set by the build, and the build does not change after opening.
- 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 $287,800 to $474,340, a 1.6× 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 14.0% 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.
Context you underwrite around
- The reporting screen.428 of 1910 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.
Sales activity
Calls made, revenue billed.
| Program group | Active franchises each | Average group revenue | Revenue per franchise * | Sales activities | Activities per franchise * | Months with 30+ activities | Construction share | Lead rejection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRM program | 19.35 | $23,093,004 | $1,193,437 | 7,972 | 412 | 11.4 | 39% | 2% |
| CRT program | 6.26 | $5,765,888 | $921,068 | 1,637 | 262 | 7.3 | 26% | 3% |
| QRV program | 3.25 | $1,926,188 | $592,673 | 346 | 106 | 1.8 | 24% | 13% |
| Zero optional programs | 1.38 | $387,244 | $280,612 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 13% | 0% |
| All 428 groups | 4.10 | $3,146,371 | $767,407 | 801 | 195 | 2.6 | 24% | 10% |
| All 428, median | 3 | $1,893,622 | n/a | 0 | n/a | 0 | 22% | 3% |
Every published figure is as the brand reported it, taking the average row of each measure. The per-franchise columns are marked *, dividing by the group's average active franchise count.
Revenue per franchise runs $1,193,437, $921,068, $592,673 and $280,612 down the program groups. *. A difference of 4.3 times. Recorded sales activity follows the same order: 412, 262, 106 and none. Whether the calls cause the revenue or the revenue funds the calls, the two move together at every step.
The median group recorded zero months with 30 or more sales activities. Across all 428. The SRM group averaged 11.4 of 12 and the CRT group 7.3. Half this system either makes fewer than 30 sales calls a month or does not log them. Owners outside the programs have no obligation to log.
Revenue per recorded sales activity falls as activity rises: $2,897, $3,522 and $5,567. *. The busiest groups earn the least per call, which is what saturation looks like. The useful reading is the other way round. At the QRV level each recorded activity sits alongside $5,567 of annual revenue. So the first hundred calls are the valuable ones.
Lead rejection runs 0% to 100% across the system, averaging 10%. The QRV group rejects 13% of referred leads and the top two groups reject 2% and 3%. One group rejected every lead it was sent. Since the franchisor requires a quick accept or reject, this measure records capacity as much as choice.
Construction is 24% of gross service sales on average and 39% in the top group. With a median of 22% and a highest of 86%. The groups doing the most construction are also the largest, which points at the rebuild work following the mitigation.
Single franchise
One license, on its own.
| Program group | Groups | Average revenue | Median | Range | Sales activities | Months with 30+ | Construction share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRT program | 5 | $3,106,288 | $1,196,406 | $826,557 – $6,724,737 | 333 | 2.6 | 17% |
| QRV program | 83 | $1,230,755 | $805,281 | $30,000 – $7,333,823 | 145 | 1.0 | 21% |
| Zero optional programs | 38 | $299,748 | $131,497 | $3,834 – $1,491,297 | 0 | 0.0 | 10% |
| All 126 single groups | 126 | $1,024,401 | $590,674 | $3,834 – $7,333,823 | 109 | 0.8 | 18% |
As the brand reported it.
A single-franchise owner bills $1,024,401 against $767,407 for a franchise inside a multi-franchise group. 33% more *. The pattern repeats the one this library keeps finding: ownership groups get larger by adding licenses and less productive per license as they do.
Unenrolled single-franchise groups average $299,748; those in the CRT program average $3,106,288. Ten times, on one license each. That is the same comparison as the system table with scale removed entirely, and the gap is wider.
The median single-franchise group bills $590,674 against an average of $1,024,401. Only 28.6% reach the average, and the lowest bills $3,834 against a highest of $7,333,823. A single Restore franchise can be a seven-figure business or effectively dormant.
38 of 126 single-franchise groups are enrolled in zero optional programs. 30%. Their median is $131,497, against $805,281 for the 83 in the QRV program. The programs have entry requirements a new owner is unlikely to meet in year one, so a new owner starts outside them.
