descriptionThe Franchise Dossier
FDD Sourced
Independent analysis. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Mr. Rooter Plumbing. All figures sourced from public FDD filings.
Franchise dossier · Home services (plumbing)

Owning a Mr. Rooter Plumbing: what actually happens

VERDICT · ASSET — IF YOU SCALE
A proven trade brand where a few large operators make the averages look better than the typical franchise; it becomes an asset only once it runs many trucks without you on one.
You'd pocket / yr*
$40K–$300K
1 unit · before your salary
Your time
50–65 hrs/wk
owner-operator
Becomes an asset at
n/a
real wealth: 8-10+ trucks
Agreement term
10 yrs
then renewal
Year one, honestly

Year one is one or two service vans, an emergency phone line and the hunt for licensed plumbers, who are scarce and expensive in most markets. Revenue comes from paid lead generation and high-ticket drain, sewer and water-heater jobs sold at flat-rate prices, so marketing spend arrives well before a repeat base does. The disclosed bottom-10% average of about $148,000 shows what a slow start, or an owner who cannot staff trucks, looks like.

Where each sales dollar goes
Supplies / goods ~23%Labor ~35%Rent ~4%Franchisor fees ~8%Other opex ~24%Left before debt & you ~14%

Illustrative split for a typical unit (industry estimate). The green slice is store cash flow before your loan payment and before paying yourself a salary — not profit.

If you want out

Plumbing companies with several trucks, a dispatcher and a service manager are actively bought, by other franchisees and by outside home-services buyers, on an earnings multiple. A one- or two-van operation that depends on the owner's own license and labor sells for little more than its vehicles and phone number. Transfers need franchisor approval.

Smart for

Tradespeople or managers who can recruit and keep licensed plumbers and intend to build a multi-truck service company.

Dumb for

Buyers with no path to licensed labor, or anyone underwriting on the $2.0M average instead of the $1.27M median.

The disclosure it's built on

The verdict above is our read of the numbers Mr. Rooter Plumbing files with regulators — here they are, cited.

Mr. Rooter PlumbingFDD 2025
Item 5 · Initial franchise fee
$42,500
Item 7 · Initial investment
$122,303 – $263,800
Item 6 · Royalty
6% (minimums apply)
Item 6 · Ad / brand fund
2% MAP fee
Item 19 · Avg unit revenue
$2,009,644
Item 20 · US units (~2024)
229
SOURCEFranchiseChatter 2025 FDD review: fee $42,500 + $425 per 1,000 additional population, Item 7 $122,303-$263,800 (excluding real estate and additional territory fee), 6% royalty, 2% MAP fee, local marketing group contribution up to 3%, Item 19 figures and 229 franchised units, all high confidence. SharpSheets shows the same $122,000-$264,000 range. FranchiseInvestorData's 2026 FDD summary (Item 7 $152,900-$298,675, average $2,093,531, median $1,257,146, 238 units) is a newer year and not used. Term of 10 years per FranchiseInvestorData only, medium confidence.
The catch

The average is pulled far above the typical franchise by a few very large operators: the average is $2.0M but the median is $1.27M, the top 10% average $7.8M and the bottom 10% average under $150,000. Meanwhile the fee is not really $42,500: it is $42,500 plus $425 for every additional 1,000 people over the minimum territory population, and the 6% royalty and 2% marketing fee both carry minimums that are owed whether or not sales support them. The Item 7 range also excludes real estate.

*How to read these numbers. Disclosed (FDD): fee formula, Item 7 range, 6% royalty and 2% MAP fee with minimums, Item 19 gross sales with average, median and tier breakdowns. No profit data is disclosed, so cost-structure %, take-home and hours are ESTIMATES from plumbing-contractor benchmarks (medium-low confidence, wide range). Term is medium confidence. — "You'd pocket" is estimated owner cash flow for one average unit before a salary for your own full-time work, so it is not take-home pay. Averages are not promises; your unit could earn far less. This is analysis, not advice — read the current FDD in full and talk to current and former franchisees before you commit.

Seriously considering Mr. Rooter Plumbing?

Pressure-test the affordability, then read the full FDD and validate Item 19 (or its absence) with existing franchisees. When we add vetted franchise-consultant and financing partners, they'll be clearly disclosed here and never change our analysis.

Run a rough affordability check →