Guide 8 min read Updated July 24, 2026
We grouped 285 franchise brands we've profiled into 15 categories to compare typical startup cost — from home-based referral models under $10K to full hotel builds over $8M.
Full cost range
$3.7K–$17M
Key takeaways
- Franchise startup cost varies more by category than by brand recognition — the widest swings are structural (real estate/construction vs. referral-based models), not brand-driven.
- Across 285 franchise brands we've profiled, entry points run $3.7K (a home-based travel-agency franchise) to $17M (a full-service hotel build).
- 42% of the 285 brands profiled have an entry point at or below $200K; 34% have a high end at or above $1M — the market splits into a low-capital tier and a real-estate-heavy tier.
- Food & restaurant is the largest category (117 of 285 brands) and spans nearly the full cost spectrum, from food-truck/kiosk concepts to full-service dine-in builds.
- SBA 7(a) financing (up to $5M per the SBA's guarantee program) covers most categories in this comparison; real-estate-heavy concepts (hotels, gyms with pools, salon-suite build-outs) often pair 7(a) with SBA 504 or a conventional commercial real estate loan.
Franchise cost by category (285 brands)
Median and full investment range by franchise category
| Category | Median Investment | Full Range | Brands Profiled |
| Real Estate & Travel Brokerages | $30K–$330K | $9K–$1M | 6 |
| Business, Tax & Financial Services | $58K–$152K | $32K–$329K | 11 |
| Cleaning & Restoration | $103K–$211K | $4K–$566K | 17 |
| Moving & Hauling | $105K–$265K | $86K–$610K | 4 |
| Home Repair & Trade Services (plumbing, electric, HVAC, painting) | $118K–$202K | $40K–$575K | 23 |
| Senior Care, Child Care & Tutoring | $128K–$242K | $68K–$5.5M | 19 |
| Fitness Studios & Gyms | $190K–$523K | $53K–$4.3M | 16 |
| Retail, Shipping, Printing & Device Repair | $200K–$444K | $10K–$2M | 20 |
| Automotive (oil change, tires, tools, repair) | $238K–$444K | $92K–$2.5M | 15 |
| Beauty, Salon & Personal Care | $290K–$560K | $76K–$1.9M | 21 |
| Food & Restaurant (QSR, fast-casual, bakery, coffee, ice cream) | $367K–$1M | $36K–$8.7M | 117 |
| Pet Care | $590K–$1.5M | $94K–$1.6M | 8 |
| Family Entertainment (trampoline parks, paint/wine studios) | $1.1M–$2.7M | $73K–$11M | 4 |
| Health & Wellness Clinics | $1.2M–$2.5M | $210K–$2.5M | 2 |
| Hotel Franchises | $8M–$17M | $8M–$17M | 2 |
"Median investment" is the midpoint of the low end and midpoint of the high end across every brand we've profiled in that category — use it as a typical starting point, not a quote. Every brand's own cost-to-start page breaks down the franchise fee, build-out, equipment, and working-capital components behind its specific range. Browse all 285 franchise guides.
Cheapest and priciest brand in each category
- Real Estate & Travel Brokerages (6 brands profiled) — median $30K–$330K, full range $9K–$1M. Cheapest we've profiled: Dream Vacations at $9K–$24K. Priciest: Coldwell Banker at $30K–$1M.
- Business, Tax & Financial Services (11 brands profiled) — median $58K–$152K, full range $32K–$329K. Cheapest we've profiled: H&R Block at $32K–$170K. Priciest: Pridestaff at $151K–$329K.
- Cleaning & Restoration (17 brands profiled) — median $103K–$211K, full range $4K–$566K. Cheapest we've profiled: Jan Pro at $4K–$57K. Priciest: Tide Cleaners at $290K–$566K.
- Moving & Hauling (4 brands profiled) — median $105K–$265K, full range $86K–$610K. Cheapest we've profiled: 1-800-Got-Junk at $86K–$249K. Priciest: Two Men And A Truck at $185K–$610K.
- Home Repair & Trade Services (plumbing, electric, HVAC, painting) (23 brands profiled) — median $118K–$202K, full range $40K–$575K. Cheapest we've profiled: Shinemd at $40K–$110K. Priciest: Maaco at $300K–$575K.
- Senior Care, Child Care & Tutoring (19 brands profiled) — median $128K–$242K, full range $68K–$5.5M. Cheapest we've profiled: Kumon at $68K–$144K. Priciest: Kiddie Academy at $407K–$5.5M.
- Fitness Studios & Gyms (16 brands profiled) — median $190K–$523K, full range $53K–$4.3M. Cheapest we've profiled: Curves at $53K–$182K. Priciest: Planet Fitness at $1M–$4.3M.
- Retail, Shipping, Printing & Device Repair (20 brands profiled) — median $200K–$444K, full range $10K–$2M. Cheapest we've profiled: Anytime Mailbox at $10K–$35K. Priciest: Circle K at $283K–$2M.
- Automotive (oil change, tires, tools, repair) (15 brands profiled) — median $238K–$444K, full range $92K–$2.5M. Cheapest we've profiled: Cornwell Tools at $92K–$292K. Priciest: Valvoline Instant Oil Change at $1M–$2.5M.
- Beauty, Salon & Personal Care (21 brands profiled) — median $290K–$560K, full range $76K–$1.9M. Cheapest we've profiled: Lemon Tree Hair Salons at $76K–$216K. Priciest: Sola Salon Studios at $750K–$1.9M.
