Commercial Cleaning Franchise vs. Starting Your Own

What five years costs on each path, counting every cost we can source on both sides. Change the revenue to see how royalties grow with your sales.

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Some numbers on this page haven't been checked against their sources yet.

At a glance

Commercial Cleaning: franchise vs. independent
	Franchise (3 brands)	Independent
Franchise fee	$15,570 – $92,750	$0
Initial investment	$17,986 – $139,500	$490 – $4,952*
Ongoing royalties	5% – 10% of revenue	None
Operating costs (5 years)	$29,775	$29,775
Brand, training, and support	Included	You build your own
5-year total cost	$72,877 – $303,827	$30,265 – $34,727*

5-year totals assume $100,464–$236,808 in yearly revenue (our forecast presets at full volume), the same sourced operating costs (insurance, software, fees) on both paths, and both the lean and professional independent plans. Franchise investment figures come from each brand's disclosure (FDD Item 7) and already include the franchise fee. * Excludes independent startup lines we haven't sourced yet.

What franchisees report taking in

From each brand's own disclosure (FDD Item 19), copied exactly. These are gross sales before royalties and costs, not profit, and not a promise of what you will earn.

Office Pride
Item 19 reports 2025 gross sales for the 134 franchisees open all year, from billing records the franchisor has not audited; some owners run part time.
Coverall
Item 19 gives no sales or earnings figures; it only reports whether starter-account packages sold in 2025 were filled on time (114 of 329 within the required period, 155 still within it at year end).
Jani-King
This FDD makes no financial performance representation.

What a franchise does give you

Franchises cost more, but the fees buy real things. Weigh them honestly.

Owner-manager model built around selling contracts and leading a team
The franchisor's billing affiliate invoices customers and collects payment
Initial training and a mandatory yearly conference with other owners
Fee discounts for veterans, first responders, and existing cleaning businesses
142 franchisees in operation at the end of 2025
Starter customer accounts provided as part of the package
Billing and collection handled by the franchisor
Low entry cost compared with owner-manager franchises
Optional insurance and bonding programs through the franchisor
A large network: 5,669 franchised outlets at the end of 2025
Starter customer accounts offered as part of the plan
Billing, accounting, and collection handled by the franchisor
Initial Franchisee Certification Program training
A large network: 4,750 U.S. outlets at the end of 2025

Going independent means

You keep 100% of what you earn after costs — no royalties.
You build your own brand, systems, and customer base.
You need more self-reliance, especially in the first year.

Brand by brand

Five-year cost breakdown
Option	Initial investment	Royalties	Marketing fund	Fixed fees	Operating costs	5-year total	vs. independent
Office Pride	$71,000 – $139,500	$45,209 – $106,564	$5,023 – $11,840	$0	$29,775	$151,007 – $287,679	+$120,742 – $254,314
Coverall	$17,986 – $64,280	$25,116 – $59,202	$0	$0	$29,775	$72,877 – $153,257	+$42,612 – $119,892
Jani-King	$49,754 – $137,887	$50,232 – $118,404	$7,535 – $17,761	$0	$29,775	$137,296 – $303,827	+$107,031 – $270,462
Independent (lean start)	$490 – $3,590*	$0	$0	$0	$29,775	$30,265 – $33,365	—

Low figures pair the low end of each cost with low revenue; high figures pair the high ends. Franchise initial investment is each brand's FDD Item 7 estimate and already includes the franchise fee. Marketing fund and fixed fees show $0 where we have no sourced figure for that brand.

* Excludes independent startup lines we haven't sourced yet.

Costs are only half the picture

A franchise's brand, training, and support can help some owners reach customers faster. Weigh what those are worth to you against the difference above.

Back to the Commercial Cleaning guide · Sources for these figures