A standard, one-Zone College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise is estimated to require $158,100 to $252,000 in total initial investment. That 2026 FDD range is for the junk-removal concept by itself, assumes one standard Zone and one Service Vehicle, and already includes $50,000 to $75,000 of Additional Funds for the first three months of operations.
The range covers the Initial Franchise Fee, premises deposits, vehicle down payment and branding, equipment, licenses, insurance deposit, training travel, the Business Ramp-Up Advertising campaign, and three months of Additional Funds. It does not provide for an owner salary or personal living costs. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 7, pp. 24–28.
Data basis: CHHJ Franchising L.L.C., Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 30, 2026; U.S. offer; Items 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 17. The main range below applies to one standard Zone for the College Hunks Hauling Junk concept only. Information checked July 16, 2026.
No matching public copy of that disclosure was located on a franchise-controlled website, so its citations are presented as unlinked Item and page references. The brand's official investment information mainly displays the combined moving-and-junk configuration, which has a different disclosed range.
Which cost figures matter most before opening?
The signing payment is only one part of the capital requirement. For this format, the largest disclosed commitments are the territory fee, operating reserve, launch advertising, truck costs, and required local marketing after opening.
Standard Zone, junk-only; due in a lump sum when the Franchise Agreement is signed.
Included in the opening total for the first three months; owner compensation is excluded.
Of Gross Sales within the Designated Territory; 8% applies to approved Outside Gross Sales.
Of Gross Sales, paid on the same semi-monthly schedule as the royalty.
For junk hauling, the greater of 8% of Gross Sales or $1,100 per month per Zone.
The official franchise website foregrounds the combined moving-and-junk configuration. A buyer seeking only the junk-removal concept should not substitute that combined figure for the separate range in the disclosure.
How do the three concept packages change the total investment?
The disclosure separates three standard-Zone packages. The junk-removal package has the lowest range; moving-only has the highest minimum; and the combined package has the highest maximum because it assumes one truck for each concept.
2026 Item 7 total investment ranges by concept package
Each bar uses the same $0 to $355,500 scale. The shaded segment is the official low-to-high range, not an average.
Interpretation: concept choice changes the vehicle, equipment, insurance, permit, and working-capital assumptions. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 7, pp. 20–31. Official figures; no midpoint or typical case was calculated.
What about a Small Market or Conversion Franchise?
A Small Market Franchise covers a Zone with 5,000 to 299,999 people and must offer both junk removal and moving. Item 5 states that its Initial Franchise Fee equals 20% of the Zone's population number, which is mathematically equivalent to $0.20 per person. A Conversion Franchise is available to an existing similar business and uses a discount formula based on 10% of the prior year's total sales, capped at a $30,000 discount.
The disclosure is internally inconsistent on these alternative fees. The Small Market formula in Item 5 does not reconcile with the separate range in the investment notes. Likewise, Item 5's $30,000 conversion discount cap conflicts with another statement that the fee will not be less than $5,000. Because no separate total range is provided for either format, obtain a written calculation tied to the proposed Zone and concept package.
What is included in the official junk-only range?
The investment table combines payments to CHHJ Franchising L.L.C., landlords, approved suppliers, government agencies, insurers, employees, and other creditors. The following tables separate immediate setup commitments from launch and operating-runway costs.
