Franchise opportunities compared
Chem-Dry vs The Grout Doctor
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 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, The Grout Doctor: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Chem-Dry | TGThe Grout Doctor |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $74,150 – $249,500 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $24,065 – $38,085 TOTAL 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25 |
| 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 | $500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 4%–7% of gross sales Royalty 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 | $0.00 Royalty minimum per household 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 |
| 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 | $1.50 Current advertising fund 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 963 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65 | 80 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −320 Calculated: 1,283 at end of 2023 → 963 at end of 2025 | −2 Calculated: 82 at end of 2023 → 80 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 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Standard >2 years 40 percent other Standard >2 years · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 49 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Standard 12–24 months 66.67 percent other Standard 12–24 months · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Non-standard >2 years 1 franchisees other Non-standard >2 years · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52 |
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.