An All American Pet Resorts franchise has an estimated initial investment of $798,000 to $1,900,000 for one U.S. Pet Resort under the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That total is not the same as the $60,000 Initial Franchise Fee: it also includes the facility build, professional services, equipment, technology, opening inventory, insurance, launch advertising and $25,000 to $50,000 of Additional Funds for the first three months.
FDD Item 7, pages 18-22, for one U.S. location. The low end reflects a 50-suite build; the high end reflects a 100-suite build. The range includes the Initial Franchise Fee and Additional Funds, but it excludes purchasing the building itself.
Legal franchisor: All American Pet Resorts, LLC. FDD issuance date: April 27, 2026. Applicable model: one All American Pet Resorts Business operating as a Pet Resort; Item 7 varies the facility primarily by suite count rather than publishing separate format ranges. FDD sections reviewed: Items 5, 6 and 7, pages 12-22, with cost-relevant provisions in Items 8, 10, 11 and 17. Information checked: July 17, 2026.
The brand's official investment information matches the current disclosure. No matching public copy of the 2026 FDD was located on the official brand-controlled website, so FDD Item and page references in this article are presented as unlinked citations.
What is included in the $798,000 to $1,900,000 range?
The 2026 disclosure includes fourteen cost categories for one location. The largest category is Leasehold Improvements, while the remaining range covers the franchise contract, premises, professional services, equipment, launch expenses and the first 90 days of operating funds.
Contract, premises and operating systems
| Cost category | 2026 disclosed amount | Payment timing |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | When the Franchise Agreement is signed |
| Real Estate Leasing | $0-$20,000 | Monthly or under lease terms |
| Leasehold Improvements | $600,000-$1,400,000 | At varied construction stages |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $5,000-$80,000 | As agreed with suppliers and vendors |
| Signage | $5,000-$20,000 | Under supplier terms |
| Computer hardware, software and cameras | $15,000-$20,000 | At delivery |
| Utility Deposits and Licenses | $0-$5,000 | Negotiated or as incurred |
Source: 2026 FDD Item 7, pages 18-21.
Professional, opening and working-capital costs
| Cost category | 2026 disclosed amount | Payment timing |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and living expenses while training | $0-$5,000 per person | As incurred during training |
| Legal, Architectural and Accounting Fees | $50,000-$165,000 | As invoiced |
| Inventory and Supplies | $5,000-$20,000 | Before opening and at delivery |
| Insurance | $3,000-$20,000 | As billed |
| Start-Up Advertising Expense | $20,000-$25,000 | During the first three months after training |
| Additional Funds for First 3 Months | $25,000-$50,000 | As incurred during the first 90 days |
| Real Estate & Resort Coordination Fee | $10,000 | Normally 15 days after signing |
Source: 2026 FDD Item 7, pages 18-22.
The official total is $798,000-$1,900,000. Training travel is disclosed per person, so the official total should not be replaced by a reader-created sum that assumes a different number of attendees.
All three bars use the same $0-$1.9 million scale. “All other disclosed components” is a derived range, calculated by subtracting Leasehold Improvements from the official total at matching low and high bounds.
Interpretation: the facility build is the main driver of the official range. Source: 2026 FDD Item 7, pages 18-22. The $198,000-$500,000 “all other” range is a derived calculation, not a separately published franchisor estimate.
Why does the Pet Resort size change the investment so sharply?
The 2026 FDD does not publish separate traditional, nontraditional or conversion ranges. Instead, the model scales mainly through suite count and the condition, size and location of the premises.
The $600,000 low build-out estimate reflects a smaller approved facility.
The FDD says a facility generally has 80 to 100 suites, although fewer than 80 may be approved.
The $1,400,000 high build-out estimate reflects 100 suites; the FDD cites approximately $12,000-$14,000 per suite for that scale.
For a facility able to serve about 100 dogs, Item 7 describes approximately 6,500 square feet on at least 0.75 acre. Construction cost can move with local labor, materials, zoning, premises condition and required specifications. The official support description confirms that site selection, design and construction are central parts of the development process, but the FDD makes the franchisee responsible for the underlying costs.
