Franopolis
    vsWT

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Lawn Doctor vs Waterloo Turf Business

    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.

    Lawn Doctor2026 FDDWTWaterloo Turf Business2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Lawn Doctor

    $135,820 – $163,902

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $121,300 – $233,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Lawn Doctor

    $50,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $59,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    Lawn Doctor

    10% of Net Revenues

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Waterloo Turf Business

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Waterloo Turf Business 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 (Lawn Doctor: 5, Waterloo Turf Business: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Lawn Doctor

    $135,820 – $163,902
    TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT FOR LAWN DOCTOR BUSINESS
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $121,300 – $233,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Lawn Doctor

    $50,000
    Item 5 also lists a $61,600 initial training, supply and support fee.
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $59,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Lawn Doctor

    10% of Net Revenues
    Royalty and Service Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Waterloo Turf Business

    4%
    Royalty rate — highest sales tier
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Lawn Doctor

    0% of net revenues
    Marketing and Promotion Fund
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    Waterloo Turf Business

    2%
    National Brand Fund contribution — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Lawn Doctor

    675
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55

    Waterloo Turf Business

    31
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 70
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Lawn Doctor

    +45
    Calculated: 630 at end of 2023 → 675 at end of 2025

    Waterloo Turf Business

    +26
    Calculated: 5 at end of 2023 → 31 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Lawn Doctor

    5
    Closures, terminations & non-renewals in 2025 · Calculated turnover 0.8% of outlets at start of year
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    Lawn Doctor

    1967
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

    Waterloo Turf Business

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Lawn Doctor

    1967
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    Waterloo Turf Business

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Lawn Doctor
    Franchised (202 locations) — memberships and revenue
    $774
    mean Annual Customer Revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52
    Franchised (202 franchisees) — revenue — 202 Franchisees that operated Lawn Doctor Businesses for 2 Full Years or More a…
    $1,723,081
    mean Net Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51
    Franchised (202 franchisees) — revenue — 202 Franchisees that operated Lawn Doctor Businesses for 2 Full Years or More a…
    $1,170,356
    mean Net Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52
    +2 more groups in the full report
    WTWaterloo Turf Business
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Austin Waterloo Turf Business, one affiliated business, January 1–December 31,…
    36.56 percent
    other Austin 2023
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Austin Waterloo Turf Business, one affiliated business, January 1–December 31,…
    $492,212
    other Austin 2024
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 60
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Austin Waterloo Turf Business, one affiliated business, January 1–December 31,…
    $1,470,739
    other Austin 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    +5 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.

    Lawn Doctor vs Waterloo Turf Business: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Lawn Doctor or Waterloo Turf Business?
    Lawn Doctor: $135,820 – $163,902 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21); Waterloo Turf Business: $121,300 – $233,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Waterloo Turf Business. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Lawn Doctor and Waterloo Turf Business royalties compare?
    Lawn Doctor: 10% of Net Revenues (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14); Waterloo Turf Business: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Lawn Doctor or Waterloo Turf Business?
    Lawn Doctor: 675 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 55); Waterloo Turf Business: 31 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 70). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Lawn Doctor and Waterloo Turf Business disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Lawn Doctor has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Waterloo Turf Business has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 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 Lawn Doctor report

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

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    Full Waterloo Turf Business report

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

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