ZeroMold Franchising, LLC Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential

• Category: Health & Wellness
• Initial Investment: $93,950 to $180,850
• Franchise Fee: $49,500
• Royalty: Greater of 7% of gross revenue or $1,200 per month per territory
• Marketing / Ad Fee: 1% brand fund contribution
• Key additional recurring fees: $200 per month technology fee; optional call center fee of the greater of 0.05% of gross revenue or $1,500 per month if used; local advertising expenditure of $3,000 per month
• Number of locations: 6 company-owned outlets and 0 franchised outlets at year-end 2024
• Best Fit: Owner with manager support or active oversight

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The estimated initial investment ranges from $93,950 to $180,850, which places this in a lower startup band for a franchise requiring vehicles, equipment, inventory, and working capital.

Major cost drivers in the disclosure include:

• Initial franchise fee: $49,500
• Vehicle: $1,200 to $35,000
• Equipment: $13,000 to $16,000
• Additional funds: $15,000 to $45,000
• Professional fees: $3,000 to $7,000
• Insurance: $2,000 to $4,000
• Initial inventory package: $2,000 to $4,000
• Management and technology system: $1,000 to $3,000
• Initial training travel: $2,500 to $5,000

The wide range is driven in part by vehicle cost and working capital. Rent is listed at $0 to $5,000 for three months, which suggests some operators may not need a traditional leased location, but the disclosure does not clearly establish the exact facility model for every operator.

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Recurring fees disclosed include:

• Royalty fee: Greater of 7% of gross revenue or $1,200 per month, whichever is higher
• Brand fund contribution: 1% of gross revenue
• Technology fee: $200 per month
• Optional call center fee: Greater of 0.05% of gross revenue or $1,500 per month, if utilized, beginning in the third month of operation
• Local advertising expenditure: $3,000 per month

Other possible charges include training fees for optional or remedial training, customized brand fund materials, and potential cooperative advertising contributions if a co-op is formed.

Overall, the fee load is not limited to royalty and brand fund alone. The monthly minimum royalty, fixed technology fee, and required local advertising spend can create a meaningful fixed-cost base, especially at lower revenue levels.

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Yes, the FDD includes Item 19 financial performance data, but it is based on 5 company-owned outlets operating for the full 2024 fiscal year. There were no franchised outlets operating during the entirety of that measurement period.

Reported gross revenue by disclosed outlet

• Virginia: $239,975
• Maryland: $323,040
• Orlando, FL: $368,579
• Salt Lake: $245,173
• Tampa, FL: $296,095

Revenue summary

• Average gross revenue: $294,572
• Median gross revenue: $296,095
• Range: $239,975 to $368,579

Reported EBITDA (if franchised)

• Virginia: $42,045
• Maryland: $86,142
• Orlando, FL: $108,070
• Salt Lake: $80,808
• Tampa, FL: $72,864

EBITDA summary

• Average EBITDA (if franchised): $77,986
• Median EBITDA (if franchised): $80,808
• Range: $42,045 to $108,070

Reported net margin percentages

• 18%
• 26%
• 29%
• 33%
• 25%

The spread in revenue is noticeable but not extreme, with the highest disclosed revenue about 1.5 times the lowest. EBITDA also varies materially across the five outlets. That suggests unit economics may depend meaningfully on territory, labor costs, job mix, and operating execution.

Two important caveats:

• Revenue is not profit. Even the EBITDA figures shown are not the same as owner earnings, net income, or cash flow after all possible costs.
• The figures come from company-owned outlets only, and the disclosure does not clearly establish whether the Item 19 figures are audited.

The sample is also limited to 5 outlets that operated for the full measurement period, so the results should be treated as examples rather than a prediction of franchisee performance.

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• B2B / B2C: The disclosure points primarily toward a B2B service orientation, though the full customer mix is not clearly established.
• Revenue pattern: Service revenue appears job-based rather than subscription-based, although repeat business may be possible; the disclosure does not quantify recurring revenue.
• Operational characteristics: Vehicle-based service model, equipment and inventory requirements, technology system, call center support option, and staffing costs that appear significant based on the Item 19 payroll figures.

This appears to be an operationally involved field-service business rather than a passive licensing model.

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Advantages

• Startup investment is below $200,000 even at the high end of the disclosed range.
• Item 19 includes both revenue and expense detail for 5 company-owned outlets, not just top-line sales.
• The model appears capable of operating without a large traditional rent burden in some cases, based on the disclosed rent range.
• Territories are described as protected, though non-exclusive.

Considerations

• The franchise system is new, having offered franchises since March 2024.
• There were 0 franchised outlets operating at year-end 2024, so there is no franchisee operating history in the disclosure.
• The fee structure includes several fixed or semi-fixed monthly obligations beyond royalty, including technology and local advertising.
• Payroll is a major expense line in the disclosed outlet results, indicating labor management may be central to execution.
• The optional call center fee, if used, adds another potentially meaningful monthly cost.

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This franchise may fit an operator comfortable with service-business execution, staffing, vehicles, equipment, and active oversight of day-to-day operations. It may also fit someone who wants a protected territory and is willing to work from a field-service model rather than a storefront-heavy concept.

It likely does not fit someone seeking a passive investment, a fully proven franchisee track record, or a business with low monthly marketing commitments.

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• The royalty includes a monthly minimum, which can pressure unit economics during slower periods.
• Local advertising expenditure is listed at $3,000 per month, creating a substantial required spend regardless of short-term sales fluctuations.
• The disclosure indicates the franchisor may require reconciliation of royalties within its reasonable discretion.
• The optional call center fee can become a sizable added cost if the operator relies on that support.
• Company-owned outlet count increased from 3 to 6 in 2024, but the disclosure does not yet show how franchised units perform over time because none were open during the reported period.

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ZeroMold presents a service-based mold remediation model with a comparatively moderate initial investment and a useful Item 19 built from company-owned operations. The main tradeoff is that buyers get some operating benchmarks, but they are evaluating a young franchise system with no franchised outlet history and a cost structure that includes several recurring obligations beyond the base royalty.

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