Window World franchise unit economics
Window World franchisees sell and install replacement windows, patio and entry doors, siding and roofing across an exclusive territory that is usually a county, sized by owner-occupied households. The 208 franchises trading all of 2025 billed $1,198,124,563.65 on 1,081,885 windows and patio doors. The royalty is charged for each unit, and marketing must reach 7% of the prior year’s gross sales.
- Primary source
- Window World, Inc., 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
- Items read
- Items 5 and 6 for fees; Item 19 for sales and any profit figure; Item 20 for the location count
- Population
- 208 of 211 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.
The royalty here is charged for each window instead of as a share of sales ($0.10 to $75 an unit, collected through the vendor) and there is zero brand or marketing fund. What replaces both is a local marketing requirement of at least 7% of the prior year’s gross sales, so a good year sets next year’s bill.
- Marketing must reach 7% of last year’s sales, whatever this year does.$227,776 at the small-market average rising to $844,733 at the metro average *, so growth raises the obligation a year in arrears, and a down year has the previous year’s number.
- The royalty is a price for each window, with zero brand fund behind it.$0.10 to $75 an option or unit, or up to 12% of what the product costs from the vendor, collected as part of that cost. So the fees are taken before the sale.
- A window or patio door produces $1,107.44 of revenue.$1,198,124,563.65 across 1,081,885 units at 208 franchises *. The single most useful conversion in this brand, because it turns an unit target into a revenue forecast.
- Small and medium markets convert twice as hard as large ones.19.5 and 19.6 units for each thousand owner-occupied households at the top of each group, against 10.4 in large markets *, so a bigger territory buys headroom.
- Metro markets average $12,067,609 and their middle bills $6,883,615.57.0% of the average, with 6 of 20 reaching it *. The widest mean-to-median gap of the four market sizes by a distance.
How much does a Window World franchise make?
The 2026 FDD for Window World does not publish unit revenue in a form that answers this directly. What it does publish is set out below, starting with Behind the figures: 208 franchises, 2025; Small-market average: $3,253,942; Metro-market average: $12,067,609; Revenue for each window: $1,107.44.
The window as the unit
Everything here converts into windows.
| Market | Businesses | Total units | Average | Median | Lowest | Highest | Units a thousand households * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 75 | 219,770 | 2,930 | 2,544 | 614 | 11,632 | 19.5 or more |
| Medium | 61 | 299,369 | 4,908 | 4,283 | 481 | 18,146 | 19.6 or more |
| Large | 45 | 258,483 | 5,744 | 4,229 | 730 | 13,473 | 10.4 or more |
| Metro | 23 | 247,014 | 10,740 | 5,441 | 907 | 53,298 | n/a |
| Combined markets | 2 | 57,249 | 28,625 | 28,635 | 16,895 | 40,354 | n/a |
| All 208 franchises | 206 | 1,081,885 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Every unit figure is as the brand reported it and reported by the approved vendors instead of by franchisees. The penetration column is marked *, dividing each group’s average units by the top of its household range so the true rate sits at or above the figure shown.
A window or patio door produces $1,107.44 of revenue. $1,198,124,563.65 across 1,081,885 units *, so a franchisee wanting another $500,000 of revenue is looking for 451 more units, and that is the whole planning conversation in this brand.
Small and medium markets sell about 19.5 units for each thousand owner-occupied households. Against 10.4 or more in large markets *, so the penetration rate in large territories is roughly half, and the extra households are unworked.
The highest-selling business sold 53,298 units and the lowest-selling 481. 111 times *, both under the same per-unit royalty, so the brand’s revenue from the two differs by exactly that ratio and by that alone.
Medium markets outsell large ones per household while billing less in total. 19.6 against 10.4 units a thousand, on averages of $5,510,231 against $6,727,048 *.
The metro median of 5,441 units is half its average of 10,740. *. The same shape as the sales table, and a reminder that a metro territory is a license to try.
Top performers
What separates the top Window World performers
Window World reports in bands rather than one average, which makes the spread the central fact of the filing: the top group averaged $12,067,609 against $3,253,942 at the bottom, inside one system with the same brand, the same playbook and the same fee schedule.
Decided before you open
- Trade area and site.A 3.7× 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.
Live operating levers
- What you can change after opening.This filing prices none of the operating lines. Across the Home Services brands in this library that do disclose them, the largest is the cost of what you sell at a median 43.8% of sales *. Model that line first, then ask owners at both ends of the system what it actually runs at, because a few points on the largest line outweighs everything else you can change.
