How Much Does a Molly Maid Franchise Cost?

A new Molly Maid franchise requires an estimated initial investment of $144,150 to $203,950. The 2026 U.S. Franchise Disclosure Document applies that range to a new franchisee buying a first franchise and uses the disclosed standard-size-market Territory Fee range. The total includes three months of Additional Funds, but it does not include an owner’s salary or draw.

Key cost figures

The 2026 cost contract is driven by the fixed Initial Franchise Fee, the TH-based Territory Fee, the three-month operating reserve and several recurring charges that begin after opening.

The 2026 Item 7 total adds fourteen disclosed expenditure categories. The arithmetic reconciles exactly to the official total: $144,150 at the low end and $203,950 at the high end. Additional Funds are already inside the total and must not be added a second time.

Agreement and launch payments

For the 2026 first-franchise model, the Franchise Agreement signing commits at least $64,400 before the separate software enrollment fee: $14,900 for the Initial Franchise Fee plus a standard-size-market Territory Fee starting at $49,500.

Vehicles, premises and operating systems

The 2026 Item 7 range assumes leased operating space and a vehicle-leasing structure for the new first franchise; the cost varies with landlord terms, construction needs, hardware specifications, insurance and vehicle selection.

Pre-opening administration and working capital

The 2026 Item 7 allowance includes permits, training travel, professional advice and three months of Additional Funds for the first franchise, but it excludes an owner’s salary or draw.

The largest contractual payment occurs when the Franchise Agreement is signed. Other cash obligations arise before training, before opening, as vendor invoices are incurred and during the first three months of operation.

1. At Franchise Agreement signingPay the $14,900 Initial Franchise Fee and the Territory Fee in full. The standard-size-market Territory Fee typically ranges from $49,500 to $77,000. Item 5 states the Initial Fees are fully earned on receipt and non-refundable.
2. Before initial trainingPurchase every required item in the $8,000 to $9,000 Initial Startup Package. The $1,250 software enrollment fee is also drafted around signing, but Items 5 and 7 state different exact dates.
3. Before opening and as incurredFund computer hardware, premises deposits, leasehold improvements, permits, insurance, vehicles, furniture and training travel under third-party payment terms.
4. During the first three monthsUse the included $50,000 to $60,000 Additional Funds allowance for payroll, marketing, fuel, vehicle maintenance, internet and general business expenses. The allowance excludes an owner’s salary or draw.

The FTC Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise explains how to use an FDD and compare the disclosure against the actual agreements. Under the FTC Franchise Rule, the franchisor must provide the disclosure document before the buyer signs or pays; the 2026 Molly Maid cover specifies at least 14 calendar days.

Molly Maid uses Target Households, or TH, as a cost-setting unit. The franchisor determines the TH count from the territory’s zip codes and demographic data before the Franchise Agreement is signed. That count affects the Territory Fee, the Local Marketing Requirement and the formula used to calculate minimum License Fees.

The recurring cost structure is not limited to a royalty. A franchisee pays a weekly License Fee and MAP Contribution, maintains local marketing spending, pays required software charges and participates in the Call Center Program. Some markets may also require Local Marketing Group contributions.

How the percentage-based License Fee works

The standard License Fee is progressive within each calendar year: 6.5% on the first disclosed Gross Sales band, then 6%, 5.5%, 5%, 4.5%, 4%, 3.5% and 3% as successive annual Gross Sales bands are reached. The percentage resets each calendar year. This schedule describes the fee basis only; it is not a sales projection or an estimate of annual dollars payable.

Item 6 includes several charges that are not ordinary monthly operating fees. They become payable when the franchise renews, transfers, pays late, undergoes an audit, requests extra training or triggers another contractual event.

• Renewal: $5,000 when the Renewal Franchise Agreement is signed. Item 17 provides one additional 10-year renewal term, subject to conditions and the then-current agreement.
• Transfer: $15,000 for one franchise. A simultaneous multi-business transfer adds $2,500 for the second and each additional agreement. A transferee also buys a Transfer Initial Package that typically costs $4,000. Higher cost-recovery rules apply when the assignee has at least $5 million in outside investments.
• Reunion and regional meetings: current registration fee up to $1,000, excluding travel, lodging and all meals. Missing a required Reunion can produce a charge of up to $2,000 on a prorated basis.
• Late payment: 12% annual interest or the legal maximum on unpaid balances, plus $10 per day under the Franchise Agreement. Software invoices more than 30 days late can trigger a separate $25 monthly fee or the legal maximum, whichever is less.
• Audit: audit cost and expenses are payable when Gross Sales are understated by 2% or more or requested information is not supplied within 30 days. Missing audit documents can cost $500 each, capped at $2,500 per audit, plus rescheduling costs.
• Additional training: currently up to $100 per hour per attendee, plus the franchisee’s related expenses. A transferee attending training before a resale closes under a Buyer Commitment Agreement triggers a $14,900 training fee.
• Key Accounts: up to 3% of Gross Sales connected with Key Account work when the franchisee participates. Third-party billing or referral providers may charge additional amounts that the FDD cannot estimate.
• Territory violation: an intentional first violation can require payment equal to 50% of cumulative revenue from the wrongfully serviced customer; a later violation can require 100%.
• Administrative events: $300 for a franchise-agreement amendment requested by the franchisee and $50 for each dishonored check or ACH draft. Tax reimbursement, indemnification and attorneys’ fees vary with the event.

