A 2026 ServiceMaster Restore franchise with a Disaster Restoration License sells emergency property mitigation and restoration to residential and commercial customers. The franchisee generates local referrals, dispatches trained personnel, performs mandatory Core Services directly, documents insurance-related work through required platforms, and reports operations under franchisor-controlled standards.
Data basis Legal franchisor: ServiceMaster Clean/Restore SPE LLC. Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19 and 20; Franchise Agreement; Restore 365 Plus Software License Agreement; and Manual table of contents. Centers on the new-offer Disaster Restoration License and flags Conversion Franchise, SRM License and Supplemental Services License differences. Item 20 runs through December 31, 2025. Official pages checked August 1, 2026.
What does a ServiceMaster Restore franchise sell?
The standard Restore Franchise must provide Core Services and Additional Core Services to authorized residential and commercial customers. Supplemental Services are optional under the Disaster Restoration License; Construction Services require separate approval and a Construction Services Amendment.
Core Services: direct delivery
The franchisee must perform these without subcontractors: 24-hour emergency water mitigation, structural drying, structural cleaning, mold remediation where licensed, contents cleaning and moving, disinfection, consulting and equipment rental.
Additional Core Services: direct or subcontracted
Temporary board-up and tarping, debris removal, hoarding cleanup, HVAC or duct cleaning, textile and electronics cleaning, document drying, art restoration and carpet reinstallation may be delivered by the franchisee or an eligible subcontractor.
Supplemental Services: optional and non-recurring
Carpet and upholstery cleaning, hard-floor maintenance, furniture cleaning, periodic cleaning, window washing and power washing may be offered directly, but not as recurring janitorial or housekeeping contracts.
Construction Services: separate permission path
Reconstruction and repair may be performed directly or through a qualified subcontractor only after franchisor approval and execution of the Construction Services Amendment. A franchisee opting out signs the related acknowledgement.
Demand comes from property owners, commercial facilities, insurance agents and adjusters, carriers, National Accounts and other referral sources. The official consumer site presents assessment, mitigation and restoration, while the FDD distinguishes locally sourced Territory Accounts from franchisor- or affiliate-negotiated National Accounts. See the official U.S. restoration services overview and National Accounts program.
How does work move from loss notice to completion?
A job moves from local inquiry, referral or program assignment through intake, inspection, estimating, service execution, documentation, billing and required reporting. Loss type, carrier rules and Optional Program participation determine the exact path.
Intake and lead classification
- Actor
- Franchise office staff, manager or program intake personnel.
- Action
- Capture the loss, property, contact, referral source and urgency; determine whether it is a Territory Account, National Account or Optional Program lead.
- Required system or asset
- Live answering capability, assigned email and Restore 365 Plus.
- Output
- A recorded job or lead ready for dispatch, acceptance or return to the franchisor.
Inspection, scope and estimate
- Actor
- Trained technician, manager, estimator or approved estimating service.
- Action
- Inspect the site, identify affected materials, define emergency work and prepare the required estimate or statement of work.
- Required system or asset
- Moisture or inspection equipment, Restore 365 Plus, and Xactimate or Cotality tools when required by a carrier.
- Output
- A documented scope, estimate and service plan.
Emergency mitigation and Core Services
- Actor
- Franchisee-employed or franchisee-controlled trained technicians.
- Action
- Stabilize the loss, extract water, dry structures, clean affected areas, move or clean contents, remediate mold where permitted, or perform other mandatory Core Services.
- Required system or asset
- Approved equipment, cleaning solutions, vehicle, uniforms and service documentation.
- Output
- Further damage is limited and the property is ready for monitoring or restoration.
Specialist work and restoration
- Actor
- Franchise personnel or qualified subcontractors where the FDD permits subcontracting.
- Action
- Complete Additional Core Services, reinstallation, contents work or approved Construction Services under applicable licensing and program standards.
