Franchise opportunities compared
Chem-Dry vs Surface Specialists
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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Chem-Dry and Surface Specialists disclose 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, Surface Specialists: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Chem-Dry | SSSurface Specialists |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $74,150 – $249,500 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $3,400 – $56,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $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 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 4%–7% of gross sales Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 | 5% of Gross Receipts, subject to $250 monthly minimum Royalty Fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 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 | $1.00 Advertising Contribution — 1% of Gross Receipts 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 963 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65 | 131 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −320 Calculated: 1,283 at end of 2023 → 963 at end of 2025 | −12 Calculated: 143 at end of 2023 → 131 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 1994 under the Chem-Dry name and trademarks; predecessors began in 1978 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | 1977 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8 | 2001 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8 |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Franchised locations — other measures and revenue $350 per job other Projected Average Income Per Job · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 65 | Franchised (44 locations) — revenue $296,405 mean Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35 Franchised (35 franchise) — revenue $110,163 median Estimated Sales Value from Initial Inventory · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 37 Franchised (44 franchisees) — revenue $3,725 – $69,644 range Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35 |
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.