How long does it take to open a Restoration 1 franchise?
Restoration 1 requires the Franchised Business to be ready and authorized to open within 150 days after the Franchise Agreement's Effective Date. This is a contractual deadline, not a promised launch date. The franchisee must complete the office and storage setup, vehicle and equipment package, technology, insurance, permits, certifications, staffing, training, payments, and every System Standard before Restoration 1 issues opening authorization.
The 150-day clock does not start at inquiry. Under the Franchise Agreement, the Effective Date is the date Restoration 1 signs. The public process describes inquiry, consultation, qualification, training and launch; the contract supplies the binding conditions and consequences. See the official Restoration 1 next-steps page and the official information-request page.
What must happen from inquiry to opening authorization?
Restoration 1's opening path has eight dependency-based stages. Application, approval, FDD receipt, signing, site approval, training completion, and opening authorization are separate events; none should be treated as interchangeable.
Submit an inquiry and speak with franchise development
Complete qualification and fit review accurately
Receive and review the FDD and attached agreements
Confirm the format, entity, Market Territory and agreement package
Obtain approval for the Franchised Business Office and storage
Build the operating package to System Standards
Complete certifications, training and personnel preparation
Submit proof and obtain opening authorization
Sources: Restoration 1 2026 FDD, Items 5, 9 and 11, pp. 6, 20-29; Franchise Agreement Summary Page and §§3.1, 4.1-4.4, 7.1 and 12.2. The federal disclosure rule is summarized in the FTC's Consumer's Guide to Buying a Franchise and Franchise Rule materials.
Who qualifies to apply for Restoration 1?
The official franchise FAQ currently states a $100,000 minimum liquid-capital requirement for opening a new business. It states that prior restoration or business-ownership experience is not required, while leadership experience, people-management confidence, entrepreneurial drive and willingness to follow the model are preferences. Meeting these published points does not guarantee approval.
Official supplemental source: Restoration 1 franchise FAQs. Contractual owner and manager rules: 2026 FDD, Item 15, pp. 34-35; Franchise Agreement §§11.4 and 15.3.
Does the opening process change for conversions or micro territories?
Yes. The 2026 FDD discloses one Franchise Agreement form covering three identified paths. It does not disclose a separate Development Agreement or Area Development Agreement. Each additional territory therefore requires its own franchise grant and Summary Page unless Restoration 1 provides a different current document for a specific transaction.
| Official path | Who can use it | Opening difference | Governing document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard new business | Approved new or existing candidate | Establish office/storage, vehicle, tools, technology, insurance, permits, certifications and staffing from the ground up. | Franchise Agreement |
| Standard conversion | Approved operator converting an existing business | Re-image, renovate, refurbish and modernize the existing operation to current System Standards within the timeframe Restoration 1 requires. | Franchise Agreement marked “Conversion” |
| Micro territory add-on | Existing franchisee adding a contiguous 75,000-200,000 population territory | May operate from the standard territory's existing office; only incremental territory setup is contemplated. | Separate Franchise Agreement marked “Micro Market Franchise” |
If the franchisee wants to offer Reconstruction Services, the franchisee or relevant affiliate must first obtain approval and execute the then-current Reconstruction Services Addendum. The addendum is optional and separate from opening the core Restoration 1 Business; it should not be assumed to be automatically included in the franchise award.
Which deadlines and process periods control the critical path?
The chart compares four disclosed periods in days. They use different triggers and must not be added together: the 14-day federal period occurs before signing, while the 30-, 90- and 150-day periods relate to site review or post-Effective-Date development.
Bar length compares days only; labels preserve each period's trigger and evidence status.
Interpretation: The post-signing critical path is capped by the 150-day opening deadline, but the office approval sub-deadline can consume up to 90 days when no site is identified at the Effective Date. Sources: 2026 FDD cover and Item 11, pp. 21-22; Franchise Agreement §§3.1 and 4.1-4.4; FTC Franchise Rule guidance.
What must be approved before the office, storage and territory are usable?
The Market Territory limits where the franchisee may market and solicit; it is not exclusive. The Franchised Business Office is the approved management and recordkeeping location. Current System Standards also require off-site storage, described in Item 7 as approximately 150 square feet and subject to safety, insurance and other standards.
Restoration 1 evaluates a proposed office using factors including visibility, size, layout, adjacent uses, parking, demographics and local competition. The franchisee remains responsible for occupancy rights, lease or purchase commitments, zoning, local approvals, insurance and all associated costs. The FDD does not attach a mandatory lease rider, and the franchisor does not promise to find or lease the site.
Who must attend training, and what counts as completion?
The Training Program is offered to the franchisee or its Owners and up to three additional people; one attendee must be the Designated Owner or Designated Manager, as applicable. Restoration 1 controls trainers, content, length, location and satisfactory completion. The published schedule totals 110 classroom hours and 8 on-the-job hours, but the FDD labels the timeframes estimates and allows the program to vary by attendee experience and skill.
The schedule covers pre-training, administration, technology, sales, mitigation and IICRC certification instruction. Encircle must be purchased before training in The Colony. Verify course availability, exam prerequisites and technician status through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification.
Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 7 notes 7 and 12 and Item 11, pp. 15 and 27-29; Franchise Agreement §7. The official website describes a 12-day program, but the current FDD's hours, variability language and satisfactory-completion standard control contractual planning.
Who controls each opening dependency?
Restoration 1 provides standards, access to the manual and training, reviews the office, and decides whether the conditions support opening authorization. The franchisee performs and funds most setup work. Government authorities, landlords, insurers, suppliers, certification providers and contractors control separate dependencies that the franchisor cannot guarantee.
Applicant / franchisee
Restoration 1
Third parties
What must be verified before Restoration 1 can authorize opening?
The agreement lists eleven mandatory conditions. Opening assistance or completion of training alone is not authorization. The franchisee must satisfy every condition, all current System Standards and any documentary proof requested by Restoration 1.
Insurance must meet Item 8 and Franchise Agreement §11.14, including limits, carrier rating, additional-insured and notice terms. Licensing is market-specific: contractor, engineer or Reconstruction Services requirements may apply. Verify the selected state, county and municipality before fixing a launch date.
What should a buyer confirm before signing or scheduling launch?
Request written answers tied to the exact Market Territory, entity and format. Item 20's current and former franchisee contacts are especially useful for testing whether the disclosed 150-day deadline is workable in comparable markets and which dependencies caused actual delays.
Item 10 states that Restoration 1 does not offer direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee a note, lease or obligation. Its public financing page discusses third-party financing routes, but lender approval and timing remain third-party dependencies; review the official financing-options page without treating it as a financing commitment.
Verified opening path: inquiry and qualification, FDD review, Franchise Agreement and guaranties, territory and office approval, operating-package setup, certifications and training, documentary proof, then written opening authorization.
Timeline basis: the current agreement provides an official 150-day contractual deadline after the Effective Date, not a guaranteed launch date. The strongest applicant-controlled dependency is completing the office, vehicle, systems, insurance, staffing and certification package accurately and early. The strongest external dependency is timely approval or delivery by Restoration 1, government authorities, insurers, landlords, suppliers and training providers. The key unresolved issue to verify in writing is whether Restoration 1 will approve any extension if a third-party delay threatens the 150-day deadline.