RIVER POOLS franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a RIVER POOLS franchise takes $113,700 – $288,200 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $50,000. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated. The ledger below itemizes every figure we can source for RIVER POOLS, each one dated, so you can check the numbers before anyone gets your contact details.
RIVER POOLS franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $113,700 | $288,200 | $113,700 to $288,200 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $113,700 | $288,200 | $113,700 to $288,200 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means RIVER POOLS'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 RIVER POOLS cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How RIVER POOLS's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where RIVER POOLS's disclosed cost sits against the Home Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $113,700 — about in line with the Home Services median of $116,350.
- Initial franchise fee of $50,000 — about in line with 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 RIVER POOLS's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2019–2021: began the window at 0 units; 21 units opened, 2 closed, ending at 19 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for RIVER POOLS 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 RIVER POOLS 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 RIVER POOLS 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 RIVER POOLS 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 RIVER POOLS 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 RIVER POOLS franchise
RIVER POOLS is a home services franchisor with 19 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2019 and 2021, it began the window at 0 units; its filings record 21 unit openings and 2 closures, ending at 19 units.
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
River Pools is a prominent franchise in the swimming pool industry, established in 2001, that specializes in manufacturing and installing high-quality fiberglass swimming pools while focusing on customer education and transparency through extensive online resources. The franchise model allows local entrepreneurs to leverage the brand's reputation and support, contributing to River Pools' growth and strong community engagement.
RIVER POOLS franchise: quick answers
- How much does a RIVER POOLS franchise cost?
- $113,700 – $288,200 all-in to open, per RIVER POOLS's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many RIVER POOLS units are there?
- 19 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have RIVER POOLS's units held up?
- 90.5% 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).