- Required system or asset
- Approved suppliers, subcontractor controls, job records and any Construction Services Amendment.
- Output
- Completed service scope or restored property segment.
Monitoring, quality and claim documentation
- Actor
- Technicians, manager, office staff and carrier-facing personnel.
- Action
- Record progress, monitor drying or other technical conditions, document claim support and respond to customer or carrier requirements.
- Required system or asset
- Restore 365 Plus, Mitigate when insurance claims are submitted, and carrier-required claim platforms.
- Output
- A complete job file supporting invoice, audit and customer communication.
Billing, collection and reporting
- Actor
- Franchise accounting staff, franchisor program administrators and payors.
- Action
- Issue invoices, submit carrier or program documents, receive or distribute program payments, report Gross Service Sales and maintain records for audit.
- Required system or asset
- Accounting application synced to Restore 365 Plus, electronic reporting and supporting records.
- Output
- Closed or continuing account, recorded sales and auditable financial data.
Core Services are not a generic subcontracting model: the Franchise Agreement requires direct delivery, while Additional Core Services and approved Construction Services have different permissions. The official drying and dehumidification process shows inspection, extraction, evaporation, dehumidification and monitoring.
Who performs each operating function?
The franchisee controls employment and service execution, but the 2026 FDD requires full-time energy and best efforts. A trained manager and separate dedicated salesperson must be in place within 90 days; each additional office generally requires both roles.
Franchisee organization
- The owner, officers or managers devote full-time energy and best efforts and remain accountable for operations.
- A trained manager provides direct, on-premises supervision when the owner does not.
- A separate trained salesperson conducts referral-source activity; one person cannot hold both roles.
- Technicians perform Core Services; the franchisee controls hiring, pay, scheduling and discipline.
Franchisor and SM Manager
- ServiceMaster Clean/Restore SPE LLC remains responsible when SM Manager performs support.
- Support includes ServiceConnection, the Manual, ServiceMaster Brands University and field consultation.
- The franchisor approves marketing, administers the Ad Fund and may distribute Optional Program leads.
- It may inspect operations, audit records, access system data and require correction.
Third-party dependencies
- Insurance carriers and National Accounts can impose pricing, software, reporting and service requirements.
- Approved or designated vendors supply specified products, equipment, graphics, uniforms and software.
- Cotality and Xactware platforms support claim documentation, estimating and carrier submissions.
- Qualified subcontractors may perform only the categories the agreements permit.
The FDD does not support absentee ownership. A manager-run structure is permitted, but the franchisee must supervise the trained manager and maintain a separate trained salesperson. Salespeople must complete at least 50 specified visits monthly per 300,000 Territory population; 20% must target inactive job participants or prospective referral sources.
Which suppliers and technology are mandatory?
ServiceMaster Restore controls selected supplier and software categories. The franchisor may specify brands, models, approved suppliers, a single designated source or negotiated purchasing programs; the franchisee purchases the assets and handles local security and implementation.
Physical operating inputs
Required categories include certain cleaning solutions, specialty items, equipment, vehicle graphics, insurance, printed materials, software and uniforms. A service vehicle must carry equipment and display required colors and decals. SRM Franchises also require a 53-foot trailer and 20-foot box truck.
Restore 365 Plus
This required platform tracks local jobs, National Account or program leads, reports and contacts. The franchisee signs the software license, connects accounting data and permits franchisor access.
Carrier-facing applications
Insurance claims can require Mitigate, Cotality subscriptions, Claims Workspace, Xactimate, XactAnalysis or other carrier-designated tools. The applicable carrier and job determine the path.
Digital marketing control
The franchisor lists compliant franchises on the system website and controls Digital Marketing using the Marks. Separate sites, social accounts, domains, keywords or online commerce require consent.
Official pages describe Xactimate property-claims estimating and Cotality property-restoration software. Those pages explain product functions; the FDD controls whether and when a franchisee must use them.
