Ace Handyman Services franchise cost 2026
The 2026 Ace Handyman Services FDD puts the estimated initial investment at 2 different totals depending on format (Item 7). It lists a $35,000 initial franchise fee and a royalty of 6%. Item 19 reports average total revenue of $775,337 (period: calendar year 2025).
Quick answer. The 2026 Ace Handyman Services FDD puts the estimated initial investment at 2 different totals depending on format (Item 7). It lists a $70,000 standard initial franchise fee and a royalty of 6%. Item 19 reports average total revenue of $775,337 (period: calendar year 2025).
Key takeaways
- Estimated initial investment: 2 different totals depending on format (Item 7).
- The largest single line is "Estimated Initial Investment Expenses Minus Initial Franchise Fee - Mini AHS Business" at $62,200 to $126,000 (Item 7, p. 21).
- Initial franchise fee (standard single unit): $70,000 (Item 5, p. 15). Other fee variants apply; see the fee table below.
- Royalty: 6% · percent of actual Gross Revenues of the previous month (Item 6, p. 16).
- Item 19: average total revenue of $775,337 (Item 19, p. 51). Sales are not profit.
- Outlets on file in Item 20 went from 312 at the start of 2023 to 401 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and living expense while training | $3,500 | $4,500 |
| Lease Deposit | $1,000 | $3,200 |
| Rent for first 3 months | $3,500 | $3,500 |
| Furnishings | $600 | $600 |
| Tools and equipment | $0 | $0 |
| Truck or Van | $0 | $0 |
| Computer Hardware and Office Equipment | $2,500 | $5,500 |
| Utility deposits and fees | $500 | $1,000 |
| Estimated Initial Investment Expenses Minus Initial Franchise Fee - Mini AHS Business | $62,200 | $126,000 |
| Licenses and permits | $1,000 | $5,000 |
| Miscellaneous opening costs | $2,000 | $4,500 |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $70,000 | $100,000 |
| Initial Marketing Spend | $11,000 | $20,000 |
| Initial Franchise Fee - Mini AHS Business | $35,000 | $45,000 |
| Insurance | $5,500 | $7,000 |
| Professional fees | $500 | $6,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements and Signage | $600 | $4,000 |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $30,000 | $45,000 |
| TOTAL - Mini AHS Business | $97,200 | $171,000 |
| TOTAL - Standard AHS Business | $132,200 | $226,000 |
Fees (Items 5 and 6)
| Fee | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee - Mini AHS Business | $35,000 | — |
| Additional Territory Discount | $14,000 | — |
| Initial Franchise Fee - Standard AHS Business | $70,000 | — |
| Additional Concept Discount | $14,000 | — |
| VetFran Discount | $7,000 | — |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 6% · percent of actual Gross Revenues of the previous month |
| National Brand Fee | 2% | 2% · percent of actual Gross Revenues |
| Software and Internet Fees | $599 | per month |
| Meeting and Convention Fee - Nonattendance | $1,500 | per meeting |
| Meeting and Convention Fee - Partial Attendance | $750 | per meeting |
| Recruiting Platform Fee | $125 | per month |
| Audit Fee | $2,500 | estimated cost of audit |
| Returned Electronic Funds Transfer Fee | $100 | per transaction |
| Successor Franchise Fee | $5,500 | per successor Franchise Agreement |
| Additional Training | $55 | per hour per person, plus out-of-pocket expenses |
| Late Report or Fee | $75 | per occurrence |
| Interest and Late Fees | 18% | 18% · percent per annum |
| Transfer Fee | $3,500 | per transfer; $10,000 generally and $3,500 for transfers to a family member |
| Minimum Individual Marketing Expenditure - Mini AHS Business | $15,000 | annual expenditure; $15,000 in first year, $20,000 in second year, and $25,000 thereafter |
| Minimum Individual Marketing Expenditure - Standard | $30,000 | annual expenditure; $30,000 in first year, $40,000 in second year, and $50,000 thereafter |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | average | $775,337 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Total Revenue | average | $332,217 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Owner Discretionary Income | average | $25,486 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Owner Discretionary Income | average | $3,994 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Owner Discretionary Income | average | $223,597 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Total Revenue | average | $250,699 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Total Revenue | average | $1,514,055 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
| Owner Discretionary Income | average | $49,793 | calendar year 2025 | Not stated in our record |
Outlets (Item 20)
| Year | Outlet type | Start of year | End of year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | company-owned | 7 | 12 |
| 2023 | franchised | 305 | 367 |
| 2024 | company-owned | 12 | 18 |
| 2024 | franchised | 367 | 369 |
| 2025 | company-owned | 18 | 18 |
| 2025 | franchised | 369 | 383 |
Calculated: net change in outlets 2023–2025 = end of 2025 (401) − start of 2023 (312) = +89. 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 Ace Handyman Services 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 Ace Handyman Services research profile, model your own numbers in the Investment Planner, or read the territory disclosures.