Cornwell Quality Tools franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Cornwell Quality Tools franchise takes $174,380 – $320,680 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is not disclosed in the filings we cover. To qualify, Cornwell Quality Tools asks for $10,000 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Cornwell Quality Tools franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $174,380 | $320,680 | $174,380 to $320,680 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $174,380 | $320,680 | $174,380 to $320,680 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Cornwell Quality Tools's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Cornwell Quality Tools cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Cornwell Quality Tools's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Cornwell Quality Tools's disclosed cost sits against the Retail category:
- Minimum startup cost of $174,380 — about in line with the Retail median of $165,000.
Category medians are computed from the Retail brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Retail franchises
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How Cornwell Quality Tools's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2021: began the window at 538 units; 970 units opened, 767 closed, ending at 776 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 Cornwell Quality Tools 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 Cornwell Quality Tools 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 Cornwell Quality Tools 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 Cornwell Quality Tools 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 Cornwell Quality Tools 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 Cornwell Quality Tools franchise
Cornwell Quality Tools is a retail franchisor with 776 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2021, it began the window at 538 units; its filings record 970 unit openings and 767 closures, ending at 776 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only).
Disclosure filings report 25 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
A company’s true strength is derived from its foundation. At Cornwell, our foundation is made from pure steel. Founded in 1919 by Eugene Cornwell, Cornwell Quality Tools has been in business longer than any other mobile tool company. Cornwell’s guiding vision is to create quality tools that make us the choice of professionals.
Cornwell Quality Tools franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Cornwell Quality Tools franchise cost?
- $174,380 – $320,680 all-in to open, per Cornwell Quality Tools's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Cornwell Quality Tools units are there?
- 776 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Cornwell Quality Tools's units held up?
- 73.6% of units at risk between 2019 and 2021 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).
- Is Cornwell Quality Tools SBA-eligible?
- Cornwell Quality Tools 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.