TruBlue franchise unit economics
TruBlue franchisees sell handyman work, maintenance plans and home safety modifications to older homeowners across their territory.
TruBlue in the news
- A New TruBlue Home Service Ally Franchise Built Around Helping Older Neighbors · 1851 Franchise ·
- Serving Those Who Paved the Way: Army Veteran Protects Local Seniors with TruBlue Home Service Ally · 1851 Franchise ·
Each TruBlue headline above is the publisher's own and links to the publisher. Averan Advisors checked these TruBlue links on 11 October 2026. Franchise news lists news on 95 franchise brands. TruBlue is in the Remodel, Garage and Closets franchise guide.
TruBlue franchise at a glance
Item 19 of TruBlue's 2026 FDD reports 2025 revenue by quartile for the 42 franchises open a full year, and first full calendar year revenue for eight owners.
TruBlue franchisees averaged $438,095 of sales in 2025, with a median of $347,879, according to Item 19 of TruBlue’s 2026 FDD, issued 13 April 2026. The 42 in that group are 31%* of TruBlue’s 135 locations. Fees paid to TruBlue come to about 8.53%* of sales. A TruBlue franchise costs $73,050 to $99,400 to open.
- A TruBlue franchise costs $73,050 to $99,400 to open, including a $54,900 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- TruBlue charges a royalty of 6% of sales, a 2% brand fund contribution and a $195 monthly technology fee.
- 36% of reporting TruBlue locations reached the average.
- Work out TruBlue's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from TruBlue'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 →- The $30,000 minimum advertising charge matches 2% only at $1,500,000 of revenue. That is 3.4 times the TruBlue system average *, so at the median franchise it is 8.62% of revenue against the $6,958 that 2% would give.
- The rebate ladder’s first rung asks for $450,000 a year and the system averages $438,095. The rung needs $900,000 over two years against $876,190 at the average *, so the average TruBlue franchise misses the first of four rungs by $23,810.
- A first full calendar year already reaches 87.2% of the system average. Eight TruBlue owners in their first full year averaged $382,174 against $438,095 for the system *, so most of the climb happens before the first full year begins.
- Brand charges and advertising take 23.94% of a fourth-quartile franchise’s revenue and 10.13% of the highest-selling’s. That is $51,165 on $213,744 against $187,170 on $1,848,303 *.
- The top quarter alone differs 3.68 times over, from $501,720 to $1,848,303. And the highest-billing owner in the system ran a single territory.
How much does a TruBlue franchise make?
The average TruBlue unit reported $438,095 of revenue in the 2026 FDD, and the median reported $347,879. 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 8.5% 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.
By sales and the first full year
Sales by quartile, 2025
Among the 42 franchises open a full year under continuous ownership with a handyman on staff, quartiles run from $845,486 down to $213,744. The TruBlue top quarter runs from $501,720 to $1,848,303, a wider range than the other three quarters together, which run from $75,157 to $483,473.
| quartile | Franchises | Average | Median | Lowest | Highest | Reaching the average | The range inside the quarter * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 10 | $845,486 | $744,420 | $501,720 | $1,848,303 | 30% | 3.68× |
| Second | 10 | $422,903 | $432,115 | $357,783 | $483,473 | 50% | 1.35× |
| Third | 11 | $305,902 | $309,187 | $267,797 | $357,029 | 55% | 1.33× |
| Fourth | 11 | $213,744 | $232,997 | $75,157 | $267,666 | 55% | 3.56× |
| All 42 | 42 | $438,095 | $347,879 | $75,157 | $1,848,303 | 36% | 24.6× |
Every figure is as the brand reported it apart from the range column, which is marked *, dividing each row’s highest by its lowest.
The middle two quarters range 1.35 and 1.33 times; the top and bottom range 3.68 and 3.56. So most of the TruBlue system sits in a narrow group between $267,797 and $483,473.
The median is 79.4% of the average. The TruBlue median is $347,879 against an average of $438,095 *, and 36% of franchises reach the average. The largest franchise, at $1,848,303, raises the average.
The top quarter averages 3.96 times the bottom. The TruBlue top quarter averages $845,486 against $213,744 for the bottom *, while the individual extremes run 24.6 times apart.
First full year against the reporting group, 2025
Owners whose first location was in its first full calendar year during 2025 stand alone: eight of them averaged $382,174.
| Group | Franchises | Average | Median | Lowest | Highest | Reaching the average | Against the whole group * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First full calendar year | 8 | $382,174 | $337,843 | $204,769 | $768,256 | 25% | 87.2% |
| All 42 | 42 | $438,095 | $347,879 | $75,157 | $1,848,303 | 36% | 100% |
Both rows are as the brand reported it and the comparison column is marked *.
A first full year lands within $55,921 of the system average. That is $382,174 against $438,095 *, and the first-year median of $337,843 is $10,036 below the system median.
