Surface Experts Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential

• Category: Home Services
• Initial Investment: $140,340 to $227,475
• Franchise Fee: $75,000
• Royalty: Greater of 8% of Gross Sales or $1,600 per month after the first year; $1,800 minimum after 18 months for larger territories over 500,000 population
• Marketing / Ad Fee: 2% ad fund contribution; local/regional co-op currently none but may be at least 1% of Gross Sales if established; market co-op may be required up to 4%
• Key additional recurring fees: Support Center Services Fee of 4% of Gross Sales up to $80,000 per month, then 2% above that; technology fee currently $240 per month
• Number of locations: 81 franchised locations at year-end 2024; 0 company-owned
• Best Fit: Owner-operator with active day-to-day involvement

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The FDD estimates initial investment at $140,340 to $227,475, with a stated initial franchise fee of $75,000. That franchise fee is a large part of the upfront cost.

Other notable startup funding needs include additional funds of $45,000 to $60,000. The disclosure also indicates a mobile operating model with technology and staffing requirements, which likely contributes to the mid-range capital need.

Overall, this appears to be a mid-cost franchise entry point. It is not a low-cash startup, but it also does not read like a large fixed-site buildout model.

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• Royalty: Greater of 8% of Gross Sales or $1,600/month after year one
• Higher minimum royalty for larger territories: $1,800/month after 18 months for territories above 500,000 population
• Ad fund: 2% of Gross Sales
• Local advertising: Must maintain a full-time Business Development person other than the owner
• Local/regional co-op: Currently none; if established, at least 1% of Gross Sales
• Market cooperative contribution: Currently none; may be required up to 4% of Gross Sales unless members unanimously agree to more
• Support Center Services Fee: 4% of Gross Sales up to $80,000 per month, then 2% above that level
• Technology fee: $240/month currently
• Other possible fees: training, third-party vendor pass-throughs, non-compliance fees, late fees, territory breach fees, special support, audit-related charges, and reimbursement markups

The recurring fee load is not just a simple royalty-plus-ad model. The main burden comes from the combination of royalty, ad fund, support center fee, technology fee, and the requirement to fund a full-time business development role.

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Yes, the FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation, but it reports gross revenue, not profit.

For 67 franchised locations that were open and operating for at least 12 months during 2024, annual gross revenue was disclosed by quartile:

• Top 25% (16 outlets):

  • Low: $810,425.40
  • Median: $944,202.33
  • Average: $1,164,331.34
  • High: $2,624,309.23

• Second 25% (17 outlets):

  • Low: $513,287.75
  • Median: $670,949.86
  • Average: $660,701.79
  • High: $804,221.25

• Third 25% (17 outlets):

  • Low: $346,592.00
  • Median: $420,850.05
  • Average: $422,344.55
  • High: $511,829.00

• Bottom 25% (17 outlets):

  • Low: $93,227.25
  • Median: $208,359.90
  • Average: $202,547.06
  • High: $307,399.59

Additional operating indicators for the same 67 locations:

• Gross revenue per job: average $414.16, median $255.00
• Revenue per repair: average $281.90, median $204.00
• Monthly rent: average ($663.90), median ($338.33) for 64 locations
• Cost of goods sold per job: average ($32.64), median ($28.67) for 64 locations

What these numbers suggest:

• Revenue dispersion is wide. The top quartile average of $1.16 million is far above the bottom quartile average of about $203,000.
• The highest reported unit revenue of $2.62 million is far above the rest of the system and should not be treated as typical.
• The median and average revenue per job differ materially, which may indicate uneven job mix or ticket size across operators.

Important caveats:

• This is revenue, not profit.
• The disclosure says the figures were prepared from internal accounting records and reports.
• The disclosure does not clearly establish whether these figures were audited.
• The sample includes 67 of 81 franchised locations, so 14 locations were excluded because they had not been open for at least 12 months.
• Results are historical for 2024 only and may not represent future performance.

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• Customer type: Hybrid B2B and B2C
• Revenue pattern: Primarily job-based service revenue rather than contractual recurring revenue, based on the disclosure provided
• Operating model: Mobile service business rather than a traditional storefront
• Staffing: The FDD requires a designated Principal Executive and indicates a full-time Business Development person other than the owner; it also references a Lead Technician
• Systems and tools: Technology appears central to operations, including field operations software, field service management, VOIP, hiring software, and website/SEO support
• Equipment/field operations: The disclosure indicates a vehicle/equipment-oriented field model, though exact equipment requirements are not clearly established in the provided facts

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Advantages

• Item 19 provides actual 2024 gross revenue data for 67 mature franchised locations.
• The business serves both commercial and residential customers, which may diversify demand sources.
• The model is mobile, which may reduce dependence on a traditional retail lease structure.
• System size increased from 37 franchised outlets in 2022 to 81 in 2024.

Considerations

• The upfront investment is meaningful, with a $75,000 franchise fee and total estimated startup cost up to $227,475.
• The fee stack is layered: royalty, ad fund, support center fee, technology fee, and required business development staffing all affect operating economics.
• Revenue outcomes vary substantially across quartiles, so unit-level performance appears uneven.
• The territory is non-exclusive, which limits territorial protection.
• The model requires active owner participation rather than a passive ownership approach.

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This franchise may fit an owner-operator who wants an active role in a mobile service business and is comfortable managing sales, technicians, and local business development.

It likely does not fit someone seeking passive or semi-absentee ownership, or someone who wants a simple fee structure with exclusive territory protection clearly built in.

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• The franchisor states it has not conducted a business of the type a franchisee will operate, which may matter when evaluating operating precedent at the franchisor level.
• There are no company-owned outlets disclosed, so the system history shown is entirely franchised.
• The franchise term is 10 years, which creates a long contractual commitment.
• Renewal involves a $5,000 renewal fee.
• Serving customers outside the assigned territory without prior written permission can trigger a $500 per job breach of territory fee.

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Surface Experts presents a mobile home-services model with a mid-range startup cost and unusually specific revenue disclosure for mature units. The main tradeoff is that the concept shows a broad range of gross revenue outcomes while also requiring active owner involvement and carrying a more layered operating fee structure than a basic royalty model.

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