The Leasehold Improvements estimate assumes a leased building and does not include purchasing the building. The $0 low value for Real Estate Leasing assumes the franchisee already owns the real estate; it does not mean the real estate has no economic cost. FDD Item 7, page 20.
The FDD also does not create a separate multi-unit total-investment range. It reduces only the Initial Franchise Fee: $50,000 for the second Pet Resort, $45,000 for the third and fourth, and $40,000 for the fifth. Each location still carries its own development costs and $10,000 coordination charge.
When is the money paid?
The 2026 FDD spreads the cash requirement across signing, site development, training, opening and the first 90 days. The Franchise Agreement term begins when the agreement is signed, while the FDD estimates that opening typically takes 12 to 18 months.
Pay the $60,000 Initial Franchise Fee for the first location. It is fully earned and non-refundable. A qualified U.S. veteran or active military member receives a 10% discount on the first Initial Franchise Fee. Additional-unit fees are $50,000 for unit two, $45,000 for units three and four, and $40,000 for unit five. FDD Item 5, page 12.
Pay the $10,000 Real Estate & Resort Coordination Fee 15 days after signing for the first location. Item 5 states that the fee for an additional location is due when the additional Franchise Agreement is signed. It is non-refundable. FDD Item 5, pages 12-13.
Lease deposits, professional fees, Leasehold Improvements, equipment, signage, technology and permits are paid under vendor, contractor, landlord and government terms. The brand's official ownership sequence places FDD review and contract delivery before the location-development phase; the FDD controls the actual payment obligations.
Pay attendee travel and living expenses as incurred, initial inventory before opening, and the computer system at delivery. Item 7 also identifies a $300 Resort Operations Software setup fee within the technology disclosures. Initial training covers up to two people; extra attendees trigger a separate daily training fee.
Use the included $25,000-$50,000 Additional Funds for disclosed first-90-day operating expenses. Spend at least $20,000 on Start-Up Advertising during the first three months after satisfactory completion of training. Royalty, Brand Development and Technology Fees begin after the first month of operations; the Local Advertising Expense begins after the first 90 days.
The FDD says the franchisor may terminate and retain the Initial Franchise Fee if an approved site is not obtained within four months of signing or the Pet Resort is not opened within 18 months after diligent pursuit. Before opening, all amounts due to the franchisor must be paid and insurance, permits, lease, equipment, inventory and required systems must be in place. FDD Item 11, pages 27-28.
Which fees continue after opening?
The recurring cost stack begins with a 7% Royalty Fee, a 2% Brand Development and/or Promotions Fee, a Local Advertising Expense and a $100 monthly Technology Fee. Separate vendor, insurance and mandatory-meeting costs continue on annual or periodic schedules.
| Ongoing obligation | Amount or basis | Timing and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty Fee | 7% of Gross Revenues | Monthly by electronic transfer on or before the 10th; begins after the first month |
| Brand Development and/or Promotions Fee | 2% of Gross Revenues | Monthly on or before the 10th; may rise to 3% on 30 days' notice under the disclosed process |
| Local Advertising Expense | Greater of 1% or $1,000/month | Based on preceding-month Gross Revenues; begins after the first 90 days |
| Cooperative Advertising | As determined | Only if a cooperative is established; creditable toward Local Advertising Expense up to 3% of Gross Revenues |
| Technology Fee | $100/month | May increase to the greater of $250 or actual cost; begins after the first month |
| Resort Operations Software Support Contract | $2,700/year | Paid to the designated vendor; monthly payment may cost more under vendor terms |
| Computer System maintenance, updates and support | Approx. $1,000/year | Optional or required maintenance, upgrading or support; franchisee pays |
| Insurance | Approx. $12,000-$20,000/year | Coverage varies by facility, inventory, employees and location; a 15% administrative charge can apply if the franchisor procures coverage after a failure to maintain it |
| Seminars, Conventions or Programs | $2,000-$4,000/person + $250 materials | As incurred, excluding travel, lodging, meals and personal expenses |
Sources: 2026 FDD Item 6, pages 13-17; Item 11, page 32.
