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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Criterium Engineers vs HouseMaster

    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.

    Criterium Engineers2026 FDDHouseMaster2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Criterium Engineers

    $75,380 – $174,160

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    HouseMaster

    $73,878 – $132,689

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 37

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Criterium Engineers

    Not available

    HouseMaster

    $42,500

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 24

    Royalty · Item 6

    Criterium Engineers

    4.5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    HouseMaster

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Criterium Engineers 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 (Criterium Engineers: 3, HouseMaster: 6). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Criterium Engineers

    $75,380 – $174,160
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    HouseMaster

    $73,878 – $132,689
    Total Single Franchise
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 37
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Criterium Engineers

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    HouseMaster

    $42,500
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 24
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Criterium Engineers

    4.5%
    Royalty rate over $1,000,000
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    HouseMaster

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

    Criterium Engineers

    $50
    Monthly marketing fee minimum
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    HouseMaster

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Criterium Engineers

    30
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 72

    HouseMaster

    190
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 78
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Criterium Engineers

    −1
    Calculated: 31 at end of 2022 → 30 at end of 2025

    HouseMaster

    −52
    Calculated: 242 at end of 2023 → 190 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Criterium Engineers

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    HouseMaster

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

    Criterium Engineers

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    HouseMaster

    1979
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 11
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Criterium Engineers

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    HouseMaster

    2020
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Criterium Engineers
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee offices operating at least one Affiliate office location for at leas…
    34 units
    other Affiliate network franchise offices operating as of December 31 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee offices operating at least one Affiliate office location for at leas…
    33 units
    other 2023 total operating franchise offices
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 64
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — New offices opened in the last ten years; transfers of existing offices excluded
    10 years
    other New franchise office lookback period
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 65
    HouseMaster
    Franchised (41 businesses) — other measures and revenue
    $696,024
    mean Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76
    Franchised (71 franchisees) — revenue
    $100,766
    median Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76
    Franchised (26 locations) — revenue and other measures
    $244,470
    mean Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 76
    +3 more groups in the full report

    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.

    Criterium Engineers vs HouseMaster: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Criterium Engineers or HouseMaster?
    Criterium Engineers: $75,380 – $174,160 (2026 FDD · Item 7); HouseMaster: $73,878 – $132,689 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 37). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for HouseMaster. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Criterium Engineers or HouseMaster?
    Criterium Engineers: 30 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 72); HouseMaster: 190 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 78). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Criterium Engineers and HouseMaster disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Criterium Engineers has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 location groups; HouseMaster has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 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

    Keep researching

    Full Criterium Engineers report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full HouseMaster report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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