Franchise Cost by Category: What 285 Brands Actually Cost to Open (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.
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.
How much a franchise costs to open depends far more on its category than its name recognition. Across the 285 franchise brands ClearValue Lending has profiled — each sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 7 estimated initial investment table, per the FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR Part 436) — total startup cost ranges from $3.7K for a home-based travel-agency franchise to $17M for a full-service hotel build. The table below groups all 285 brands into 15 categories so you can see where a given business type typically lands before you dig into a specific brand's cost-to-start page.
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.
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.
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
More in Comparing Options
Part of the ClearValue family