How much does a franchise cost?
A new U.S. franchise requires an estimated initial investment of $109,860 to $158,650 under the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The range covers one territory of approximately 45,000 Qualified Households and includes the $45,000 Initial Franchise Fee, startup equipment, a wrapped vehicle, an office lease, insurance, initial advertising, training travel, and three months of working-capital allowance.
2026 FDD Item 7 estimate for the standard U.S. MaidPro Franchised Business. The total includes $18,800–$23,000 of Additional Funds for three months, but it does not turn ongoing percentage fees into a fixed operating budget.
The public official U.S. investment page displayed the same total investment range and a $45,000 minimum liquid cash requirement when checked on July 16, 2026. Liquid cash is a qualification threshold, not a substitute for the full Item 7 investment.
Key cost figures
What is included in the startup range?
The 2026 Item 7 total is a complete official range for the standard MaidPro offer, not just the amount paid to the franchisor. It combines the Initial Franchise Fee with third-party costs for training travel, equipment, a vehicle and wrap, printing, premises, coverage, advertising, and working capital.
Agreement, training, equipment, and launch materials
| Item 7 expenditure | Amount | When paid |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45,000 | At signing |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $3,800–$7,000 | During training |
| Equipment | $7,500–$8,500 | As incurred |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $6,160–$8,850 | As incurred |
| Cost for Initial Vehicle with Wrap | $5,300–$28,000 | As incurred |
| Initial Printing Materials | $1,300 | As incurred |
Source: 2026 disclosure, Item 7, pages 19–20.
Advertising, premises, coverage, and working capital
| Item 7 expenditure | Amount | What the estimate covers |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising — Initial 3 Months | $15,000 | Initial advertising period; includes the current monthly local-ad minimum. |
| Real Estate | $5,000–$10,000 | Leased office, anticipated at about 800 square feet, including deposits and related occupancy costs. |
| Insurance | $2,000–$12,000 | Estimated coverage cost for the first three months, varying by state, payroll, employees, and sales. |
| Additional Funds — 3 Months | $18,800–$23,000 | Payroll, coverage, professional fees, technology, and software-license costs. |
| Total Estimated Initial Investment | $109,860–$158,650 | Official total for the standard U.S. offer. |
Source: 2026 disclosure, Item 7, pages 19–21.
Item 7 lists the coverage estimate as a separate line and also states that Additional Funds include insurance. The official total should be preserved as disclosed; a buyer should ask the franchisor to identify the precise insurance costs assigned to each line rather than subtracting or reclassifying them independently.
The vehicle line creates the largest disclosed spread. Additional Funds are a high-dollar category but have a narrower range.
Source: MaidPro Franchise, LLC 2026 FDD, Item 7, pages 19–21. Bars show official low-to-high ranges; no midpoint or “typical” amount has been created.
The low and high figures are planning boundaries, not a promise that every buyer will spend near one endpoint. A buyer can move toward either end through choices that the disclosure leaves open: used versus new vehicle, local coverage pricing, lease-deposit requirements, travel arrangements, and the amount of opening equipment already available in a conversion situation. The correct comparison is therefore category by category, with the official total retained as the governing range.
MaidPro is not disclosed as a home-based format. Item 7 requires an office and a vehicle displaying the brand wrap. The high end is therefore particularly sensitive to the vehicle decision, coverage pricing, and the lease deposit structure.
When is the money paid?
The capital is not paid as one check. The upfront fee is due at signing, while most remaining Item 7 expenditures are paid to airlines, hotels, suppliers, a vehicle vendor, a landlord, insurers, government agencies, employees, and other vendors as the business moves toward opening and through its first three months.
The disclosure states that a franchise typically opens within 120 days after signing, subject to office approval, training completion, and startup preparation. The official training and support page describes the broader onboarding structure; the FDD controls the specific fees, attendance obligations, and payment terms.
Which fees continue after opening?
