Chem-Dry vs THE CLEANING AUTHORITY
Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.
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Chem-Dry
Cleaning/Janitorial
Investment
$118K to $241K
Franchise fee
$36,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
1,284
THE CLEANING AUTHORITY
Cleaning/Janitorial
Investment
$76K to $147K
Franchise fee
$15,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
3
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
| Metric | Chem-Dry | THE CLEANING AUTHORITY |
|---|---|---|
Franchise Fee | $36,000 | $15,000 |
Min Investment | $118K | $76K |
Max Investment | $241K | $147K |
Royalty Rate | 7.0% | 6.0% |
Ad Fund Rate | 3.0% | 1.0% |
Total Ongoing Burden Royalty plus ad fund when available. | 10.0% | 7.0% |
Median Revenue (Item 19) | $153K | $1.2M |
Cash-on-Cash Return Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available. | 21.3% | 299.9% |
Payback Period | 4.7 yrs | 0.3 yrs |
Revenue per Dollar Invested | 0.85x | 10.71x |
Franchised Units | 1,284 | 3 |
1-Year Net Unit Change | -185 | 9 |
Net Unit Growth Rate | -12.9% | 100.0% |
Net Closure Rate Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change. | 12.6% | N/A |
SBA Default Rate | 23.3% | 11.8% |
SBA Loan Count Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful. | 37 | 81 |
Average SBA Loan Size | $155K | $257K |
Item 19 Status | Cost Data Only | Cost Data Only |
Has Item 19 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Quality Score | 100 | 100 |
What stands out
- • Chem-Dry opens at $118K to $241K, while THE CLEANING AUTHORITY ranges from $76K to $147K.
- • Chem-Dry shows an Item 19 disclosure; THE CLEANING AUTHORITY shows an Item 19 disclosure.
- • Chem-Dry has 1,284 franchised units versus 3 for THE CLEANING AUTHORITY.
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Last updated: April 2026