Franchise opportunities compared

    The Grounds Guys 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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    The Grounds Guys

    $107,650 – $252,850

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 41

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $121,300 – $233,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    The Grounds Guys

    $43,750

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 25

    Waterloo Turf Business

    $59,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    The Grounds Guys

    Not available

    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 (The Grounds Guys: 2, Waterloo Turf Business: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    The Grounds Guys

    $107,650 – $252,850
    Totals
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 41

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    $43,750
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 25

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    $25,000/yr
    Initial Marketing Spend Requirement — per year for Year 1 and Year 2
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    The Grounds Guys

    219
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 83

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    −7
    Calculated: 226 at end of 2023 → 219 at end of 2025

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    2010
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Waterloo Turf Business

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

    The Grounds Guys

    2020
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Waterloo Turf Business

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    The Grounds Guys
    Franchised (105 businesses) — revenue
    $820,392
    mean Annual Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 81
    Franchised (56 businesses) — revenue
    $392,054
    mean Annual Gross Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 82
    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.

    The Grounds Guys vs Waterloo Turf Business: common questions

    Which costs less to open, The Grounds Guys or Waterloo Turf Business?
    The Grounds Guys: $107,650 – $252,850 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 41); 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 The Grounds Guys. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, The Grounds Guys or Waterloo Turf Business?
    The Grounds Guys: 219 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 83); 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 The Grounds Guys and Waterloo Turf Business disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    The Grounds Guys has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 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

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