The main continuing charges are a 6% Continuing Royalty, a 2% Brand Fund Fee, a $500 monthly Technology Fee for a first franchise, and a local advertising obligation. Percentage fees are calculated on the FDD definition of Gross Consumer Sales and should not be converted into a projected annual dollar amount without actual sales data.
| Continuing obligation | Amount or basis | Timing and condition |
|---|---|---|
| Continuing Royalty | 6% of monthly Gross Consumer Sales | Due monthly from opening. |
| Minimum Royalty | Greater of $800 or Continuing Royalty | After 12 months, when the disclosed monthly sales base is below $15,000. |
| Additional Premium Royalty | 2.5% of applicable Gross Consumer Sales | For approved services to customers outside the Territory. |
| Brand Fund Fee | 2% of monthly Gross Consumer Sales | Due monthly with royalty. |
| Technology Fee | $500 per month | First franchise; not charged for a second or later territory. |
| Local Advertising | At least $3,000 per month | First 24 months; the later amount is governed by the Manual in relation to the disclosed sales base. |
| Advertising cooperative | Up to 2% of monthly Gross Consumer Sales | Only if a cooperative is established and required under the disclosed approval condition. |
Source: 2026 disclosure, Items 6 and 11, pages 11–16 and 26–28.
After the first 12 months, the Minimum Royalty can apply even when the 6% calculation would be lower. The FDD also highlights mandatory minimum royalty and Brand Fund payments as a special risk because they can be due regardless of sales level.
Monthly charges also differ in how predictable they are. Fixed subscriptions can be placed directly into a cash calendar, while percentage charges move with the contractual sales base and per-use services move with activity. Keeping these three billing types separate prevents a fixed technology subscription from being confused with a royalty or an optional communications charge.
Optional and usage-based technology and marketing charges
- Additional software and email licenses
- MaidPro Software is $25 per user license per month beyond included licenses; branded email licenses currently range from $7 to $24 per user per month. A second or subsequent franchise must buy needed additional licenses.
- Messaging and app services
- Text messaging is $5 per participant phone number per month, plus $0.05 per multimedia text and $0.025 per standard text. MaidPro Go is $10 per account per month.
- Payment processing from MaidPro
- $35 per account per month, plus transaction charges. Current disclosed charges are 2.99% plus $0.29 for credit-card payments and 1% for e-check payments.
- Phone and messaging alternative
- $34.99 per user per month, plus the disclosed per-text charge and $5 for an additional phone number. This service is optional.
- Digital marketing and lead generation
- $305 or $595 per month by service tier, plus $49 monthly for the add-on tool. Digital lead generation is 20% of advertising spend or $100 per month, whichever is greater.
- Customer communications
- Agentic Customer Assistance is $0.50–$1.50 per conversation; Email Marketing is $169 per month for up to 5,000 emails; Postcard Marketing is $199 per month for up to 120 postcards plus $1.65 per additional postcard.
- National Sales Center
- Optional inquiry processing is $35 each for the first 20 inquiries, $32 each for the next 30, and $30 each above 50 in a month.
Item 6 permits periodic increases to many disclosed fees, generally no more than once per calendar year and not more than 10% of the then-current amount, subject to the stated exceptions and cumulative adjustment language. Optional services and third-party pass-through charges are not protected by that cap. See 2026 FDD Item 6, pages 18–19.
What fees appear only after a specific event?
MaidPro's Item 6 includes later charges tied to renewal, transfer, training, late performance, supplier approval, audits, complaints, default, and contractual breaches. These are not part of the standard Item 7 total unless Item 7 expressly includes an initial payment.
The chart compares disclosed per-event amounts only. Variable legal, audit, indemnification, complaint, and default costs are excluded because the FDD does not provide a fixed ceiling for the entire obligation.
Source: MaidPro Franchise, LLC 2026 FDD, Item 6, pages 11–18. Bars use $5,000 as the scale maximum. “Up to” amounts remain labeled as maximums, not expected charges.