Yes, but the discount applies to a defined fee rather than the entire Item 7 investment. The 2026 FDD provides a 20% VetFran discount on the Territory Fee, roll-in discounts for qualifying existing cleaning businesses, tenure-based discounts for existing Molly Maid franchisees and a 10% Additional Concept Discount on the Initial Franchise Fee for qualifying owners of an affiliated brand.

VetFran Discount

20% off the Territory Fee for a qualifying honorably discharged veteran who owns at least 51% of the franchisee entity.

Contiguous expansion

The $14,900 Initial Franchise Fee may be waived for an eligible existing Molly Maid franchisee acquiring additional contiguous territory under a new agreement.

Multi-Unit Discount

Territory Fee discount of 5% after two years as a franchisee, 10% after three, 15% after four and 20% after five or more, subject to expansion qualifications.

Additional Concept Discount

10% off the Initial Franchise Fee for a qualifying owner who has been a franchisee of a Molly Maid affiliate for at least two years.

Roll-In Discount for an existing business

The 2026 Roll-In Discount reduces the Territory Fee by 10% to 50% when a qualifying existing residential cleaning business with at least $250,000 in annual Gross Sales is merged into the Molly Maid Business.

Discount combinations are restricted. The Roll-In Discount and Multi-Unit Franchisee Discount cannot be used together, and the FDD gives Molly Maid discretion over how qualifying discounts are applied. Source: 2026 Molly Maid FDD, Item 5, pp. 14–16.

Molly Maid SPV LLC may finance part of the Initial Fees for a qualified buyer, but it has no obligation to approve financing. Standard financing can cover up to 70% of Initial Fees, and the franchisor may finance up to 80% in its discretion if additional requirements are met. The financed amount must also remain below 50% of the business’s total equity, debt and other financial support.

Item 10 also says Enterprise may offer qualified buyers vehicle financing of $23,500 to $26,500 per vehicle with no down payment, a four- to five-year term and a fixed rate set at 400 basis points above the three-year Treasury rate at purchase or lease. Approval is not guaranteed. For external funding, the FDD references SBA 7(a) and 504 eligibility; the SBA Franchise Directory explains that directory placement helps lenders assess eligibility but is not an endorsement, while the SBA loan programs page explains available uses and lender underwriting.

The 2026 FDD does not disclose a minimum liquid-capital or buyer net-worth threshold. The official Molly Maid franchise page currently displays $60,000 to $70,000 in available liquid capital and $250,000 net worth, but the same page expressly attributes its investment information to the 2020 FDD and shows an outdated total-investment range. Those figures should not be treated as verified 2026 requirements without written confirmation from Molly Maid SPV LLC.

Financing approval is a separate issue from a minimum financial qualification. Item 10 evaluates creditworthiness, collateral, total obligations and guarantees. If the franchisee is an entity, Item 9 requires each person with a 5% or greater ownership interest to personally guarantee the Franchise Agreement obligations. The Neighborly Molly Maid brand page confirms Molly Maid’s place in the Neighborly brand system, but it does not publish a current 2026 capital threshold.

The FDD supplies the governing range, but the exact cash need depends on territory size, vehicle choice, premises, supplier pricing, insurance, professional advice and whether the buyer qualifies for financing or a discount.

• Confirm the TH count and Territory Fee. Obtain the zip-code definition, Target Household count and final $1.10-per-TH calculation before signing.
• Identify the applicable market size. Item 5 mentions standard-size and mid-size markets, but Item 7 publishes only one total-investment range.
• Choose lease versus purchase for two required vehicles. Reconcile the selected structure against the $3,900 to $5,500 Item 7 leasing allowance.
• Reprice required software and call-center services. The FDD permits future increases, vendor price pass-throughs and changes to the Software System.
• Verify the software enrollment draft date. Resolve the Item 5 versus Item 7 timing discrepancy before funding the account.
• Budget owner living costs separately. The three-month Additional Funds range excludes an owner salary or draw.
• Separate discount and financing effects. A Territory Fee discount does not reduce rent, payroll, equipment, insurance or other Item 7 categories, and financing approval does not reduce the underlying cost.
• Request current written financial qualifications. The official website’s capital figures are tied to an older FDD and are not confirmed by the 2026 disclosure.

Use $144,150 to $203,950 as the official 2026 opening range for a new first Molly Maid franchise under the Item 7 assumptions. Within that amount, the largest disclosed drivers are the $49,500 to $77,000 Territory Fee and $50,000 to $60,000 of Additional Funds for the first three months. The most important potential departure from the range is the vehicle decision: the table assumes lease deposits and lease expense while the system requires two vehicles and separately discloses a per-vehicle purchase cost.

After opening, the buyer must distinguish the progressive weekly License Fee from the 2% MAP Contribution, TH-based local marketing, monthly software, required call-center charges and event-triggered fees. The 2026 FDD does not verify a minimum liquid-capital or net-worth threshold, so that qualification remains a written-confirmation item rather than a number to infer from the total investment.