THE CLEANING AUTHORITY
The Cleaning Authority franchise offers residential cleaning services similar to a maid service (Core Services), with options for Non-Core Services such as carpet cleaning, window cleaning, furniture cleaning, and light commercial cleaning for properties under specified size limits. Franchisees operate in defined territories—Enterprise Markets (30,000+ Designated Households) or Hometown Markets (fewer)—using the franchisor's proprietary system, marks, standards, and operations manual to serve high-income residential customers and select commercial clients. The business model emphasizes team-based cleaning, customer warranties, and royalty payments on revenue, targeting affluent households with annual incomes of at least $70,000 ($85,000 in California).
Franchise Costs
6% royalty (tiered lower at higher revenue volumes) + 1% brand fund (max $200/wk) + $37-$40/wk technology fee (~$159-$174/mo)
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 206 Enterprise Market Territories operating for the entire 2024 fiscal year, segmented into Top, Middle, and Lower Thirds by Gross Revenue.
* Average Gross Revenue was calculated as a weighted average using the 'Total Actual Gross Revenue' and 'Total Number of Reporting Territories' for each segment (Top Third, Middle Third, Lower Third) from Table 1. Calculation: ($168,743,478 + $87,558,225 + $44,026,914) / (69 + 68 + 69) = $300,328,617 / 206 = $1,457,905.91. Median Gross Revenue is taken from the Middle Third Reporting Territories, as an overall median was not explicitly provided, adhering to the instruction to use the middle segment's median. Revenue Top Quartile and Revenue Bottom Quartile are represented by the Average Gross Revenue of the Top Third and Lower Third segments, respectively. Profit estimates (net income, net profit, EBITDA, and best guess profit range) are set to null because while COGS percentages and ranges for some operating expenses (rent, telephone, employee advertising) are provided in Note 4, other significant expenses such as 'manager salaries or owner draws' and the 'weekly Local Marketing Fee' are not quantified or are referred to other sections of the FDD (Items 6, 7, 8, and 11), making a comprehensive and reliable profit estimation impossible from the available information in Item 19.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How THE CLEANING AUTHORITY Compares
Key Insights
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Cleaning Services
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
THE CLEANING AUTHORITY Current | $93K – $147K | $20K | 6.0% | 233 |
| THE MAIDS | $82K – $160K | $57K | 6.9% | 1,517 |
| Chem-Dry | $119K – $265K | $36K | 7.0% | 1,099 |
| MERRY MAIDS | $127K – $170K | $55K | 7.0% | 802 |
| OpenWorks | $4K – $134K | $25K | 15.0% | 615 |
| OXI FRESH CARPET CLEANING | $54K – $105K | $48K | N/A | 481 |
Cleaning Services Average 72 franchises | $187K – $374K | $45K | 7.1% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 72 Cleaning Services franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+25 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for THE CLEANING AUTHORITY franchisees (2014 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
216 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
216 Contacts Available
Unlock all THE CLEANING AUTHORITY franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
One lawsuit by franchisee association alleging inadequate disclosures, interference with association rights, lack of marketing fund transparency, and above-market pricing; one action against former franchisee for unpaid fees and non-compete breach (with counterclaims alleging misrepresentations).
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a THE CLEANING AUTHORITY franchise ranges from $92,850 to $147,100. This includes a franchise fee of $20,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.
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