How do discounts, conversion, and multi-unit choices change the cost contract?
The franchisor offers several circumstances that can change the upfront fee or royalty structure, but the 2026 FDD does not publish a separate complete Item 7 total for conversion franchises, discounted applicants, or additional territories. A lower franchise fee therefore should not be treated as a proportional reduction of the entire $109,860–$158,650 range.
A fee reduction changes only the term named in the written program. It does not automatically reduce travel, equipment, deposits, vehicle costs, initial advertising, professional fees, or the first operating-period reserve. For multi-territory buyers, each additional agreement also creates its own opening schedule and asset needs unless the franchisor approves a shared arrangement in writing.
The Franchise Option Program trades an upfront refund for a higher royalty
Qualified new franchisees may have the $45,000 upfront fee refunded within 10 days after opening, provided the business opens on time and is not in default. In exchange, the royalty becomes 10% of Gross Consumer Sales for 10 years, covering the initial five-year term and the first five years of a renewal term if renewed.
Standard fee structure
$45,000 upfrontStandard Royalty: 6% of monthly Gross Consumer Sales, subject to the Minimum Royalty rules.
Franchise Option Program
10% for 10 yearsThe upfront fee is refunded after a qualifying opening, but the royalty rate rises by four percentage points.
Other disclosed fee reductions and format differences
The current conversion page says reduced royalties may last “up to three years,” while the April 10, 2026 FDD states that the 2% royalty and $150 Minimum Royalty apply for the first two years only. This article uses the FDD terms. A conversion buyer should obtain the current Conversion Franchise Addendum and reconcile the duration in writing before relying on the public-page description.
How much liquid capital is required, and what can MaidPro finance?
MaidPro's official U.S. investment page states a $45,000 minimum liquid cash requirement. That is below the $109,860–$158,650 Item 7 total, so it should be read as a screening threshold rather than a statement that $45,000 is sufficient to open. No separate net worth threshold or non-borrowed-funds minimum was identified in the 2026 FDD cost sections or the official investment page reviewed.
Item 10 says the franchisor may finance up to the full upfront fee for qualified prospects, including a creditworthiness review. The Promissory Note can provide scheduled electronic-funds-transfer installments for up to 24 months at 12% annual interest, with owner guarantees. It may be prepaid without penalty. The franchisor does not offer financing for the other Item 7 categories and does not estimate whether third-party financing will be available.
Liquidity and financing answer different questions. Liquidity indicates immediately available funds at the qualification stage. Financing changes the timing of a particular payment and adds repayment obligations. Neither concept changes the categories that must ultimately be funded before and after opening.
Financing the $45,000 upfront fee does not finance the vehicle, lease deposits, equipment, coverage, advertising, training travel, or Additional Funds. Approval is not guaranteed, and a default under the Promissory Note can also constitute a default under the Franchise Agreement.
What should be verified before relying on the cost range?
The official range is a disclosure estimate, not a location-specific quote. The most important verification work is to replace the broad Item 7 variables with written quotes while keeping the FDD's categories, timing, and unit format intact.
What is the practical capital takeaway?
The verified 2026 investment range is $109,860 to $158,650 for the standard U.S. offer. The upfront fee is $45,000, but the larger capital decision also includes an office, a wrapped vehicle, equipment, coverage, $15,000 of initial advertising, and $18,800–$23,000 of working-capital allowance for three months. The largest disclosed range driver is the vehicle, followed by insurance and real estate.
After opening, the principal cost contract continues through a 6% Continuing Royalty, 2% brand-fund contribution, the applicable Minimum Royalty, a $500 monthly Technology Fee for the first franchise, and local advertising. Conversion, multi-unit, veteran, first-responder, underserved-market, and fee-refund programs can alter the upfront fee or royalty terms, but they do not create a published replacement Item 7 total. The unresolved question for any buyer is therefore not the headline range; it is which written addendum, asset plan, office quote, vehicle basis, and current service schedule apply to that specific transaction.