Context you underwrite around
- The reporting screen.208 of 211 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, no median, no attainment figure. Anything below the sales line has to come from the franchisor or from owners you call.
Four market sizes
Four groups, sized by owner-occupied households.
| Market | Owner-occupied households | Businesses | Average | Median | Median as a share * | Lowest | Highest | Reaching the average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Up to 150,000 | 71 | $3,253,942 | $2,660,959 | 81.8% | $602,899 | $9,918,826 | 29, 41% |
| Medium | 150,001 to 250,000 | 55 | $5,510,231 | $4,736,585 | 86.0% | $1,049,130 | $21,291,987 | 23, 42% |
| Large | 250,001 to 550,000 | 44 | $6,727,048 | $5,278,521 | 78.5% | $517,965 | $15,798,384 | 19, 43% |
| Metro | 550,001 or more | 20 | $12,067,609 | $6,883,615 | 57.0% | $705,267 | $42,410,458 | 6, 30% |
| Combined markets | n/a | 7 | $18,098,524 | $18,664,820 | 103.1% | $4,061,269 | $32,774,329 | 4 of 7, 57% |
| All 208 franchises | n/a | 208 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $1,198,124,564 in total |
Every figure is as the brand reported it for franchises trading the whole of 2025. The combined-markets row covering 18 franchises held by 5 owners and reported as 7 businesses.
A medium market bills 69% more than a small one and a metro 79% more than a large one. $5,510,231 against $3,253,942, and $12,067,609 against $6,727,048 *, so each step up the group is worth roughly two thirds more revenue on average.
The medians tell a flatter pattern than the averages. $2,660,959, $4,736,585, $5,278,521 and $6,883,615, a middle metro franchise bills only 30% more than a middle large one, against 79% on the averages *.
Metro is the only group where the median falls far below the average. 57.0% against 81.8%, 86.0% and 78.5% *, and its high of $42,410,458 is 3.5 times its own average, so one or two very large businesses set that group’s mean.
The lowest-selling large-market business billed $517,965. Below the lowest-selling small-market one at $602,899 and below the lowest-selling medium one at $1,049,130, so a bigger territory has zero guarantee at the bottom end.
Combined-market owners average $18,098,524 with a median above their mean. $18,664,820 across 7 reported businesses covering 18 franchises. The only group in the table whose middle sits above its average, which is what a small group of consistently large operators looks like.
What the fees come to
Paid on the product, and spent on the market.
| Charge | Basis | Small | Medium | Large | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | $0.10 to $75 an option or unit, or up to 12% of product cost | Collected by the vendor inside the product price | |||
| Brand or marketing fund | n/a | Zero | |||
| Local marketing, each year | At least 7% of the prior year’s gross sales | $227,776 | $385,716 | $470,893 | $844,733 |
| Initial advertising, one time | Three-month campaign by market size | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 | $60,000 |
| Technology | $499 a month, $549 from 1 January 2027 | $5,988 | $5,988 | $5,988 | $5,988 |
| Cooperative | Up to 3% of sales, credited against the 7% | Currently uncollected | |||
Every rate is as the brand reported it and the marketing figures apply 7% to each group’s 2025 average, marked *.
The marketing requirement looks backwards by a year. It is set on the prior calendar year’s gross sales. So a franchisee that grows 20% pays the old number this year and the new one next year. A franchisee that shrinks 20% has the higher figure through the bad year.
A metro franchisee at the group averages owes $844,733 of marketing. Against $227,776 for a small-market one *, and the brand states it may ask for more in larger or more competitive markets, so 7% is the minimum.
The royalty arrives inside the product price. Collected from the vendor as part of what the franchisee pays for the window. So there is zero monthly royalty draw. The cost of the brand shows up in gross profit.
Per-unit royalties rise with the cost-of-living adjustment, and uncollected increases stack. Raised up to once a year by as much as the Social Security adjustment, with any unapplied increase carried forward, so a year skipped is deferred.
Selling roofing has to be earned. Three years of operation, window volume at or above the bottom 15% of the market size. Two prior years of collecting at least 4% of gross sales from entry doors and 2% from siding. Makes the product mix a gate on the product range.
Territory and the system
Two hundred and eleven, and an exclusive county.
| Year | At start | Opened | Terminations | Reacquired | At end | Net * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 211 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 212 | +1 |
| 2024 | 212 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 208 | −4 |
| 2025 | 208 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 211 | +3 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it and the net column is marked. Across a system that opened six and lost six in three years.
