Which costs less to open, Merry Maids or The Cleaning Authority?

Merry Maids: $126,875 – $169,325 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 34); The Cleaning Authority: $119,100 – $163,350 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for The Cleaning Authority. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Merry Maids and The Cleaning Authority royalties compare?

Merry Maids: 5% · percent of Gross Sales (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25); The Cleaning Authority: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Merry Maids or The Cleaning Authority?

Merry Maids: 684 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67); The Cleaning Authority: 244 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 72). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Merry Maids and The Cleaning Authority disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Merry Maids has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; The Cleaning Authority has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Merry Maids vs The Cleaning Authority

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.

Merry Maids2026 FDD

The Cleaning Authority2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Merry Maids

$126,875 – $169,325

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 34

The Cleaning Authority

$119,100 – $163,350

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Merry Maids

$55,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23

The Cleaning Authority

Not available

Royalty · Item 6

Merry Maids

5% · percent of Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25

The Cleaning Authority

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Before you compare

Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
Only Merry Maids has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Merry Maids

The Cleaning Authority

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Merry Maids

$126,875 – $169,325

TOTAL

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 34

The Cleaning Authority

$119,100 – $163,350

Estimated initial investment: $119,100 to $163,350

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Merry Maids

$55,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 23

The Cleaning Authority

Not available

No single standard fee identified

Royalty (Item 6)

Merry Maids

5% · percent of Gross Sales

Royalty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25

The Cleaning Authority

Royalty fee: 6% of Gross Revenue

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Merry Maids

$6,000

Initial Marketing Obligation — fixed amount during Initial Marketing Period

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25

The Cleaning Authority

Brand Fund Contribution: 2% of Gross Revenue; may increase above 2% with consent of 50% or more — 2%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

System scale & health

Disclosure

Merry Maids

The Cleaning Authority

Total outlets (Item 20)

Merry Maids

684

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67

The Cleaning Authority

244

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 72

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Merry Maids

−162

Calculated: 846 at end of 2023 → 684 at end of 2025

The Cleaning Authority

+20

Calculated: 224 at end of 2023 → 244 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Merry Maids

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

The Cleaning Authority

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Merry Maids

March 2021

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

The Cleaning Authority

1996

From a verified franchisor listing

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Merry Maids

2020

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

The Cleaning Authority

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Merry Maids

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record

$439,243

mean Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 64

The Cleaning Authority

No reviewed Item 19 figures

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.

Merry Maids vs The Cleaning Authority: common questions

Which costs less to open, Merry Maids or The Cleaning Authority?: Merry Maids: $126,875 – $169,325 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 34); The Cleaning Authority: $119,100 – $163,350 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for The Cleaning Authority. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Merry Maids and The Cleaning Authority royalties compare?: Merry Maids: 5% · percent of Gross Sales (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25); The Cleaning Authority: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Merry Maids or The Cleaning Authority?: Merry Maids: 684 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67); The Cleaning Authority: 244 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 72). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Merry Maids and The Cleaning Authority disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Merry Maids has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; The Cleaning Authority has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file. 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