Best Cleaning Franchises 2026: Costs, Profits & Real FDD Data
Quick Summary: Cleaning franchises remain one of the most accessible paths to business ownership in 2026 — with entry points as low as $4,830 and median annual revenues of $500K+ for established operators. But not all cleaning franchises are built the same. This guide surfaces real Item 19 Financial Performance data from the 2025–2026 FDDs so you can compare what franchisees actually earn — not just what the brochure says.
FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document): A legal document every franchisor in the US must provide before any money changes hands. It contains 23 standardized sections covering everything from the company's history and fees to financial performance and litigation history. Think of it as the franchise's official fact sheet — required by the FTC.
Item 19 (Financial Performance Representation / FPR): The section of the FDD where franchisors can (but are not required to) share how existing franchisees have actually performed financially. When a brand makes an FPR, they've chosen to disclose real earnings data. When they don't, you have no official basis to estimate what you might earn — a significant red flag.
Item 7 (Estimated Initial Investment): The FDD section that itemizes every cost you're expected to incur to open and operate the franchise for the first three months. This is where total investment ranges come from.
Royalty fee: An ongoing payment to the franchisor, typically a percentage of your gross revenue or a flat monthly fee. Separate from the one-time initial franchise fee.
Initial franchise fee: A one-time payment when you sign the franchise agreement. It grants you the right to operate under the brand. This is one component of the total investment — not the whole cost.
Master franchise: A model where you buy rights to a territory and recruit, sell to, and support individual unit franchisees within it. You earn royalties from those units rather than doing the cleaning yourself. Anago uses this model.
Unit franchise: The traditional model — you operate a single territory, delivering the service directly to customers.
Territory: The geographic area or population base assigned exclusively to your franchise. Some protect by zip code, others by population count. Understanding exactly what you're buying is critical before signing.
Gross revenue / Gross sales: Total amount billed or collected before any expenses, royalties, or deductions. Item 19 figures are almost always gross — not net income or profit.
EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization — a proxy for operating profitability. When Bio-One discloses an average EBITDA margin of 18.7%, roughly 18 cents of every revenue dollar remains after operating costs, before taxes and financing.
Most cleaning franchise articles list brands and describe their services. This one goes further. Using 2025–2026 Franchise Disclosure Documents, we've pulled actual Item 19 financial performance data — the section of the FDD where franchisors report what their franchisees actually earned. Not all franchisors disclose this data, and the ones that don't are flagged clearly below.
Use this guide to understand which brands generate the most revenue, which have the best royalty structures, and which type of cleaning franchise aligns with your investment capacity and lifestyle goals.
All investment and fee data sourced directly from the most recent Franchise Disclosure Documents. Item 19 data represents reported gross sales or revenues from franchisees who reported for the full prior fiscal year.
| Brand | Type | Initial Fee | Royalty | Total Investment | FPR? | Item 19 Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merry Maids | Residential | $55,000 | 7% | $127K–$170K | Yes | Median gross sales $767K; top 10% averaged $3.2M |
| Two Maids | Residential | $19,950 | Pay-for-performance model* | See FDD | Yes | Top quintile avg $1.17M; all locations 2+ yrs avg $584K |
| Maid Brigade | Residential | $49,900 | 6.9% | $121K–$136K | Yes | Top 1/3 multi-territory avg $2.1M; all franchisee avg $1.1M |
| Molly Maid | Residential | $45K–$70K | 2% | See FDD | Yes | Reports avg revenue per job by quartile ($132–$214/job) |
| Anago Cleaning Systems | Commercial (Master) | $98,000 | 5% | $219K–$339K | Yes | 2025 avg annual sales $3.45M; median $3.53M; top performer $8.24M |
| Enviro-Master International | Commercial | $10.5K–$16K | 6% | See FDD | Yes | Total avg gross revenue $1.06M; top quartile avg $1.99M |
