How to Start a Five Star Bath Solutions Franchise in 7 Steps: Checklist

The federal disclosure period is separate from the 90-day opening period. Under the FTC Franchise Rule, the prospect generally must receive the FDD at least 14 calendar days before signing a binding franchise agreement or paying the franchisor or an affiliate. The 2026 contract also says a materially revised final agreement may require a separate seven-calendar-day review period.

The franchise is territory-based. A storefront is optional, and an approved home office may qualify if it supports high-speed internet, storage, and vehicle or trailer parking. The FDD also addresses concurrent territory purchases and a Roll-In Addendum, but attaches no separate development program.

The 2026 FDD says Five Star Bath, LLC offers franchises to qualified individuals and entities, but it does not publish a universal minimum net worth, liquid-capital threshold, credit score, education requirement, or bathroom-remodeling experience requirement. Meeting any sales-stage screening criteria therefore does not guarantee approval; obtain the current written application standards and identify whether they apply to each owner, the ownership group, or each territory.

An individual or entity may sign. An entity must employ a general manager responsible for daily operations. Owners must accept the confidentiality and noncompetition obligations, assume the franchise obligations, and sign the §9.13 personal guaranty. Item 15 recommends owner participation but permits a trained manager to run daily operations.

The Roll-In path has a separate documentary gate for the disclosed initial-fee discount: an existing similar business must have at least $200,000 in annual gross sales, with eligibility supported by the two most recent calendar years of financial statements, bank statements, and filed tax returns. That test concerns the discount and integration of the existing customer base; it is not a published substitute for franchise approval.

No. The Franchise Territory is generally a group of ZIP codes described in Schedule A, typically covering up to approximately 150,000 households. Item 12 characterizes it as exclusive while the agreement is in force and the franchisee is not in material default, subject to reserved channels, Reserved Clients, operational areas, and later minimum-revenue protections. Territory designation does not approve a particular premises, lease, zoning classification, or contractor license.

The franchisee locates and secures the Franchise Premises. A storefront is not required; a home office may qualify. The site must be inside the territory, support high-speed internet, provide short-term materials storage, and permit vehicle or trailer parking. Five Star Bath, LLC generally does not own or lease the premises or install opening assets.

Item 11 says the franchisor may assist with ordinances, building codes, permits, construction, remodeling, decoration, hiring, and training, but the franchisee remains finally responsible. The contract requires prior written approval for relocation and makes the franchisee responsible for relocation costs and then-current placement criteria.

The FDD describes six to eight weeks of virtual pre-training followed by in-person owner training. Item 11 names Warren, Michigan, while Franchise Agreement §3.1 names Spanish Fork, Utah. Obtain the actual location, dates, curriculum, and required attendees in writing before booking travel.

The owner or designated full-time manager must complete the mandatory program to the franchisor’s satisfaction. The agreement requires at least five days of mandatory training, then one week of field training, and installer training for the designated installer. The field and installer stages must be completed before operations begin. A newly hired manager must complete mandatory training within one month after hire, and managers or crew leaders responsible for daily operations must have completed the required course.

Readiness also includes the Quick Start Package before in-person training; approved inventory, equipment, vehicle branding, and marketing materials; QuickBooks Online and designated operational software; approved call-center, telephone, text, and lead-generation services; required insurance naming the franchisor as an additional insured; licenses and permits, including relevant contractor licensing where applicable; sufficient staff; and approved pre-opening marketing.

Franchise Agreement §4.1 requires satisfactory training, an approved site, and full and continuous operations within 120 days after execution. War, civil disturbance, natural disaster, labor dispute, shortages, and other events beyond the franchisee’s reasonable control may excuse delay for a reasonable period. The FDD also says the deadline may be extended for multiple-franchise purchases, but it does not disclose a fixed extension period or an automatic extension right.

If the commencement obligation is not fulfilled, Five Star Bath, LLC may terminate in its discretion. Item 5 says it may refund one-quarter of the Initial Franchise Fee and amounts paid for unused advertising materials and apparel, while retaining the remainder and amounts connected with used items; the agreement states a refund of not less than one-quarter. These clauses should be reconciled in the final signed documents, including return procedures for unused products.

A site delay is not automatically excused merely because the franchisor has not approved a proposed premises. Item 11 warns that failure to agree on a site before the commencement deadline may place the franchisee in default. Financing also remains a franchisee dependency: Item 10 says the franchisor offers no direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee any note, lease, or obligation.