Premises, vehicle, and equipment commitments
| Item 7 category | Disclosed amount | Payment timing | 2026 FDD Item 7 page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $55,000 | Lump sum when the Franchise Agreement is signed | 24 |
| Rent | $1,600–$3,000 | As arranged with the landlord | 24 |
| Lease, Utility and Security Deposits | $2,000–$4,000 | As arranged | 24 |
| Paint and Signage for Service Vehicle | $5,500–$10,000 | As incurred with approved suppliers | 24 |
| Down Payment on Service Vehicle | $3,000–$25,000 | As incurred with approved suppliers | 24 |
| Equipment and Hand Tools | $2,000–$5,000 | As arranged | 24–25 |
Launch, compliance, and operating runway
| Item 7 category | Disclosed amount | Payment timing | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $2,000–$4,500 | As incurred | 25 |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $500–$2,000 | As incurred with government agencies | 25 |
| Professional Fees | $1,000–$2,500 | As arranged | 25 |
| Insurance Deposit | $7,500–$25,000 | As arranged with insurers | 25 |
| Training Expense | $2,000–$5,000 | Under supplier and employee arrangements | 25 |
| Preopening Business Ramp-Up Advertising | $26,000–$36,000 | As arranged; franchisor may require payment to it for placement | 25 |
| Additional Funds for 3 months | $50,000–$75,000 | As needed during the start-up phase | 25–26 |
The low and high columns are not two prepackaged scenarios. A local quote can fall near the low end for one line and near the high end for another. The official total therefore remains controlling; adding selected minimums or maximums independently can create a number that does not reflect the franchisor’s assumptions. Third-party payments may also follow different deposit, refund, and installment terms. Before signing, place each quote on a cash calendar and identify whether it is due, financed, refundable, or merely estimated.
Which junk-only categories create the largest cash exposure?
Bars show each category's maximum on a common $75,000 scale; the dark marker shows the disclosed minimum.
Interpretation: Additional Funds and the Initial Franchise Fee are the largest selected commitments, while vehicle down payment and insurance have broad ranges that depend on financing, truck count, and coverage. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 7, pp. 24–28. Official figures.
The Service Vehicle assumption is the key franchise-specific cost variable
The investment range includes a down payment, not the entire purchase price of a junk truck. The disclosure assumes financing or leasing and states that buying the vehicle outright would increase the opening cost.
Truck down payment included in the junk-removal investment table.
Estimated cost of a new junk truck with the custom dump body.
Estimated lease amount for the first three months of operation.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 7, Notes 5–6, pp. 26–27. Item 8 also requires approved specifications, a branded wrap, and at least one truck for each concept and Zone under the rollout rules.
When is the money paid?
The cash requirement is staged rather than paid all at once. The fixed Initial Franchise Fee is due at signing; premises, vehicle, insurance, permit, training, and advertising expenses follow as the opening is assembled; Additional Funds are used during the first three operating months. The Federal Trade Commission Franchise Rule requires the disclosure document before the buyer signs or pays, and the 2026 FDD states a minimum 14-calendar-day review period.
Sign the Franchise Agreement
Pay the $55,000 fee in a lump sum for the selected standard Zone. It is generally fully earned and nonrefundable, subject to the limited initial-training termination provision in Item 5.
Secure the office and warehouse
Arrange approximately 1,500 square feet of office and warehouse space, rent, utility deposits, and security deposits. A residence cannot serve as the office.
Order and equip the truck
Pay the vehicle down payment, approved wrap and lettering, equipment, cameras, GPS, uniforms, computer equipment, supplies, and required insurance deposits.
Complete training and the Ramp-Up Campaign
The training program for two people is included in the signing fee, but travel, lodging, meals, wages, and incidental expenses are not. Business Ramp-Up Advertising must be funded around launch and conducted during the first 180 days after opening.
Open and fund the first three months
The FDD estimates 110 to 140 days from signing to opening and requires opening no later than 150 days, subject to licensing variations. The $50,000 to $75,000 operating reserve supports payroll, utilities, fuel, maintenance, and local advertising during the first three months.
The operating reserve does not cover an owner's draw, personal living expenses, debt service, state sales or use taxes, or unrelated business costs. Item 7 budgets three months, but Item 11 says the opening checklist includes verification of recommended funds through the first six months. Request the exact opening liquidity requirement in writing. The disclosure also assumes no owner salary or self-payment for at least the first 12 months.
Which fees continue after opening?