The bars are not a single combined fee. Each obligation has its own basis, timing and qualification.
Interpretation: the Royalty Fee is the largest ordinary percentage charge. The Brand Development Fee has a disclosed 3% ceiling, while Local Advertising uses a greater-of formula and therefore cannot be converted into a universal percentage. Source: 2026 FDD Item 6, pages 13 and 17.
- Gross Revenues
- The Item 6 definition includes invoiced sales of products and services, labor, paid business-interruption or lost-revenue insurance claims, pass-through charges, training and grooming. It excludes separately stated sales taxes actually paid, customer refunds, approved discounts, coupons and credits.
- No credit-card deduction
- The Gross Revenues definition does not permit deductions for credit-card user fees, returned checks or reserves for bad credit or doubtful accounts. Item 6, page 17.
The brand's official franchise fee FAQ summarizes the $60,000 Initial Franchise Fee, $10,000 coordination fee, 7% Royalty Fee and 2% Brand Development Fee. The current FDD remains the controlling source for the complete fee basis, timing and conditional charges.
Which charges apply only when a specific event occurs?
The disclosure contains no single cap for conditional fees. The amount depends on events such as additional training, a transfer, renewal, default, audit, management intervention, supplier review or enforcement.
$100 per day per person above the two included people, plus airfare, lodging, ground transportation, meals, salary, benefits and other personal expenses.
$150 per hour with a four-hour minimum of $600, plus travel, lodging and meals. Half is due when scheduled; the remaining fee is due on arrival.
Item 6 states $100 per day per person under the Operations Manual, as determined by the franchisor.
$5,000 at renewal. Item 17 also requires good standing, current payments, a release and a Successor Franchise Agreement that may contain materially different terms.
$10,000 plus actual evaluation costs, capped at an additional $25,000. The transfer also requires approval, training and a current Franchise Agreement for the buyer.
Actual evaluation costs capped at $500. Required purchases must otherwise come from approved or designated sources.
If an audit finds a Gross Revenues understatement of 2% or more, the franchisee pays the audit cost, unpaid Royalties and unpaid Brand Development Fund amounts.
Interest is the lesser of 1.5% per month or the maximum lawful rate. A Late Report Fee is $100 per violation per day after the third occurrence.
Out-of-pocket expenses plus 7% of Gross Revenues and 10% of cash flow after operating expenses, or $5,000 per month plus expenses, whichever is greater.
$250 for the first offense, $500 for the second, and on the third offense $500 plus $100 per day until the default is cured.
Indemnification varies with the claim. Enforcement or defense costs include accounting and attorney fees and are due after settlement or conclusion.
The contract requires remodeling or upgrading at the franchisee's sole cost. Item 8 also permits required new Services and Products without a disclosed cap on additional expense.
Sources: 2026 FDD Item 6, pages 14-18; Item 8, pages 23-24; Item 17, pages 45-47; 2026 Franchise Agreement section 9.2(c).
How much liquidity and net worth does the brand ask for?
The 2026 FDD does not state separate Liquid Capital, Net Worth or non-borrowed-funds minimums. The brand's official candidate page, checked July 17, 2026, separately states $450,000 or more in Liquid Capital before financing, Net Worth of at least $500,000 and a credit score of 700 or higher.
Those thresholds are screening qualifications, not replacements for the disclosed opening range. Liquid Capital means accessible funding capacity; Net Worth includes assets less liabilities and is not the same as cash available to fund construction.
FDD Item 10 states that the franchisor does not offer direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee a note, lease or obligation. The official investment page identifies Live Oak Bank as a preferred financing partner, but a named lender relationship does not guarantee approval. The SBA's official 7(a) loan information explains that eligible loan proceeds may be used for real estate improvements, working capital, equipment, fixtures and supplies, subject to lender underwriting and program rules.