| Aire-Master of America | Commercial (Odor/Air) | $30K–$100K | 5% | See FDD | Yes | Single-unit avg monthly sales $29,723 (~$357K/yr); top 25% avg $81,686/mo |
| Zerorez | Carpet/Specialty | $50K–$100K | 6% | See FDD | Yes | Avg gross revenue $1.51M; median $878K; gross profit margin ~59% |
| Oxi Fresh | Carpet Cleaning | $47,900 | $475/mo flat | See FDD | Yes | Combined avg revenue $162K; top fifth avg $408K |
| Stanley Steemer | Carpet/Multi-Service | $100K–$2.4M | 3% | See FDD | Yes | Regional median annual sales $452K–$2.28M depending on territory |
| Bio-One | Specialty/Biohazard | See FDD | 7.5% | See FDD | Yes | Top quartile avg $763K; avg EBITDA margin 18.7%; avg expenses 73.8% of revenue |
| Dryer Vent Wizard | Specialty (Vents) | $49.9K–$98K | 50% of net* | $83K–$159K | Yes | Top 25% avg gross sales $554K; all franchisee avg $240K |
| Paul Davis Restoration | Restoration | $20,000 | 4% | See FDD | Yes | Established (2+ yrs) avg $6.0M; new franchisees avg $1.77M |
| PuroClean | Restoration | $25K–$59K | 10% | See FDD | Yes | All franchisees avg $954K; 7+ yr operators avg $1.42M |
| Restoration 1 | Restoration | $59.9K–$64.4K | 5% | $76K–$199K | Yes | Total avg revenue $1.22M; large-territory operators avg $4.71M |
| ServiceMaster Restore | Restoration | $20K–$72.5K | $750/mo flat | See FDD | Yes | Avg gross sales $7.67M; median $5.48M — largest scale in the sector |
| SERVPRO | Restoration | $13K–$51K | $100/mo flat | See FDD | No | Does not disclose financial performance data in their FDD |
| OpenWorks | Commercial | $70,000 | 15% | See FDD | No | Does not disclose financial performance data in their FDD |
| Heaven's Best | Carpet Cleaning | $36K–$42K | $300/mo flat | See FDD | No | Does not disclose financial performance data in their FDD |
*Dryer Vent Wizard's 50% royalty applies to net profit after labor costs, not gross revenue. See Item 6 of their FDD for the full calculation methodology.
*Two Maids uses a pay-for-performance model where the franchisor manages all billing and pays the franchisee based on customer ratings. See Item 6 of their FDD for full details.
The Franchise Disclosure Document's Item 19 is the most important section most franchise buyers never read carefully. Franchisors are not required to make a Financial Performance Representation — but 17 of the 19 brands with available data do. Here's what the numbers actually tell us.
Merry Maids' 2025 FDD is one of the most transparent in the residential category. Across 249 Franchise Ownership Groups that reported for the full year, the average gross sales were $1,047,237 and the median was $767,299. The top 10% of operators averaged $3,225,072 — but the bottom 10% averaged just $183,059.
Two Maids' 2025 FDD covers 86 territories open two or more years. The top quintile averaged $1,167,376 in gross revenues; the middle quintile averaged $494,885; and the bottom quintile averaged $229,521. Two Maids uses a unique pay-for-performance royalty model where the franchisor handles all billing and pays franchisees based on customer satisfaction ratings.
Maid Brigade's data shows a clear multi-territory advantage. Single-territory operators averaged $410,782 annually, but multi-territory operators averaged $1,097,909. Their top-performing third averaged $2,141,565 — a strong signal for buyers who plan to scale.
Anago Cleaning Systems' 2026 FDD shows average annual sales of $3,453,102 across 37 qualifying franchisees in 2025, up from $2,739,828 in 2022. The median was $3,531,399 — meaning more than half of Anago's franchisees exceeded the average. The top performer hit $8,243,733 in 2025. Anago sells master franchises, not unit cleaning contracts.
Enviro-Master International reported 2024 average gross revenue of $1,062,632 across 60 franchisees, with a median of $916,114. Their top quartile averaged $1,991,457.
ServiceMaster Restore's 2025 FDD shows average gross service sales of $7,674,101 — the highest average of any brand in our dataset. Their median was $5,479,400. The top performer reported $66,781,100.
Paul Davis Restoration: franchisees under 2 years averaged $1,765,113; those 2+ years averaged $6,006,779 — a 240% increase.
PuroClean's 387 reporting franchisees averaged $953,564 overall. Franchisees open under 2 years averaged $397,072; those open 3–6 years averaged $832,402; and those open 7+ years averaged $1,420,870.
Zerorez reported average gross revenues of $1,513,566, with a median of $877,874 and a ~59% gross margin. Bio-One's 79 P&L reporters showed average total costs of 73.81% of revenue and average adjusted EBITDA of 18.69%.