- Food & Restaurant (QSR, fast-casual, bakery, coffee, ice cream) (117 brands profiled) — median $367K–$1M, full range $36K–$8.7M. Cheapest we've profiled: Crepes Bonaparte at $36K–$176K. Priciest: Golden Corral at $3.6M–$8.7M.
- Pet Care (8 brands profiled) — median $590K–$1.5M, full range $94K–$1.6M. Cheapest we've profiled: Aussie Pet Mobile at $94K–$181K. Priciest: Dogtopia at $890K–$1.6M.
- Family Entertainment (trampoline parks, paint/wine studios) (4 brands profiled) — median $1.1M–$2.7M, full range $73K–$11M. Cheapest we've profiled: Pinots Palette at $73K–$190K. Priciest: Urban Air Adventure Park at $4M–$11M.
- Health & Wellness Clinics (2 brands profiled) — median $1.2M–$2.5M, full range $210K–$2.5M. Cheapest we've profiled: The Joint Chiropractic at $210K–$525K. Priciest: American Family Care at $1.2M–$2.5M.
- Hotel Franchises (2 brands profiled) — median $8M–$17M, full range $8M–$17M. Cheapest we've profiled: Holiday Inn Express at $8M–$15M. Priciest: Hampton Inn at $8M–$17M.
Choosing a category by available capital
Match your liquid capital to a realistic category
If: Under $50K liquid capital
Real estate & travel brokerages (referral-commission models like Dream Vacations) and a handful of home-based cleaning/staffing brands sit lowest. Verify the franchisor's actual net-worth/liquidity minimum — it's usually higher than the franchise fee alone.
If: $100K–$250K liquid capital
Home repair & trade services, cleaning & restoration, business/tax services, and many senior-care and tutoring brands cluster in this band — the largest concentration of financeable, owner-operator concepts.
If: $250K–$750K liquid capital
Fast-casual and full-service restaurants, automotive service bays, and most beauty/salon build-outs land here — typically a leased space plus equipment, financeable with SBA 7(a).
If: $1M+ liquid capital
Full-service restaurants with dine-in build-outs, large-format fitness clubs, senior-living-adjacent concepts, and hotels sit here — real estate acquisition or ground-up construction usually pairs SBA 504 with 7(a).
Financing across categories
Category doesn't change which financing products exist — it changes which one fits best. Franchise fee, build-out, and working capital across nearly every category in this comparison can run through a single SBA 7(a) loan, up to the program's per-borrower guarantee cap (the SBA's cumulative 7(a)/504 exposure limit doubled to $10 million effective July 4, 2026). Categories with a heavy real-estate component — hotels, large-format fitness clubs, salon-suite concepts — more often pair 7(a) (build-out, equipment, working capital) with SBA 504 (the real property piece) or a conventional commercial real estate loan. See the full walkthrough of how to match financing structure to your specific cost breakdown in how to finance a franchise.
ClearValue Lending routes franchise financing applications — SBA 7(a), SBA 504, equipment financing, and working capital — to lender partners matched to your category and investment range. Apply for franchise financing at Find my match. Your file routes to the funding partners best matched to your file.
Sources
- Per-brand cost figures in this comparison are drawn from ClearValue Lending's franchise cost-to-start guides, each sourced from the individual brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 7 estimated initial investment table. — FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR Part 436
- SBA 7(a) loans — maximum $5M per loan — cover franchise fees, build-out, equipment, and working capital for pre-cleared franchise concepts listed in the SBA Franchise Directory. — SBA 7(a) Loan Program
- SBA 504 loans provide below-market fixed-rate financing on the real property component of a franchise build — commonly paired with 7(a) for real-estate-heavy categories like hotels and large-format fitness clubs. — SBA 504 Loan Program
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest category of franchise to start?
Real estate & travel brokerages, which run on referral commissions rather than a physical build-out — Dream Vacations and Cruise Planners both start around $9K–$24K. Among brands that require a physical location, home repair and trade-service franchises (plumbing, electrical, handyman) have the lowest median entry point in this comparison at roughly $118K–$202K.
What's the most expensive category of franchise to start?
Hotel franchises, by a wide margin — Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn both require $8M+ in total investment because the franchisee is financing land, construction, and a full hotel build, not just a franchise fee and interior build-out.
Does a higher franchise fee mean a more expensive total investment?
Not necessarily. Franchise fee is typically the smallest line item in the total investment — usually $25K–$60K regardless of category. Total investment is driven by build-out cost, equipment, and real estate, which is why two brands with similar franchise fees can have total investment ranges that differ by $1M or more. Check the full cost breakdown on the specific brand's cost-to-start page rather than comparing franchise fees alone.
Can I use one SBA loan to cover any category on this list?
SBA 7(a) can structure financing for the franchise fee, build-out, equipment, and working capital in nearly every category here, subject to the brand passing SBA affiliation review (most major brands are pre-cleared via the SBA Franchise Directory). Real-estate-heavy categories — hotels, large fitness clubs, salon-suite concepts — more often need 7(a) paired with SBA 504 or a conventional commercial real estate loan for the property component.
Summary:
We grouped 285 franchise brands we've profiled into 15 categories to compare typical startup cost — from home-based referral models under $10K to full hotel builds over $8M.
This article is for educational purposes and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Rates,
fees, qualification requirements, and product availability are illustrative ranges that vary
by lender, market conditions, and individual business profile. ClearValue Lending is a
funding platform; all financing is subject to lender partner approval and terms. Always read
your contract end-to-end and verify specific numbers before signing.
https://clearvaluelending.com/resources/franchise-cost-by-category-2026
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