Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise takes $143,273 – $286,702 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $43,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 3%. To qualify, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing asks for $150,000 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $43,000 | $43,000 | $43,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $143,273 | $286,702 | $143,273 to $286,702 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $143,273 | $286,702 | $143,273 to $286,702 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 3% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Benjamin Franklin Plumbing cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's disclosed cost sits against the Home Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $143,273 — about 1.2× the Home Services median of $116,350.
- Initial franchise fee of $43,000 — about 21% below the Home Services median of $54,450.
Category medians are computed from the Home Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Home Services franchises
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How Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2022: began the window at 245 units; 140 units opened, 104 closed, ending at 275 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 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 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is a home services franchisor with 275 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2022, it began the window at 245 units; its filings record 140 unit openings and 104 closures, ending at 275 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is AB Assetco LLC.
Disclosure filings report 6 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
Owning a plumbing company doesn’t mean that you should face the challenges of doing so alone. At Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, we’ve been helping plumbing veterans and newcomers to the industry build better plumbing companies since 2001. Our approach is simple: trust the leadership of our franchisees while providing them with the support their business needs for sustainability and growth! Our dedication to supporting our franchisees and their dedication to providing quality plumbing services ha...
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise cost?
- $143,273 – $286,702 all-in to open, per Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Benjamin Franklin Plumbing units are there?
- 275 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's units held up?
- 95.9% 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).
- Is Benjamin Franklin Plumbing SBA-eligible?
- Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is flagged SBA-eligible in our dataset (as of 2026-05). Confirm current status on the SBA Franchise Directory before relying on it for financing.