The recurring obligation is broader than a 7% royalty. The junk-removal offer also carries system marketing, local advertising, technology, call-center booking, required bookkeeping, and annual minimum-payment obligations.
| Ongoing obligation | Amount or basis | When paid | 2026 FDD Item 6 page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing Royalty Fee | 7% of Gross Sales in the Designated Territory; 8% of approved Outside Gross Sales | 3rd and 18th of each month | 9 |
| Minimum Annual Royalty — Junk | $8,050 per Zone in Year 1, rising to $14,337 in Year 10 | Any deficiency due by February 15 after year-end | 10, 17–18 |
| SLC Appointment Fee | 6% of Gross Sales for junk-removal appointments booked by the SLC | With the Continuing Royalty Fee | 10 |
| Brand Development Fee | 2% of Gross Sales | With the Continuing Royalty Fee | 11 |
| Local Advertising | Greater of $1,100 per month per Zone or 8% of Gross Sales | Spent each month | 11 |
| Technology Fee | 1% of Gross Sales; current $35,000 annual cap may be changed or eliminated | With the Continuing Royalty Fee | 11, 20 |
| ACUTE FS | $380–$580 monthly; premium services may reach $1,250, plus certain $50 hourly work | Third Monday monthly | 11 |
| Annual Franchisee Convention | $750 first attendee; $500 each additional attendee, plus travel and lodging | As incurred, if held | 15 |
- Gross Sales basis
- The FDD definition includes revenues billed for products and services and certain associated revenues, with stated exclusions for collected taxes and customer refunds. Percentage fees should not be converted into annual dollars without actual Gross Sales.
- Minimum Annual Royalty
- If paid royalties are below the applicable annual minimum, the franchisee pays the difference. Excess from another Zone or the moving concept does not offset a junk-removal shortfall.
- Required supplier share
- Item 8 estimates designated or approved suppliers represent 55% to 80% of establishment purchases and 30% to 35% of continuing purchases.
Which fees arise only after a specific event?
The fee schedule contains material charges outside the opening range because they arise only after expansion, transfer, renewal, training, noncompliance, late payment, audit results, or termination-related events.
How much liquid capital and net worth does the brand require?
The current official franchise FAQ lists $75,000 in liquid capital and $200,000 in net worth as applicant qualifications. These are screening thresholds, not substitutes for the total opening range.
The disclosure does not state those two amounts as initial applicant thresholds in its investment and fee items. It does define a separate six-month liquidity test for an existing franchisee seeking territory expansion. Treat the website qualifications as current official supplemental information and request that they be confirmed in writing for the exact junk-only offer.
Does the franchisor finance the investment or reduce the fee?
CHHJ Franchising L.L.C. does not offer direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee a note, lease, or other obligation. That is the complete Item 10 disclosure. The official investment page separately states that third-party SBA financing may be available. SBA approval is not lender approval, and financing does not reduce the opening obligations.
The U.S. Small Business Administration's 7(a) program can fund eligible working capital, equipment, supplies, and other business uses through participating lenders. The borrower applies to the lender, and the lender decides eligibility, terms, collateral, and approval.
Veteran discount
Item 5 provides a $7,500 reduction of the Initial Franchise Fee when a qualified U.S. veteran owns at least 51% of the Franchised Business throughout the initial term. If that ownership condition stops being satisfied, the franchisee must pay the remaining then-current Initial Franchise Fee.
The brand's official veteran discount page repeats the $7,500 amount but also contains broader language about first responders and a 40% discount. Those promotional statements do not match the fixed-dollar veteran provision in the current disclosure. Rely on the written offer applicable to the applicant and territory.
What remains uncertain after reading the official range?
The disclosure gives a defensible opening range, but it cannot fix local rent, deposits, insurance premiums, licensing costs, truck financing terms, or the amount of operating cash actually needed. The most important unresolved question is whether the proposed transaction follows the standard junk-removal assumptions.
What capital figure should a junk-only buyer use?
Use $158,100 to $252,000 as the verified 2026 FDD range for one standard Zone of College Hunks Hauling Junk with one truck. Distinguish the signing fee from the included operating reserve and from charges that continue after opening.
The dominant variables are truck financing, insurance, launch advertising, premises costs, and actual operating-cash needs. A combined offer, alternative territory format, conversion, or expansion creates a different cost contract and should be priced separately.
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