Which costs less to open, Chem-Dry or Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning?

Chem-Dry: $74,150 – $249,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: $194,500 – $412,900 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Chem-Dry. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Chem-Dry and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning royalties compare?

Chem-Dry: 4%–7% of gross sales (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: 8%, 6%, then 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Chem-Dry or Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning?

Chem-Dry: 963 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: 91 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Chem-Dry and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Chem-Dry has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Chem-Dry vs Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

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.

Chem-Dry2026 FDD

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Chem-Dry

$74,150 – $249,500

2026 FDD · Item 7

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

$194,500 – $412,900

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Chem-Dry

$36,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

$23,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

Royalty · Item 6

Chem-Dry

4%–7% of gross sales

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

8%, 6%, then 5%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

Before you compare

Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
Chem-Dry discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Chem-Dry: 1, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Chem-Dry

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Chem-Dry

$74,150 – $249,500

2026 FDD · Item 7

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

$194,500 – $412,900

Single Unit Total

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Chem-Dry

$36,000

Item 5 also requires an Initial Package costing $44,000 to $78,000, including equipment, supplies, inventory, and other items.

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

$23,000

A per-person population fee is added; Item 5 examples show total initial fees of $73,000 and $135,500.

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

Royalty (Item 6)

Chem-Dry

4%–7% of gross sales

Royalty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

8%, 6%, then 5%

Royalty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Chem-Dry

3% of percentage of gross sales; minimum monthly payment of $150 for standard territory and $75 for small territory

Marketing Fee

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

0% of percentage of gross sales

National Advertising Fee

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

System scale & health

Disclosure

Chem-Dry

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Total outlets (Item 20)

Chem-Dry

963

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Chem-Dry

−320

Calculated: 1,283 at end of 2023 → 963 at end of 2025

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

+61

Calculated: 30 at end of 2023 → 91 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Chem-Dry

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Closures, terminations & non-renewals in 2025 · Calculated turnover 0.0% of outlets at start of year

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59

Franchising since (Item 1)

Chem-Dry

1994 under the Chem-Dry name and trademarks; predecessors began in 1978

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

December 2012

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Chem-Dry

1977

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

2012

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Chem-Dry

Franchised locations — other measures and revenue

$350 per job

other Projected Average Income Per Job

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 65

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Franchised and company-owned (32 franchises) — revenue

$356,288

other Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record

$424,326

mean Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57

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.

Chem-Dry vs Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: common questions

Which costs less to open, Chem-Dry or Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning?: Chem-Dry: $74,150 – $249,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: $194,500 – $412,900 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 29). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Chem-Dry. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Chem-Dry and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning royalties compare?: Chem-Dry: 4%–7% of gross sales (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: 8%, 6%, then 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Chem-Dry or Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning?: Chem-Dry: 963 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65); Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning: 91 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Chem-Dry and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Chem-Dry has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups. 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