The numbers side by side
Water, fire and mold restoration is a high-ticket trade where a lot of the work comes through insurance companies. That is the big thing a restoration franchise sells: relationships with carriers and a known name on the truck.
| Up-front fee | Total start-up | Share of sales (royalty) | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Card processing | Term | Cash asked for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVPRO | $100,000 | $263,305 to $385,570 | 3% to 10% | 3% | $200 a month | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 5 years | $155,000 |
| PuroClean | $59,000 | $241,503 to $277,118 | 10% falling to 3% | 2% | None listed | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 20 years | $70,000 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0, no franchise fee | Your own equipment and vehicle | 0%, you keep every sale | None required; you set your own budget | $0 on the Office plan | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) plus 2% (Koira) on card payments only | None; month to month | None asked |
Franchise figures are from each brand's listing in Entrepreneur's franchise directory, which summarizes the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document, and match the franchisor's own franchise page where it states them. Where a fee is a range, the disclosure document sets which end applies to you. Koira's figures are from koira.ai/pricing.
What the ongoing fees take
The up-front fee is paid once. The share of sales is paid on every job for the length of the agreement, before you pay yourself. Here is the arithmetic on an example year of $1,000,000 in sales, using the low end of each published rate:
| Brand | Royalty | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Fees for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVPRO | $30,000 | $30,000 | $2,400 | $62,400 |
| PuroClean | $30,000 | $20,000 | $0 | $50,000 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0 | Your choice | $0 | $0, plus $20,000 if every sale were paid by card |
SERVPRO's tech fee is $200 a month. Card processing is left out of the franchise rows because the summaries do not set it; you would pay a processor either way. On Koira's Office plan, Koira keeps 2% of card payments on top of Stripe's processing, and nothing on cash or check.
The example sales figure is an example, not a promise of what either path earns. Use the calculator above with your own numbers.
What the fees buy
SERVPRO has been franchising since 1969 and asks for $155,000 in cash. PuroClean has franchised since 1991 and asks for $70,000 in cash and a $250,000 net worth. For that, a franchise sells a known name, a written system, training and a territory.
A restoration franchise fits an owner who wants carrier programs and a national name from day one and has the capital for equipment and slow payments. It fits less well for a small shop that already has plumbers, agents and adjusters sending it work.
Going solo in restoration
A solo restoration company needs drying equipment, extraction gear and training before the first job, and has to learn how insurance claims and estimating software work. Payment often comes from the carrier weeks after the job, so cash to carry jobs matters.
Koira's tools work for the job side of a restoration business: estimates, deposits, invoices and an answered phone for the emergency calls.
Koira's free Office plan covers the office side a franchise system would: a website that books jobs, estimates with signing and deposits, invoices and card payments and your day plan. Paid plans add the phone and crew tools.
Before you sign anything
Federal rules require the franchisor to give you its disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay. Read the fee items and any sales claims with their footnotes, and call former restoration owners. Our handyman franchise guide walks through the document item by item.
Sources
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: SERVPRO, checked October 9, 2026
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: PuroClean, checked October 9, 2026
- PuroClean: Restoration franchise cost, checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 16 CFR 436.2, when the disclosure document must be given, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: Pricing (Office plan, card payments), checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 49 CFR 375.101, who must follow the household goods rules, checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.