Mac Tools franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Mac Tools franchise takes $121,320 – $344,275 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $81,545 – $89,950. To qualify, Mac Tools asks for $50,000 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Mac Tools franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $81,545 | $89,950 | $81,545 to $89,950 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $121,320 | $344,275 | $121,320 to $344,275 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $121,320 | $344,275 | $121,320 to $344,275 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Mac 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 | 5 years |
See the full Mac Tools cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Mac Tools's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Mac Tools's disclosed cost sits against the Retail category:
- Minimum startup cost of $121,320 — about 26% below the Retail median of $165,000.
- Initial franchise fee of $81,545 — about 2.2× the Retail median of $36,750.
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 Mac Tools's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2022: began the window at 18 units; 1,404 units opened, 650 closed, ending at 772 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 Mac 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 Mac 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 Mac 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 Mac 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 Mac 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 Mac Tools franchise
Mac Tools is a retail franchisor with 772 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2022, it began the window at 18 units; its filings record 1,404 unit openings and 650 closures, ending at 772 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Stanley Industrial & Automotive, LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 7 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
The franchisee will receive the right to operate a business involving the mobile sale of professional automotive tools and similar products manufactured and/or distributed by Mac Tools and bearing the MAC Tools
Mac Tools franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Mac Tools franchise cost?
- $121,320 – $344,275 all-in to open, per Mac Tools's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Mac Tools units are there?
- 772 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Mac Tools's units held up?
- 76% 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 Mac Tools SBA-eligible?
- Mac 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.