Lawn Doctor franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$114,950 to $118,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

10% · 10% of Net Revenues, paid weekly on the preceding week's Net Revenues (plus 15% of Net Revenues earned outside the Territory)

Marketing contribution

5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$150 per month until cumulative Net Revenues reach $1,000,000, then scheduled to rise to $250 per month; LDI may raise it up to $500 per month

Other fees

Out-of-Territory Royalty 15% of Net Revenues earned outside Territory; Turf Tamer equipment leases $335.40/month (84 mo) + $339.20/month (72 mo); Holiday Lighting Heroes advertising greater of $6,000 or 5% of prior-year holiday lighting Net Revenues, starting 2nd full year

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds - 3 Months: $12,720 to $22,552 (marketing, employees, transportation, utilities, vendors)

Fees sourceFDD p.14 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average, median, lowest and highest Net Revenues per franchisee (all territories combined); customer data; gross profit margin (materials cost only)

Reporting period

Calendar year 2025 (Net Revenues, customer data); 2024 (gross profit margin); Table D history 2009-2025

Sample

202 franchisees (of 228, those operating at least 2 full years, operating 672 franchised businesses) for 2025 Net Revenues; 81 of 196 franchisees for 2024 gross margin

Reported average

$1,170,356

Reported median

$616,233

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.52 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

653

Year-end outlets

672

Net change

+19

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

27

Terminations

4

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

1

Reacquisitions

3

Transfers

18

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.55 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

33 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$150,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

16 loans

Historical charge-off share

3.45%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

1 / 29

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Lawn Doctor franchise cost?

Lawn Doctor Business (low end excludes Power Seeder in non-seeding areas and holiday lighting start-up items): $135,820 to $163,902 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $114,950 to $118,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Lawn Doctor owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average, median, lowest and highest Net Revenues per franchisee (all territories combined); customer data; gross profit margin (materials cost only). Sample: 202 franchisees (of 228, those operating at least 2 full years, operating 672 franchised businesses) for 2025 Net Revenues; 81 of 196 franchisees for 2024 gross margin. Period: Calendar year 2025 (Net Revenues, customer data); 2024 (gross profit margin); Table D history 2009-2025.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.52 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Lawn Doctor?

3.45%; numerator / denominator: 1 / 29. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $150,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 16 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