2026 Guide•74 franchises analyzed
Cleaning franchises offer some of the lowest entry points in franchising, but the business models vary from $10K home-based to $200K+ disaster restoration.
Best Cleaning Franchises to Own in 2026
Cleaning franchises offer some of the lowest entry points in franchising, but the business models vary from $10K home-based to $200K+ disaster restoration.
The cleaning industry spans janitorial, residential, carpet, disaster restoration, and specialty services. Some commercial cleaning franchises start under $50K, while established brands like Jan-Pro and Stratus require $100K+. Restoration franchises like Servpro require $250K+ but offer higher revenue per job.
We compared 74 cleaning franchise FDDs to show actual investment ranges, revenue by service type, and the crucial metric most buyers miss: customer acquisition cost and contract retention rates. A low franchise fee means nothing if you can't get and keep customers.
Data source: 2025 FDD filings · 74 franchises analyzed · Updated January 2026
Key Findings from FDD Analysis
74
cleaning franchises analyzed
$187K - $374K
avg. investment
$45K
avg. franchise fee
$752K
avg. revenue (Item 19)
How We Ranked These Cleaning franchises
This page ranks cleaning franchises by total locations, reported revenue from Item 19, projected growth, and minimum investment. Cleaning spans commercial janitorial, residential, carpet/specialty, and disaster restoration—each with different economics. Commercial contracts provide recurring revenue; restoration offers higher per-job revenue.
Top Cleaning franchises at a Glance
Ranked by Number of Locations
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Locations | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICEMASTER RESTORE | N/A | $73K | 1,939 | $945K |
| THE MAIDS | $82K - $160K | $57K | 1,517 | $1.2M |
| THE MAIDS | $118K - $141K | $60K | 1,472 | - |
| Chem-Dry | $119K - $265K | $36K | 1,099 | - |
| MERRY MAIDS | $127K - $170K | $55K | 802 | $487K |
| OpenWorks | $4K - $134K | $25K | 615 | - |
| OXI FRESH CARPET CLEANING | $54K - $105K | $48K | 481 | $162K |
| MOLLY MAID | $140K - $197K | $15K | 448 | - |
| HEAVEN'S BEST AND HEAVEN'S BEST CARPET CLEANING | $56K - $110K | $42K | 419 | - |
| OpenWorks | $4K - $134K | $25K | 414 | - |
10 Best Cleaning franchises Ranked
Litigation
Investment
N/A
Franchise Fee
$73K
Locations
1,939
Avg. Revenue
$945K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$82K - $160K
Franchise Fee
$57K
Locations
1,517
Avg. Revenue
$1.2M
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$118K - $141K
Franchise Fee
$60K
Locations
1,472
Royalty
6.9%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$119K - $265K
Franchise Fee
$36K
Locations
1,099
Royalty
7.0%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Investment
$127K - $170K
Franchise Fee
$55K
Locations
802
Avg. Revenue
$487K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$4K - $134K
Franchise Fee
$25K
Locations
615
Royalty
15.0%
Source: 2024 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$54K - $105K
Franchise Fee
$48K
Locations
481
Avg. Revenue
$162K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Investment
$140K - $197K
Franchise Fee
$15K
Locations
448
Royalty
6.5%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Investment
$56K - $110K
Franchise Fee
$42K
Locations
419
Royalty
N/A
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$4K - $134K
Franchise Fee
$25K
Locations
414
Royalty
15.0%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Highest Profit Cleaning franchises
Ranked by net income, EBITDA, or owner earnings from Item 19 FDD disclosures. Not all franchises disclose profit data.
Litigation
Investment
$262K - $619K
Franchise Fee
$30K
Locations
57
Net Profit
$614K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$174K - $309K
Franchise Fee
$49K
Locations
0
EBITDA
$547K
Source: 2024 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$128K - $167K
Franchise Fee
$59K
Locations
45
Est. Profit
$315K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Investment
$740K - $1.2M
Franchise Fee
$30K
Locations
66
Net Profit
$280K
Source: 2024 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$710K - $1.5M
Franchise Fee
$50K
Locations
256
Net Profit
$271K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Highest Revenue Cleaning franchises
Ranked by average gross revenue per location from Item 19 FDD disclosures.
