How Much Does a Window Gang Franchise Cost?

The detailed 2026 FDD Item 7 table estimates $138,600 to $246,500 to establish one Window Gang Business. The disclosed model is a home-based, mobile exterior-cleaning business, not a storefront format, and Item 7 provides one investment range rather than separate ranges for multiple unit types.

The 2026 Item 7 total contains 14 cost categories. The $65,000 Initial Franchise Fee is the largest fixed signing payment, while Additional Funds, Designated Manager Salary, Equipment & Supplies and Marketing create much of the disclosed range.

Contract, vehicle and opening purchases

These costs are generally paid at signing or before opening. The vehicle estimate assumes one leased truck or work van; purchasing a vehicle or adding vehicles is expected to cost more.

Premises, setup and six-month operating reserve

The home-based assumption keeps Real Estate and/or Leasehold Improvements at $0 to $3,000. Additional Funds of $30,000 to $75,000 are already inside the Item 7 total and should not be added a second time.

Source: 2026 FDD, Item 7, pp. 18–20. The total shown above preserves the official Item 7 figure rather than substituting the lower cover-page figure.

The largest franchisor payments occur at signing, most third-party setup costs are paid before opening, and weekly system fees begin after operations start. The FDD estimates about 60 days from signing to opening and requires the business to open within three months.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 5, p. 15; Item 7, pp. 18–20; Item 11, pp. 24–31.

Window Gang combines percentage-based fees, weekly minimums, fixed weekly service charges and a substantial monthly Local Advertising requirement. Percentage fees are calculated only on the FDD definition of Gross Sales; no annual dollar estimate can be derived without sales data.

Gross Sales generally means all money and receipts derived in connection with the Business, including commissions, finder or referral fees, construction-management fees and other compensation. The definition excludes specified purchase rebates, certain separately collected taxes paid to government authorities, and the value of approved coupons, discounts and customer refunds. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, p. 18.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 16–18; Item 11, pp. 26–30.

Renewal, transfer, non-compliance and default-related charges are not part of the opening budget, but they can become material later. Several obligations also require the franchisee to reimburse actual costs rather than pay a fixed amount.

• Renewal: the greater of 25% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee or $15,000, due before expiration. Renewal also requires vehicle updates and any required refurbishment, renovation, modernization or remodeling.
• Transfer: the greater of $20,000 or Window Gang's actual out-of-pocket expenses, due at transfer. A transfer to an entity wholly controlled by the franchisee is charged at cost.
• Non-Compliance Fee: $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for the first repeat violation, and $4,000 for the second and each later repeat violation.
• Late payment and reporting: $100 per late payment plus 1.5% per month or the highest lawful rate, whichever is less; the table also states $100 per report per week.
• Insurance replacement: unpaid premiums plus the franchisor's expenses if required insurance lapses and Window Gang obtains coverage.
• Technology changes: required computer upgrades are paid at actual cost, with no contractual limit on frequency or cost. The FDD estimates annual hardware and software updating, upgrading or maintenance at $0 to $1,200.
• Default and enforcement: reimbursement can include attorneys' fees, indemnification costs, taxes imposed on payments and lost profits measured by fees that would have been paid for the remaining agreement term.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 16–18; Item 11, pp. 29–30; Item 17, pp. 39–42.

Window Gang's official investment page currently states a $65,000 liquid cash requirement and a $150,000 minimum net worth requirement. These are candidate qualifications, not replacements for the $138,600 to $246,500 Item 7 investment range.

Liquid cash

Money or near-cash assets available to fund the transaction. The official website states $65,000; the 2026 FDD does not present that figure as an Item 7 line item.

Net worth

Total assets minus liabilities. The official website states $150,000; net worth is not the same as cash available to invest.

Total investment

The 2026 Item 7 range of $138,600 to $246,500, including six months of Additional Funds.

Franchisor financing

Item 10 states that Window Gang offers no direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee a note, lease or obligation.

The official investment page says Window Gang has relationships with third-party lenders, while Item 5 explains that third-party SBA financing may alter the timing of the Franchise Fee payment. Neither statement is a promise of approval. The U.S. Small Business Administration loan overview explains that lenders set eligibility requirements and approve and manage the loan.

The Item 7 range is built around one home-based, mobile business using one leased vehicle. Real estate, fleet choices, local insurance, staffing and supplier requirements can make an individual buyer's cash need higher than the disclosed range.

• Home office versus outside office: the real-estate note says the line reflects the first six months of lease payments, but it also says the high estimate assumes one month's rent plus a security deposit. Those descriptions are not identical. If home operation is prohibited or more storage is needed, confirm the outside-office budget in writing; the FDD describes a typical approved space as no more than about 1,500 square feet.
• Vehicle choice: Item 7 assumes one leased truck or work van. Purchasing a vehicle or adding vehicles will likely increase cost. The mandatory vehicle wrap is in the Signage line, not the Vehicle line.
• Owner participation: the $0 to $30,000 Designated Manager Salary line applies when the primary owner will not devote full-time best efforts and another approved manager is needed.
• Training compensation: the Training Expenses range covers travel-related costs, but the FDD expressly excludes salary for the owner or employees while they attend training.
• Owner compensation in working capital: the Additional Funds note expressly includes employee salaries but does not state that owner compensation is included. That point should be resolved in the buyer's own funding plan.
• Required suppliers: Item 8 estimates that required purchases represent about 40% of establishment purchases and 60% of operating purchases. Approved or designated vendors apply to technology, contact center, accounting, software, digital marketing and several operating inputs.
• System changes: Window Gang may require replacement equipment, signage, fixtures or improvements to meet current standards, and the FDD does not set a contractual ceiling on computer upgrade frequency or cost.

The disclosure also requires specified software, contact-center services, accounting support and designated or approved vendors. Cost budgeting should therefore remain tied to the amended FDD's expense categories, supplier rules and stated exclusions rather than a generic home-service startup estimate.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 7, pp. 18–20; Item 8, pp. 20–23; Item 11, pp. 24–31.

The central verification issue is the difference between the amended Item 7 table and the lower total published on the FDD cover and official investment page. Beyond that conflict, the buyer should distinguish signing cash, six-month working capital, percentage-based ongoing fees and event-triggered obligations.

• Obtain the current state-applicable FDD and confirm whether the operative Item 7 total is $138,600 to $246,500 or whether a later amendment changes Equipment & Supplies and the total.
• Confirm the exact signing payment if third-party SBA financing is contemplated, including whether the $15,000/$50,000 split applies and when the $5,000 Initial Technology Fee is due.
• Verify whether the home-based assumption is legally workable in the proposed territory and price any required outside office without substituting unsupported local estimates into the FDD range.
• Model the weekly minimum obligations and the monthly Local Advertising requirement separately from Item 7, without converting percentage fees into annual dollars before Gross Sales are known.
• Confirm whether the six-month Additional Funds allowance includes any intended owner draw; the FDD names employee salaries but does not expressly include owner compensation.

The Federal Trade Commission's Franchise Rule Compliance Guide explains the disclosure framework. For this cost decision, the amended FDD, Franchise Agreement and written clarification of the conflicting Item 7 totals should be read together.

Bottom line: the detailed 2026 Item 7 table supports an initial investment of $138,600 to $246,500 for one home-based, mobile Window Gang Business. The most important variables are six months of Additional Funds, the Designated Manager Salary, equipment, marketing, vehicle and premises assumptions. Liquid cash, net worth, Total Estimated Initial Investment and recurring Gross Sales-based fees are separate financial concepts and should not be treated as interchangeable.