Best for: Owner-operators who want recurring revenue, manageable startup costs, and a people-focused business. FDD data shows median revenues of $500K–$767K for established operators.
Best for: Buyers who prefer B2B contracts and consistent recurring revenue. Anago's FDD shows median revenues of $3.53M for master operators — but this includes revenue that flows through to unit franchisees.
Best for: Buyers who want a differentiated service with higher per-job pricing. Zerorez's ~59% gross margin stands out. The tradeoff is lower absolute volume.
Best for: Well-capitalized buyers who want a scalable, high-revenue business and can handle 24/7 emergency response. Paul Davis's jump from $1.77M (under 2 years) to $6.0M (2+ years) illustrates the upside.
Royalty structures vary dramatically across cleaning franchises. Merry Maids at 7% and Bio-One at 7.5% are standard. Molly Maid's 2% is exceptionally low. Oxi Fresh's $475/month flat rate means a franchisee generating $400K/year pays an effective rate of ~1.4%. OpenWorks at 15% and Dryer Vent Wizard at 50% of net profit are outliers. Stanley Steemer charges 10% for marketing on top of a 3% royalty — 13% of gross revenue before any operating costs.
Under $50,000: Unit franchises within master systems and entry-level specialty operators.
$50,000–$150,000: Most residential cleaning franchises — Merry Maids ($127K–$170K), Maid Brigade ($121K–$136K).
$150,000–$350,000: Commercial master franchises like Anago ($219K–$339K) and mid-tier restoration like Restoration 1 ($76K–$199K).
$350,000+: Full-service restoration brands and larger Stanley Steemer territories, typically requiring SBA financing.
Tenure is the strongest predictor. PuroClean franchisees open under 2 years averaged $397K; those open 7+ years averaged $1.42M — a 258% increase. Build your model around a realistic 2–3 year ramp.
Multi-unit operation dramatically improves returns. Maid Brigade single-territory operators averaged $411K; multi-territory operators averaged $1.1M.
Bio-One's expense breakdown is a useful industry proxy: Payroll 30.6%, marketing 13.2%, COGS 8.5%, average EBITDA 18.7%.
Gross margin varies by model. Zerorez ~59%, Two Maids ~52–56%, restoration franchises typically lower due to equipment and subcontractor costs.
By average gross revenue, ServiceMaster Restore leads at $7.67M average annual gross sales in 2024. Among residential brands, Merry Maids top Franchise Ownership Groups averaged $3.2M. Bio-One is the only brand disclosing actual EBITDA margins, averaging 18.7%.
Residential franchises under $150K with recurring revenue can reach break-even within 12–24 months. Restoration franchises typically take longer — PuroClean's data suggests a 3–5 year ramp to full revenue potential.
Commercial master franchises like Anago are designed around a management model. Residential brands require more hands-on involvement, especially early on. Restoration franchises generally require active owner involvement due to emergency response requirements.
Item 19 is where franchisors voluntarily disclose how existing franchisees have actually performed financially, typically showing average and median gross revenues. Of the 20 brands in this guide, 17 make a Financial Performance Representation; SERVPRO, OpenWorks, and Heaven's Best do not.
The FDD data shows wide variance. Merry Maids' top 10% averaged $3.2M while the bottom 10% averaged $183K — a 17x gap within the same system. Franchisees who operate for 7+ years consistently outperform newer operators by 200–300%.
What was your revenue in year one, two, and three? Compare franchisee answers to the Item 19 data in the FDD.
How does the franchisor support customer acquisition? Some brands guarantee initial customers; most don't.
What is the actual total fee burden? Add royalty + marketing fund + technology fees as a percentage of projected revenue.
What does territory protection actually mean? Geographic, population-based, and account-based protection are meaningfully different.
For restoration brands: what is your dispatch model? How jobs are routed to your territory affects staffing and lifestyle directly.
Residential cleaning and restoration are fundamentally different businesses. The right choice depends on your capital, risk tolerance, preference for B2B vs. B2C, and long-term goal. Our franchise advisors can help you assess which opportunity fits your budget and goals at no cost to you.
Javier is an experienced franchise industry professional with a focus on development, operations, and performance. With almost a decade of experience in the industry, he has witnessed both the successes and failures of franchise owners. Javier strongly believes that buying a franchise is not just an investment, but a life-changing event that presents a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. He enjoys helping aspiring franchise owners navigate the decision-making process and increase their chances of success.
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