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$110K - $346K
Franchise Fee
$75K
Locations
53
Avg. Revenue
$3.3M
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$174K - $309K
Franchise Fee
$49K
Locations
0
Avg. Revenue
$2.4M
Source: 2024 FDD filingView details
Investment
$158K - $522K
Franchise Fee
$60K
Locations
210
Avg. Revenue
$1.7M
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Litigation
Investment
$262K - $619K
Franchise Fee
$30K
Locations
57
Avg. Revenue
$1.5M
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$93K - $147K
Franchise Fee
$20K
Locations
233
Avg. Revenue
$1.5M
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Fastest Growing Cleaning franchises
Ranked by projected new locations from Item 20 of their FDD filings.
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$4K - $134K
Franchise Fee
$25K
Locations
414
Royalty
15.0%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$4K - $134K
Franchise Fee
$25K
Locations
615
Royalty
15.0%
Source: 2024 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$186K - $252K
Franchise Fee
$55K
Locations
64
Avg. Revenue
$419K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Growing
Investment
$128K - $167K
Franchise Fee
$59K
Locations
45
Avg. Revenue
$985K
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
GrowingLitigation
Investment
$119K - $265K
Franchise Fee
$36K
Locations
1,099
Royalty
7.0%
Source: 2025 FDD filingView details
Most Affordable Cleaning franchises
Ranked by minimum initial investment from Item 7 of their FDD filings.
Sorted by Minimum Investment
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Locations | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenWorks | $4K - $134K | $25K | 414 | - |
| OpenWorks | $4K - $134K | $25K | 615 | - |
| ANAGO OF MINNEAPOLIS | $13K - $68K | $9K | 45 | - |
| VCS BUSINESS | $13K - $36K | $4K | 50 | - |
| The Grout Doctor | $24K - $38K | $18K | 81 | $143K |
Who Should Consider Cleaning franchises?
Cleaning franchises offer low entry points ($10K-200K) and can start part-time. Commercial cleaning suits buyers wanting B2B recurring revenue. Restoration (Servpro, ServiceMaster) requires more capital but generates higher revenue per job. Residential cleaning has higher customer acquisition costs but strong brand recognition in some markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning franchises
How much does it cost to open a cleaning franchise?
The average initial investment for cleaning franchises ranges from $187K to $374K, based on our analysis of 74 FDD filings. The average franchise fee is $45K. The most affordable option is OpenWorks, starting at just $4K.
What is the most profitable cleaning franchise?
According to Item 19 financial performance disclosures, STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS (MASTER) reports the highest average unit revenue at $3.3M. Other high-performing cleaning franchises include Kitchen Guard Services ($2.4M), STANLEY STEEMER INTERNATIONAL INC ($1.7M), Zerorez ($1.5M). Note: Not all franchises disclose Item 19 data.
What is the largest cleaning franchise by number of locations?
SERVICEMASTER RESTORE is the largest with 1,939 locations nationwide. Other major cleaning franchises include THE MAIDS (1,517 locations), THE MAIDS (1,472 locations), Chem-Dry (1,099 locations), MERRY MAIDS (802 locations). Combined, the top 5 cleaning franchises operate over 6,829 locations.
What is the cheapest cleaning franchise to open?
The most affordable cleaning franchises by initial investment are: OpenWorks ($4K - $134K), OpenWorks ($4K - $134K), ANAGO OF MINNEAPOLIS ($13K - $68K), VCS BUSINESS ($13K - $36K), The Grout Doctor ($24K - $38K). Lower investment often means smaller format, mobile/home-based, or service-based models.
How do I evaluate a cleaning franchise opportunity?
Review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) carefully. Key sections include: Item 5 (fees), Item 7 (initial investment), Item 19 (financial performance, if disclosed), and Item 20 (outlet information including terminations and closures). Our database extracts this data from official FDDs to help you compare cleaning franchises objectively.
Want to explore more cleaning franchises?
Browse all cleaning franchises in our database with advanced filters for investment range, location count, and more.
View All Cleaning franchises