1-800 Water Damage franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening 1-800 Water Damage franchise takes $210,903 – $316,398 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $114,000 – $119,950. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 11% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, 1-800 Water Damage asks for $100,000 in liquid cash and a $150,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
1-800 Water Damage franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $114,000 | $119,950 | $114,000 to $119,950 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $210,903 | $316,398 | $210,903 to $316,398 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $210,903 | $316,398 | $210,903 to $316,398 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 11% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full 1-800 Water Damage cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How 1-800 Water Damage's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where 1-800 Water Damage's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $210,903 — about 2.5× the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $114,000 — about 2.9× the Professional Services median of $39,700.
Category medians are computed from the Professional Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Professional Services franchises
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How 1-800 Water Damage's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2022: began the window at 65 units; 176 units opened, 60 closed, ending at 167 units. (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for 1-800 Water Damage or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask 1-800 Water Damage for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether 1-800 Water Damage is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether 1-800 Water Damage grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only 1-800 Water Damage can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the 1-800 Water Damage franchise
1-800 Water Damage is a professional services franchisor with 167 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2022, it began the window at 65 units; its filings record 176 unit openings and 60 closures, ending at 167 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Belfor Franchise Group.
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
Our 1-800 WATER DAMAGE franchise locations offer residential and commercial customers top-quality property restoration services around the clock, 24/7. As a leader in property restoration and carpet cleaning, 1-800 WATER DAMAGE stands out thanks to our people. Our water damage recovery teams are the most dedicated and hardworking franchisees in the industry, and with unmatched corporate support and commitment, our franchise opportunities are unparalleled.
1-800 Water Damage franchise: quick answers
- How much does 1-800 Water Damage franchise cost?
- $210,903 – $316,398 all-in to open, per 1-800 Water Damage's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many 1-800 Water Damage units are there?
- 167 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have 1-800 Water Damage's units held up?
- 88% of units at risk between 2020 and 2022 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).