Fees & construction
Fourteen points, flat.
| Business | Gross service sales | Royalty at 10% | Ad fund at 2% | Local advertising at 2% | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All groups average | $3,146,371 | $314,637 | $62,927 | $62,927 | $440,492 | 14.0% |
| All groups median | $1,893,622 | $189,362 | $37,872 | $37,872 | $265,107 | 14.0% |
| Single-franchise average | $1,024,401 | $102,440 | $20,488 | $20,488 | $143,416 | 14.0% |
| Single-franchise median | $590,674 | $59,067 | $11,813 | $11,813 | $82,694 | 14.0% |
| Unenrolled single average | $299,748 | $29,975 | $5,995 | $5,995 | $41,965 | 14.0% |
| Lowest-selling reporting | $3,834 | $9,000 | $77 | $77 | $9,153 | 238.7% |
Ours, built from the published rates applied to filed revenue.
The fees take a flat 14.0% of gross service sales at every size. 10% royalty, 2% advertising fund and 2% local commitment. Above $7.5 million of group sales the local commitment rises to 3.5%, taking the total to 15.5% on that portion. Unlike most filings in this library there is zero volume relief here.
A new franchise pays $60,000 of initial local advertising in its first twelve months. $5,000 a month to the franchisor or its affiliate, on top of the 14%. Owners outside the programs average $299,748. The first-year fee alone is 20.0% of that *, and it is charged above the minimum royalty. That is waived for four months and then charged at $250.
An untimely renewal costs 2.5 points until it completes. 12.5% against 10%. On the single-franchise average that is $25,610 a year *, a meaningful sum attached to paperwork, and worth a diary entry well before the term ends.
The construction exclusion.
| Group | Construction share | Royalty points saved * | Worth at that group's revenue * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest reported | 86% | 8.6 | n/a |
| SRM program average | 39% | 3.9 | $900,627 |
| CRT program average | 26% | 2.6 | $149,913 |
| All groups average | 24% | 2.4 | $75,513 |
| All groups median | 22% | 2.2 | $41,660 |
| Unenrolled average | 13% | 1.3 | $5,034 |
Construction shares are as the brand reported it. The points saved and dollar values are marked *, applying each group's construction share to the 10% royalty and then to that group's own average revenue.
Excluding construction from the royalty base is worth 2.4 points of revenue at the system average. *. On a group billing $3,146,371 that is $75,513 a year, and on the SRM group's $23,093,004 it is $900,627. For a business where construction is 39% of sales, this single clause is worth more than the entire advertising fund contribution.
The construction share varies more than any other measure here. 0% to 86%, with a median of 22% and an average of 24%. Half the system does under a quarter of its work as construction. That means half the system gets little from the exclusion and the other half gets a great deal.
The groups with the most construction are the largest. 39% at the SRM group, 26% at CRT, 24% at QRV and 13% among the unenrolled. Rebuild work follows mitigation work, and the capacity to take it on is the difference between a $23m group and a $387,244 one.
The network and what it costs to open
2,071 to 1,910.
| Year | Start | End | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,071 | 1,952 | −119 |
| 2024 | 1,952 | 1,932 | −20 |
| 2025 | 1,932 | 1,910 | −22 |
As the brand reported it.
The count fell 161 in three years, and 119 of that came in 2023. Losses slowed to 20 and 22 in the two years since. Read against the license composition, part of the decline is consolidation: 618 Former Licenses are being folded into single Disaster Restoration Licenses as they renew.
462 ownership groups hold 1,910 franchises, 4.1 each. And 133 of those groups hold exactly one. So the system is roughly 30% single-license owners and 70% multi-license groups, with the largest holding 100 franchises.
17 ownership groups ceased operating all their franchises during 2025. Alongside 10 single-franchise groups that closed. Zero of them had opened within the prior twelve months, so these were established businesses leaving.
Opening a franchise.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment and supplies | $85,000 | $150,000 |
| Additional funds, first three months | $80,000 | $135,000 |
| Initial franchise fee | $72,500 | $72,500 |
| Insurance | $10,000 | $26,000 |
| Real estate | $8,000 | $25,000 |
| Professional fees | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| Truck | $9,000 | $13,500 |
| Grand opening advertising | $10,000 | $12,000 |
| Miscellaneous opening expenses | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| Travel during training | $4,000 | $7,000 |
| Technology system | $1,800 | $3,000 |
| Certifications | $0 | $340 |
| Total | $287,800 | $474,340 |
As the brand reported it, reordered here by size.