The franchisor may require new System Components, deauthorize existing ones, mandate updates and receive data as often as daily. The franchisee remains responsible for antivirus protection, firewalls, accounting integration and vendor support.
What does the franchisor control, and what remains with the franchisee?
The franchisor controls the licensed service menu, standards, systems, approved advertising, territory boundaries, digital brand channels, supplier specifications and audits. The franchisee controls employment, local execution, customer response and—subject to lawful brand or program rules—actual prices and discounts.
| Operating domain | Franchisor control | Franchisee decision | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services and customers | Defines required and optional services by SM License; restricts National Account solicitation and unauthorized services. | Chooses permitted Supplemental Services and whether to seek Construction Services approval. | The licensed menu is not open-ended. |
| Territory and channels | Designates a non-exclusive Territory and office location; limits outbound solicitation outside it. | May serve customer-initiated outside work and coordinate multi-location Territory Accounts under stated rules. | Lead rights are not exclusivity. |
| Marketing | Approves plans and materials, controls Digital Marketing and administers the Ad Fund. | Executes approved local marketing and referral development. | Local selling is required; brand use is controlled. |
| Pricing | May recommend or lawfully set certain minimum, maximum or advertised prices; program accounts may have negotiated terms. | Sets reasonable prices and discounts where no binding rule applies. | Discretion varies by job source. |
| Staffing | Requires trained manager and salesperson roles, certifications and performance standards. | Hires, pays, schedules, supervises and disciplines personnel. | The franchisee is the employer. |
| Records and quality | Requires reporting, system access, inspections and audits. | Maintains job files, accounting, security and corrective actions. | Compliance is measurable and auditable. |
The Territory is not exclusive. A physical, commercially zoned Dispatch Office must be inside it; home and virtual offices are prohibited. Outside solicitation is allowed only in defined circumstances, while customer-initiated work outside the Territory is permitted.
What does Item 20 show about the operating network?
The U.S. system was entirely franchised at the end of 2025. Year-end Restore Franchise outlets declined from 1,952 in 2023 to 1,910 in 2025, while Item 20 reports no company-owned outlets in any of those three years.
Franchised outlets, December 31 of each year
Item 19 reports that 70% of Franchise Ownership Groups held multiple Restore Franchises and aggregated operations by group. Buyers should distinguish an outlet or SM License from an ownership group, office, crew or customer-facing business.
Which operating questions remain unit-specific?
The FDD defines the framework but does not disclose a universal crew count, technician-to-job ratio, shift plan, office size, subcontractor mix or local carrier portfolio. Those variables determine how the contractual model is staffed and executed in a particular Territory.
- Confirm the exact Territory population, required office configuration and whether additional Satellite Offices or Sales Offices can be required.
- Identify which local carriers and National Accounts require Xactimate, Cotality, additional reporting, negotiated pricing or program-specific service levels.
- Verify which Core Services will be performed with employees and which permitted Additional Core Services will use qualified subcontractors.
- Review the current Manual, Optional Program agreements, carrier requirements and approved-supplier list rather than relying on the FDD’s dated examples.
- Determine who will serve as trained manager and dedicated salesperson, and how the monthly referral-source visit requirement will be documented.
- Confirm whether Construction Services, QRV, CRT or SRM participation is available, operationally necessary or realistically attainable for the proposed unit.
Operating-model synthesis
ServiceMaster Restore converts emergency property losses and referral relationships into documented mitigation, restoration and approved repair work. The franchisee must field a trained team, perform Core Services directly, manage customer and carrier records, and maintain referral activity. The strongest dependencies are service standards, data access, supplier rules, Digital Marketing control and carrier claims platforms. A new buyer receives a Disaster Restoration License in a non-exclusive Territory; SRM, Supplemental Services, Optional Programs and Construction Services follow separate paths. The largest unresolved question is the Territory-specific staffing and carrier mix needed to meet response, sales-visit and program requirements.
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