The 2026 FDD and the official investment page state a $1,900,000 upper investment bound. The official candidate page and the official FAQ still display $1,650,000. Because the current FDD is issued April 27, 2026 and Item 7 governs the investment disclosure, this article uses $1,900,000. A buyer should obtain written confirmation that any website qualification summary has been updated to the same FDD version.
The FDD also requires personal guaranties from equity owners in the circumstances described in Item 15, and its state risk disclosures address potential spousal liability. Those obligations do not increase the Item 7 total, but they can expose personal or marital assets beyond the cash invested in the Pet Resort.
What does the official range still leave unresolved?
The 2026 opening range is a nationwide estimate, not a site-specific construction budget. Several obligations are excluded, variable, stated per person or controlled by future standards.
- Do not add Additional Funds twice. The $25,000-$50,000 Additional Funds amount is already included in the total.
- Confirm the first-90-day reserve contents. The FDD includes estimated payroll, deposits, licenses, entity-organization costs, prepaid expenses, accounting, professional fees and other operating expenses. It excludes taxes and Royalty Fees; it does not state that owner compensation or personal living expenses are included.
- Price the actual suite count and premises. Obtain a construction budget tied to the approved site, suite count, zoning, local labor and materials rather than treating the national Leasehold Improvements range as a contractor quote.
- Separate owned real estate from a $0 lease estimate. The low leasing estimate assumes the franchisee owns the real estate. Building acquisition, financing, environmental work and ownership carrying costs are not priced in Item 7.
- Count every training attendee. Item 7 travel is $0-$5,000 per person, and Item 6 charges $100 per day for each initial trainee above two, in addition to travel and personal expenses.
- Ask for current Operations Manual charges. The contract permits a Lease Negotiation Fee set in the Operations Manual, and future remodeling, upgrading, software, products or services can create costs that Item 7 does not quantify.
- Reconcile insurance and technology quotes. Initial insurance is $3,000-$20,000, while the annual estimate is $12,000-$20,000. The Computer System, software support, Technology Fee and future upgrades are separate obligations.
The FTC's franchise buying guide explains why Items 5-7 should be read alongside supplier restrictions, training, insurance, local ordinances and contract terms. For this system, those cross-references are particularly important because facility specifications and approved-source requirements can materially change the final cash schedule.
How should the disclosure be converted into a funding schedule?
The useful output is not a midpoint or a single “expected” number. It is a sources-and-uses schedule that connects each official category to a site-specific quote, payment date, responsible payee and funding source. That approach preserves the disclosure's low and high bounds while showing when cash must actually be available.
Separate fixed commitments from project variables
Begin with amounts that become binding when the contract is executed or shortly afterward. Record whether each payment is refundable, whether it applies once or to every approved location, and whether a discount changes only that payment or the broader project. This prevents a reduced first payment from being mistaken for a reduction in construction, equipment, professional or opening expenses.
Then place all premises-related costs in a separate project schedule. The national range is broad because the approved building, suite plan, local code requirements and contractor market are not known when the disclosure is prepared. A meaningful budget therefore needs a preliminary plan, a construction scope, a landlord work letter where applicable, and bids that use the same assumptions. A low bid based on fewer suites cannot be compared directly with a high bid based on a larger plan or a different level of finish.
Build the development schedule around actual payment events
Construction invoices rarely arrive as one final bill. The budget should identify deposits, design retainers, permit payments, progress draws, equipment deposits, delivery balances and any holdback due at completion. Each line should show the earliest date it could be payable, not only the anticipated opening date. This matters because some expenses arise well before the business can operate, while loan proceeds or landlord reimbursements may be released only after specific milestones.
The same method applies to technology, signs, furniture, cameras, supplies and opening inventory. Obtain written quotes that distinguish purchase price, shipping, installation, setup, subscriptions, maintenance and replacement obligations. A vendor's first-year package may combine items that the disclosure separates, or separate items that the disclosure groups. The reconciliation should preserve both views so that nothing is omitted or counted twice.
