Franchise opportunities compared

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    $83,000 – $509,745

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Surface Specialists

    $3,400 – $56,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    $10,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Surface Specialists

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    3% · percentage of Gross Sales; 7% from Core Business and 3% from Related Business

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Surface Specialists

    5% of Gross Receipts, subject to $250 monthly minimum

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner 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 (Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner: 2, Surface Specialists: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    $83,000 – $509,745
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Surface Specialists

    $3,400 – $56,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    $10,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Surface Specialists

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    3% · percentage of Gross Sales; 7% from Core Business and 3% from Related Business
    Monthly Royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Surface Specialists

    5% of Gross Receipts, subject to $250 monthly minimum
    Royalty Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    0% of percentage of monthly gross sales
    National Advertising Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Surface Specialists

    1% of 1% of gross receipts
    Advertising Contribution
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    264
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77

    Surface Specialists

    131
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    −5
    Calculated: 269 at end of 2023 → 264 at end of 2025

    Surface Specialists

    +86
    Calculated: 45 at end of 2022 → 131 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Surface Specialists

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

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    1972
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Surface Specialists

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

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner

    1972
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Surface Specialists

    2001
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    SSStanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner
    Franchised (208 locations) — revenue — Two hundred eight (208) Stanley Steemer franchisees were in operation during al…
    $1,742,025
    other Gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74
    Franchised (208 locations) — revenue — Nationwide franchisees in operation during all of 2025
    $43,724
    other Gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74
    Surface Specialists
    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.

    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner vs Surface Specialists: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner or Surface Specialists?
    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner: $83,000 – $509,745 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Surface Specialists: $3,400 – $56,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Surface Specialists. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner and Surface Specialists royalties compare?
    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner: 3% · percentage of Gross Sales; 7% from Core Business and 3% from Related Business (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13); Surface Specialists: 5% of Gross Receipts, subject to $250 monthly minimum (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner or Surface Specialists?
    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner: 264 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77); Surface Specialists: 131 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner and Surface Specialists disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups; Surface Specialists has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 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

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