Even a first-year franchise ranges 3.75 times. TruBlue first-full-year franchises ran from $204,769 to $768,256 *, so the first twelve months already separate the system.
Top performers
What separates the top TruBlue performers
TruBlue splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $845,486 a year. The lowest averaged $213,744. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees. The middle location sold $347,879. The average was $438,095. More than half the system is below the number the brand quotes.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 4.0× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory, with no storefront, quoted at 175,000 people. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $73,050 to $99,400, a 1.4× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 8.5% 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.
Live operating levers
- Sales depend on work orders.A technician completes a set number of work orders in a day, so the owner works on how many and what each one is worth.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 42 of 135 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. Ask the franchisor or current owners for cost and profit figures.
Discounts available
- TruBlue takes 10% off an additional franchise bought within 24 months of the first.
- TruBlue takes up to 10% off the initial fee for honorably discharged U.S. veterans (VetFran).
From Item 5 of the TruBlue 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
The minimum advertising charge
Royalty and advertising minimum
Royalty is 6% of sales with a monthly minimum of $1,000 after the first year. The national branding fee is the greater of 2% or $500 a month. Technology is $195 a month. And local advertising is the greater of 2% of revenue or $2,500 a month, a $30,000 yearly minimum that the percentage reaches only at $1,500,000.
| Sales | Royalty | National branding | Technology | To the franchisor | Share | Local advertising | All in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,848,303, the highest franchise | $110,898 | $36,966 | $2,340 | $150,204 | 8.13% | $36,966 | 10.13% |
| $845,486, the first quartile | $50,729 | $16,910 | $2,340 | $69,979 | 8.28% | $30,000 | 11.83% |
| $438,095, the system average | $26,286 | $8,762 | $2,340 | $37,388 | 8.53% | $30,000 | 15.38% |
| $347,879, the system median | $20,873 | $6,958 | $2,340 | $30,171 | 8.67% | $30,000 | 17.30% |
| $382,174, a first full year | $22,930 | $7,643 | $2,340 | $32,913 | 8.61% | $30,000 | 16.46% |
| $213,744, the fourth quartile | $12,825 | $6,000 | $2,340 | $21,165 | 9.90% | $30,000 | 23.94% |
| $75,157, the lowest franchise | $12,000 | $6,000 | $2,340 | $20,340 | 27.06% | $30,000 | 66.98% |
Rates, minimums and the revenue figures are as the brand reported it. Every dollar figure and share is marked *, taking the greater of the rate and the minimum on each line.
The minimum advertising charge is 4.3 times the percentage at the median. The TruBlue minimum is $30,000 against the $6,958 that 2% gives *, which is $23,042 a year of spend the rate alone would leave out.
Advertising costs more than the royalty everywhere below $500,000. $30,000 is 6% of $500,000 *, which is the crossing point, and three of the four quartile averages sit below it.
The three minimums together are $48,000 a year. TruBlue sets $12,000 of royalty, $6,000 of branding and $30,000 of advertising *, which is 63.9% of what the lowest-selling franchise in the system billed.
How the rebate steps up
Franchise fee rebate ladder
The brand offers to return the $54,900 franchise fee in stages against cumulative revenue goals. Each stage requires the one before it, so missing the first ends the ladder.
| By the end of year | Cumulative revenue required | Rebate | Implied annual average * | At the system average of $438,095 * | Position * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $900,000 | $10,000 | $450,000 | $876,190 | −$23,810 |
| 3 | $1,500,000 | $10,000 | $500,000 | $1,314,285 | −$185,715 |
| 4 | $2,250,000 | $10,000 | $562,500 | $1,752,380 | −$497,620 |
| 5 | $3,000,000 | Remainder of the fee | $600,000 | $2,190,475 | −$809,525 |
Thresholds and rebates are as the brand reported it; the last three columns are marked *.
The first rung asks 2.7% more than the system average produces. The rung needs $450,000 a year against the TruBlue average of $438,095 *, so a franchise has to beat the system from its first month to start the ladder.
A first-full-year franchise is $135,652 behind after two years. That is $764,348 against $900,000 *, on the filed first-full-year average of $382,174.
The top quarter clears every rung. $845,486 a year is $4,227,430 across five years against a $3,000,000 final threshold *, so the ladder is written for the top quarter of the system.
Opening and the system
Cost to open
| Line | Low | High | Share of the low column * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $54,900 | $54,900 | 75.2% |
| Additional funds, three months | $8,000 | $20,000 | 11.0% |
| Grand opening promotion | $3,000 | $4,000 | 4.1% |
| Computer system | $1,500 | $4,000 | 2.1% |
| Insurance | $1,500 | $5,000 | 2.1% |
| Travel and living while training | $1,250 | $2,500 | 1.7% |
| Tools and equipment | $1,000 | $3,000 | 1.4% |
| Furniture and office equipment | $500 | $1,000 | 0.7% |
| Telephones, call center, bank and other deposits | $500 | $1,000 | 0.7% |
| Business entity formation | $500 | $1,000 | 0.7% |
| Licenses and senior home safety certification | $400 | $1,000 | 0.5% |
| Vehicle | $0 | $2,000 | 0.0% |
| Total | $73,050 | $99,400 | 100% |
Amounts are as the brand reported it and the share column is marked *; both columns add to their stated totals exactly, and the total excludes real estate.