Equipment and supplies at $85,000 to $150,000 is the largest line. Larger than the franchise fee. Restoration runs on drying equipment, air movers, dehumidifiers and containment, and that kit has to be on the truck before the first claim arrives.
The build is 0.28 to 0.46 times the single-franchise average revenue. $287,800 to $474,340 against $1,024,401 *. Against the 126 single groups' median of $590,674 it is 0.49 to 0.80 times, a heavier entry than the averages suggest.
Buying five franchises at once cuts the fee to $55,000 each. 24% off $72,500, or $87,500 saved across five. A single-franchise owner bills $1,024,401. A franchise inside a group bills $767,407. The discount is the cheapest part of a decision whose expensive part comes later.
Cash to run the business day to day of $80,000 to $135,000 covers three months. The largest working-capital line in this library's home services set, and appropriate. Restoration is insurance-funded with long collection cycles, and the royalty is charged on revenue billed.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
What should a ServiceMaster Restore business be billing?
The 428 ownership groups with at least one active franchise through 2025 averaged $3,146,371 of service sales. Half sold less than $1,893,622, across an average of 4.10 active franchises each, $767,407 a franchise. The 126 single-franchise groups averaged $1,024,401 with a median of $590,674, ranging from $3,834 to $7,333,823, and 28.6% reached the average. By optional program, group averages ran $23,093,004 for SRM, $5,765,888 for CRT, $1,926,188 for QRV and $387,244 for the unenrolled.
What is the sales activity figure and why does it matter?
A sales activity means a logged visit, call, networking event, text or email. It has to be with an insurance adjuster, agent, claims professional, property manager or facility manager, recorded in the approved system. Groups in the SRM program averaged 7,972 a year, 412 per franchise, and billed $1,193,437 a franchise. Groups enrolled in zero optional programs logged zero and billed $280,612. The median group across all 428 logged zero months with 30 or more activities.
What does the brand take?
The royalty is $750 a month or 10% of monthly service sales, whichever is higher. The minimum is waived for a new owner's first four months and set at $250 a month through month twelve. An advertising fund contribution of 2% of gross service sales on the first $7.5 million of group sales in a calendar year. Local advertising must be 2% of the first $7.5 million of sales and 3.5% above that. Anything unspent is paid into the advertising fund, and the two advertising elements capped together at 4%. A new franchise also pays an initial local advertising fee of $5,000 a month for its first twelve months. An untimely renewal raises the royalty to 12.5% until the renewal completes. Where the Construction Services Amendment is signed, construction revenue sits outside the royalty base.
How is gross service sales defined?
Broadly. It covers everything billed, received or earned by the owner, by companies they are connected to, by related parties and by subcontractors, in connection with the franchise or the marks, relating to similar services, to co-branding activity. That is from third parties including rebates and referral fees from vendors. It is reported monthly on the accrual basis in the month the work was billed, regardless of when or whether it is collected. The brand allows deductions for bad debt, coupons, sales tax and a named list of subcontracted work. That list covers asbestos removal, duct cleaning, electrical work, painting, plumbing, roof cleaning and tree removal, plus rented equipment, storage and certain permits.
Who does bookkeeping for a ServiceMaster Restore franchise?
Three features make the close consequential. Royalty is charged on revenue billed, and restoration collects through insurers over months. So the fee falls due on work whose cash has yet to arrive. Makes the receivables ledger a cash-planning document. Second, the approved deduction list is long and specific. Bad debt, coupons, sales tax, rented equipment, storage, certain permits and a named set of subcontracted specialities each reduce the royalty base. So the chart of accounts has to mirror that list. Third, where the Construction Services Amendment has been signed, construction revenue sits outside the royalty base entirely. That is worth 2.4 points of revenue at the system’s average construction share. So the split between mitigation and reconstruction has to be clean at job level. The document reports no costs, so the only way to know what a job leaves is to cost each job. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.
- 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 ServiceMaster Restore
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 ServiceMaster Restore 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 →How many sales calls did your team log last month?
A structured review of your unit economics, cash forecast. Reporting, built around the activity measure this brand puts on record and the construction split that decides your royalty base.
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