1 Tom Plumber franchise cost 2026: $238K–$454K
The 2026 1 Tom Plumber FDD puts the estimated initial investment at $238,307 to $454,248 (Item 7, p. 26). It lists a $49,000 initial franchise fee, a royalty of 6% and a marketing fund contribution of 2%. Item 19 reports average annual gross sales of $1,509,432 (period: 2025 Accounting Period).
Quick answer. The 2026 1 Tom Plumber FDD puts the estimated initial investment at $238,307 to $454,248 (Item 7, p. 26). It lists a $49,000 initial franchise fee, a royalty of 6% and a marketing fund contribution of 2%. Item 19 reports average annual gross sales of $1,509,432 (period: 2025 Accounting Period).
Key takeaways
- Estimated initial investment: $238,307 to $454,248 (Item 7, p. 26).
- The largest single line is "Additional Funds – 3 months" at $100,000 to $150,000 (Item 7, p. 26).
- Initial franchise fee: $49,000 (Item 5, p. 16).
- Royalty: 6% · Percentage of Gross Sales; after 18 months, greater of 6.00% of Gross Sales or $3,000 every four weeks (Item 6, p. 18).
- Marketing fund: 2% · Percentage of Gross Sales (Item 6, p. 18).
- Item 19: average annual gross sales of $1,509,432 (Item 19, p. 57). Sales are not profit.
- Outlets on file in Item 20 went from 13 at the start of 2023 to 56 at the end of 2025 (Item 20).
Estimated initial investment (Item 7)
Item 7 of the 2026 FDD lists the following ranges. These are the franchisor's estimates, not quotes for any specific location.
| Line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Lease Deposit | $0 | $2,000 |
| Real Estate | $0 | $0 |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $500 | $15,000 |
| Less Landlord Contributions | $0 | $500 |
| Other Professional Fees | $2,250 | $2,250 |
| Opening Inventory | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Training and Pre-Opening Expenses | $2,500 | $5,500 |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $250 |
| Deposits and permits | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Security System | $742 | $742 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Interior and Exterior Signs | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Equipment Package | $35,148 | $75,288 |
| Opening Supplies | $11,000 | $55,000 |
| Insurance | $4,000 | $9,000 |
| Pre-Opening Labor & Travel | $4,450 | $20,000 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $0 | $13,000 |
| Computers, software, Telecommunication, networking | $2,217 | $10,218 |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,000 | $49,000 |
| Market Introduction and Local Marketing | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Total | $238,307 | $454,248 |
Fees (Items 5 and 6)
| Fee | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,000 | — |
| Brand Fund Contribution | 2% | 2% · Percentage of Gross Sales |
| Regional Account Management Fee | 1% | 1% · Percentage of fees paid by the regional account |
| Transfer Fee | $2,500 | $15,000 for the first agreement, reduced to $5,000 if sold to an existing franchisee, plus $2,500 for each additional agreement transferred in the same transaction |
| Resale Assistance Fee | $10,000 | Plus any actual commission due |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 | Present fee; not to exceed 20% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Management Fee | 15% | 15% · Percentage of Gross Sales plus expenses |
| Additional Training Fee | $750 | Per day per trainer, plus travel, lodging, meals and incidental expenses |
| Late Fee | $25 | Per occurrence, per day |
| Non-compliance Fee | $0 | Per occurrence |
| Audit Fee | 100% | 100% · Percentage of understated royalty, plus interest, late fees and audit costs |
| Replacement Training Fee | $2,500 | Per trainer, plus travel, lodging, meals and incidental expenses |
| Local Advertising Expenditure | $1,000 | Per month starting 60 days prior to opening and continuing for 12 months after opening; plus 2.00% of Gross Sales |
| NSF Fee | $55 | Currently, per payment returned by the bank |
| Population Fee | $295 | Per month depending on the population in the Operating Area |
| Technology Fee | $1,000 | Monthly expense payable directly to vendor |
| Regional Cooperative Fee | 2% | 2% · Up to percentage of Gross Sales |
| Required Supplies | $750 | Quarterly, plus shipping |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 6% · Percentage of Gross Sales; after 18 months, greater of 6.00% of Gross Sales or $3,000 every four weeks |
| Convention Fee | $750 | Per attendee, plus travel expenses |
Financial performance (Item 19)
These figures are reported by the franchisor. Read the population, period and basis before comparing them with anything else, and remember that gross sales are not profit.
| Metric | Statistic | Value | Period | Who is counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Gross Sales | average | $1,509,432 | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Annual Jobs Completed | average | 2,045 jobs | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Annual Jobs Completed | range of | 621 to 5,591 jobs | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Annual Gross Sales | range of | $378,039 to $4,234,976 | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Price Per Job | range of | $405 to $967 per job | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Gross Sales per Territory | reported | $3,010,083 | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
| Price Per Job | average | $689 per job | 2025 Accounting Period | Not stated in our record |
Outlets (Item 20)
| Year | Outlet type | Start of year | End of year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | affiliate owned | 4 | 5 |
| 2023 | franchisee | 9 | 23 |
| 2024 | affiliate owned | 5 | 6 |
| 2024 | franchisee | 23 | 37 |
| 2025 | affiliate owned | 6 | 0 |
| 2025 | franchisee | 37 | 56 |
Calculated: net change in outlets 2023–2025 = end of 2025 (56) − start of 2023 (13) = +43. Outlet counts describe the size of the system, not how individual owners performed.
Questions to bring to your own research
- Which Item 7 lines depend most on your local rent, buildout and labor costs?
- Which fees in Item 6 are fixed, and which rise with sales or at renewal?
- Which units are included in the Item 19 figures, and which are excluded?
- What do current and former franchisees say about the time it took to open and the costs they actually paid?
Sources and method
Every figure above comes from the 1 Tom Plumber 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document and was checked against the document by a reviewer before it appeared on Franopolis. Figures marked "Calculated" are Franopolis arithmetic, with the formula shown. This entry is not investment, legal or tax advice, and it does not rank or recommend any franchise.
See the full 1 Tom Plumber research profile, model your own numbers in the Investment Planner, or read the territory disclosures.