The territory is genuinely exclusive and usually a county. The brand keeps itself and every other licensee out of it for exterior remodeling under the marks, a real protection. Rarer in this library than the word usually implies.
A territory above a million owner-occupied households may be required to run satellites. Operated under the same franchise agreement, with zero additional franchise fee, so the largest territories have an operating obligation.
Six opened and six left across three years. A system that has moved 211 to 211 *, and three of the six departures fell in 2024, with two of those reacquired by the brand.
Opening costs a $45,000 fee, reduced to $30,000 for veterans. Plus three months of leased property at $7,500 to $25,000, construction of up to $50,000. The one-time advertising campaign of $30,000 to $60,000 by market size. So the marketing spend is among the largest opening lines.
Zip codes are the adjustment unit. Where a government redraws them the brand may resize the territory so a single zip code falls inside one territory. Means the boundary can move without the county doing so.
Questions we get asked
Questions an owner asks.
What does a Window World franchise bill?
The 208 franchises trading all of 2025 billed $1,198,124,563.65 in total. By market size the averages were $3,253,942 for small, $5,510,231 for medium, $6,727,048 for large and $12,067,609 for metro, against medians of $2,660,959, $4,736,585, $5,278,521 and $6,883,615. Seven combined-market businesses covering 18 franchises averaged $18,098,524.
What does the brand take?
A royalty of $0.10 to $75 for each option or unit. That is up to 12% of the cost of the product bought from the vendor, collected as part of that product cost. There is zero brand or marketing fund. Technology runs $499 a month, rising to $549 from 1 January 2027.
What is the marketing requirement?
At least 7% of the prior calendar year’s gross sales, spent locally and accounted for annually. On the 2025 group averages that is $227,776, $385,716, $470,893 and $844,733 for small, medium, large and metro. A one-time initial campaign of $30,000 to $60,000 by market size applies at opening and counts toward the first year. Any cooperative contribution, capped at 3% of sales, also counts toward it.
What is a window worth?
$1,107.44 of revenue on our reading, dividing $1,198,124,563.65 of gross sales by 1,081,885 windows and patio doors across the same 208 franchises. Unit counts come from the approved vendors, which makes them the firmer of the two figures.
How are market sizes set?
By owner-occupied households: small is up to 150,000, medium 150,001 to 250,000, large 250,001 to 550,000 and metro 550,001 or more. Market size drives the initial advertising minimum and the performance measures. A territory of more than a million owner-occupied households may be required to run satellites under the same agreement.
Can I sell roofing?
Only once you qualify. It takes three years of continuous operation, prior-year window volume per unit at or above the bottom 15% of your market size, two prior years of collecting at least 4% of gross sales from entry doors and 2% from siding, appropriate licensure and training. The required insurance including for independent contractors. Keeping it requires a minimum annual window sales figure and minimum entry door purchases.
Is the territory exclusive?
Yes, subject to the brand’s reserved rights. The brand keeps itself and every other licensee out of your territory for selling and installing exterior remodeling products under the marks. A territory is typically one county or parish, or smaller where population, geography or demographics justify it. The brand may resize it to keep a single zip code within one territory when governments redraw them.
Which two numbers should run monthly?
Windows and patio doors sold against your annual target, since each one costs $1,107.44 of revenue. And units sold for each thousand owner-occupied households in your territory, against 19.5 in small and medium markets and 10.4 in large ones. Because that is where the gap between the groups actually sits.
- No revenue figures. The filing makes no financial performance representation, so there is no disclosed sales number for any location.
- 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.
- No attainment figure. The filing does not say how many locations reached the average it publishes.
Questions worth putting to Window World
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?
- What do the fees add up to as a share of sales at the average location, once minimums and technology charges are counted?
- How many Window World 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 →What is a window earning you?
A structured review of your unit economics, cash forecast. Reporting, built around $1,107.44 of revenue for each window, the 7% of last year’s sales you owe this year. Units sold for each thousand households in your territory.
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
Window World reads against the rest of the remodel, garage and closets group: Archadeck Outdoor Living · Bath Tune-Up · Closets by Design · DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen · Kitchen Tune-Up · Precision Garage Door Service. 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?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.
- What should I be looking at every week?The handful of numbers that move before the P&L does.
- Do I need a bookkeeper, a controller, or a CFO?What each one owns, and the point at which the next one pays for itself.