Opening costs 16.7% of what an average franchise bills in a year. The TruBlue low estimate is $73,050 against $438,095 *, and 97.2% of what the lowest-selling franchise billed.
Everything other than the fee and working capital is $10,150. Ten TruBlue Item 7 lines total 13.9% of the low column *, so the entry cost is almost entirely the right to the territory plus three months of cash.
Outlet movement, 2023 to 2025
| Year | At start | Opened | Terminated | Failed to renew | Reacquired | Ceased for other reasons | At end | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 84 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 94 | 12 |
| 2024 | 94 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 104 | 14 |
| 2025 | 104 | 41 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 135 | 14 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it, and start plus openings less departures reconciles to the year-end count in all three years.
Openings more than doubled to 41. That followed 18 and 19 in the two previous years *, while departures held at 8, 9 and 10.
30.4% of the TruBlue system is under a year old. That is 41 of 135 outlets *, so the reported averages describe the settled 42.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does a TruBlue franchise make?
TruBlue franchisees averaged $438,095 of sales in 2025, with a median of $347,879, according to Item 19 of TruBlue’s 2026 FDD, issued 13 April 2026. The 42 in that group are 31%* of TruBlue’s 135 locations. Fees paid to TruBlue come to about 8.53%* of sales. A TruBlue franchise costs $73,050 to $99,400 to open.
What does a TruBlue franchise bill?
The 42 franchises open a full year averaged $438,095 in 2025 with a median of $347,879, ranging from $75,157 to $1,848,303. By quartile the averages run $845,486, $422,903, $305,902 and $213,744, and 36% reached the system average.
What does a first full year look like at TruBlue?
Eight owners in their first full calendar year averaged $382,174 with a median of $337,843, ranging from $204,769 to $768,256. That average is 87.2% of the whole group’s and the median is 97.1% of it. So most of the climb happens before the first full year begins.
What fees does TruBlue charge?
TruBlue charges a 6% royalty with a $1,000 monthly minimum after the first year, a national branding fee of the greater of 2% or $500 a month, and technology at $195 a month. At the system average that is $37,388, or 8.53% of revenue, rising to 27.06% at the lowest-selling franchise because the minimums hold.
What must be spent on advertising at TruBlue?
It is the greater of 2% of the prior month’s revenue or $2,500 a month. That $30,000 a yearly minimum matches 2% only at $1,500,000 of revenue, which one franchise exceeds, so effectively every franchisee pays the minimum. At the median it is 8.62% of revenue against the 2% the rate would give.
Can the TruBlue franchise fee be earned back?
The brand rebates $10,000 at $900,000 of cumulative revenue in two years, $10,000 more at $1,500,000 in three, $10,000 more at $2,250,000 in four. The remainder comes at $3,000,000 in five. Each rung requires the one before it. At the 2025 system average of $438,095 a franchise falls $23,810 short of the very first rung.
How much does a TruBlue franchise cost to open?
A TruBlue franchise costs $73,050 to $99,400 to open, excluding real estate, of which $54,900 is the franchise fee and $8,000 to $20,000 is working capital. Everything else totals $10,150 at the low end. A branded work vehicle of $2,500 to $40,000 and a $1,000 ageing-in-place certification are both required within the first year.
- 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 TruBlue
These are questions the TruBlue filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to TruBlue 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 TruBlue 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 TruBlue 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 the minimum advertising charge returning?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around cost per booked job against the $30,000 minimum, revenue per technician day. The minimum fees measured as a share of what you bill.
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
TruBlue reads against the rest of the remodel, garage and closets group:
- Access Garage Door & More
- Ace Handyman Services
- Archadeck Outdoor Living
- Bath Tune-Up
- Cabinet IQ
- Closet & Storage Concepts
- Closets by Design
- DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen
- Five Star Bath Solutions
- Five Star Flooring
- Floor Coverings International
- Floor Crafters
- Handyman Connection
- Kitchen Tune-Up
- More Space Place
- Mr. Handyman
- Precision Garage Door Service
- Re-Bath
- ShelfGenie
- The Tailored Closet
- Up Closets
- Window World
The remodel, garage and closets 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?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.
- Revenue was the highest it has been. Why did profit not move?It traces where the extra revenue went, line by line.
- At what point do spreadsheets stop coping?It explains what changes at around ten units and why lenders care.
Where these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from T.B. Franchising Systems, Inc.’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. TruBlue® 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: T.B. Franchising Systems, Inc., 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 13 April 2026.