Model per-person and variable costs explicitly
Any line stated per attendee should be multiplied only after the training roster is known. Travel assumptions should identify who attends, where the sessions occur, how long each phase lasts and whether wages or benefits continue during the absence. The official total should remain unchanged in the disclosure column; the buyer-specific column can show the result of the chosen roster and travel plan.
Insurance, deposits, licenses and professional services also need written assumptions. The first quote may not include every coverage endorsement, local approval, design revision or inspection. The budget should show the quoted amount, the services included, the expiration date of the quote and the party responsible for overruns. Where no amount is disclosed, use an “unpriced obligation” flag rather than inserting an industry average from an unrelated source.
Keep the opening reserve separate from personal cash needs
The opening reserve is already part of the official total, so it belongs in the uses schedule once. A monthly cash plan can then allocate that reserve across payroll, deposits, organization costs, prepaid expenses, professional services and other operating outlays described in the disclosure. It should also mark taxes and percentage-based charges that are excluded or may be payable separately.
Personal living expenses require a different schedule. The disclosure does not say that the business reserve covers the owner's household obligations or compensation. Combining those needs with business working capital can conceal a funding gap. A buyer-funded plan should therefore show business cash, personal cash and financing equity as separate sources, even if they originate from the same bank account before closing.
Match financing sources to eligible uses and draw timing
Financing discussions should use the same categories and timing as the uses schedule. A lender may treat real estate, construction, equipment, working capital and fees differently, and may require equity to be injected before or alongside loan advances. A landlord contribution may reimburse completed work rather than fund the initial deposit. The schedule should state whether each source is committed, conditional, reimbursable or still under discussion.
Because the franchisor does not guarantee financing, the opening plan cannot assume that a preferred lender relationship will cover a particular percentage of the project. Approval, collateral, equity, documentation and draw conditions remain lender decisions. A financing shortfall should be shown as an unresolved source, not silently filled by reducing required uses or selecting the low end of every range.
Maintain an uncertainty register beside the budget
Some obligations cannot be priced from the current disclosure alone. Future remodeling, system upgrades, new required products, supplier changes, lease-negotiation charges and relocation work may depend on later standards or events. List each one with its trigger, responsible party, contractual source and current pricing status. This does not convert an unknown amount into an initial cost; it makes the uncertainty visible before the agreement is signed.
The final reconciliation should contain three numbers for every opening line: the official low or high bound, the current third-party quote and the funded amount. Add separate fields for payment date, payee, refundability, financing source and unresolved conditions. The official total remains the disclosure benchmark, while the funded amount becomes the site-specific cash plan. Any unexplained gap between those columns is a question that must be resolved rather than an invitation to create a midpoint.
Version control is also important. Date every quote, record the assumptions used by the vendor, and preserve earlier versions when the scope changes. A revised plan may move an expense from one category to another without changing the overall project, or it may add genuinely new work. Keeping both the old and new versions makes that distinction visible. It also prevents a later reimbursement, credit or allowance from being treated as though the underlying expense disappeared. The final file should show the gross use, the offsetting source and the net cash effect separately.
Before relying on the funded plan, compare its scope with the approved drawings, lease exhibits, insurance requirements, training roster and vendor specifications. A balanced spreadsheet is not sufficient when the underlying documents describe different facilities or payment responsibilities. The schedule is complete only when every required use has an identified source, every source has documented conditions, and every remaining unknown is plainly labeled.
What is the cost decision in one view?
The verified 2026 opening range is $798,000-$1,900,000 for one location. The dominant variable is the facility: The disclosure moves from a 50-suite low assumption to a 100-suite high assumption, with build-out of $600,000-$1,400,000 and no building-purchase cost included.
The initial contract payment, coordination work and first-90-day reserve are already inside the total. Percentage-based charges, local advertising, technology, software, insurance and periodic obligations continue after opening. The most important unresolved amount is the site-specific build budget, followed by any financing equity requirement and future facility or system upgrades.