Smash My Trash franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Smash My Trash franchise takes $372,050 – $492,200 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $84,200 – $89,700. To qualify, Smash My Trash asks for $175,000 in liquid cash and a $500,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Smash My Trash franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $84,200 | $89,700 | $84,200 to $89,700 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $372,050 | $492,200 | $372,050 to $492,200 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $175,000 | $175,000 | $175,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $372,050 | $492,200 | $372,050 to $492,200 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Smash My Trash cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Smash My Trash's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Smash My Trash's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $372,050 — about 4.4× the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $84,200 — about 2.1× 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 Smash My Trash's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2019–2022: began the window at 0 units; 589 units opened, 40 closed, ending at 523 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Smash My Trash 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 Smash My Trash 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 Smash My Trash 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 Smash My Trash 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 Smash My Trash 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 Smash My Trash franchise
Smash My Trash is a professional services franchisor with 523 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2019 and 2022, it began the window at 0 units; its filings record 589 unit openings and 40 closures, ending at 523 units. Its parent company is SMT Holdings, LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 5 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
Smash My Trash is a franchise that provides mobile waste compaction services, reducing the volume of waste on-site to lower disposal costs and enhance efficiency for businesses and municipalities. The service promotes sustainability by decreasing transportation trips and carbon emissions, while also offering entrepreneurs a franchise opportunity with training and support.
Smash My Trash franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Smash My Trash franchise cost?
- $372,050 – $492,200 all-in to open, per Smash My Trash's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Smash My Trash units are there?
- 523 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Smash My Trash's units held up?
- 93.2% 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).