Franchise opportunities compared

    1 Tom Plumber vs Rooterman

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    1 Tom Plumber

    $238,307 – $454,248

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26

    Rooterman

    $45,075 – $82,475

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    1 Tom Plumber

    $49,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Rooterman

    $4,975

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Royalty · Item 6

    1 Tom Plumber

    6% or $3,000 min/4 wks

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Rooterman

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Only 1 Tom Plumber has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    1 Tom Plumber

    $238,307 – $454,248
    Total
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26

    Rooterman

    $45,075 – $82,475
    TOTAL
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    1 Tom Plumber

    $49,000
    Additional units, qualifying expansions, rural or secondary markets, conversions, veterans, and first responders may receive discounts.
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Rooterman

    $4,975
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14
    Royalty (Item 6)

    1 Tom Plumber

    6% or $3,000 min/4 wks
    Royalty Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Rooterman

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    1 Tom Plumber

    2% of percentage of gross sales
    Brand Fund Contribution
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Rooterman

    $10,000
    Advertising Cooperative Fee — Up to greater of $10,000 or 2% of Gross Sales per year
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    1 Tom Plumber

    56
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 60

    Rooterman

    517
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    1 Tom Plumber

    +28
    Calculated: 28 at end of 2023 → 56 at end of 2025

    Rooterman

    −136
    Calculated: 653 at end of 2023 → 517 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    1 Tom Plumber

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Rooterman

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    1 Tom Plumber

    2020
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    Rooterman

    March 2022
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    1 Tom Plumber

    2020
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    Rooterman

    2021
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    1 Tom Plumber
    Franchised (35 territories) — revenue and other measures
    $1,509,432
    mean Annual Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57
    Company-owned (4 locations) — revenue
    $3,010,083
    other Gross Sales per Territory
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57
    Rooterman

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    1 Tom Plumber vs Rooterman: common questions

    Which costs less to open, 1 Tom Plumber or Rooterman?
    1 Tom Plumber: $238,307 – $454,248 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 26); Rooterman: $45,075 – $82,475 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 24). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Rooterman. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, 1 Tom Plumber or Rooterman?
    1 Tom Plumber: 56 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 60); Rooterman: 517 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do 1 Tom Plumber and Rooterman disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    1 Tom Plumber has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups; Rooterman makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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