Franchise Decision Radar

Cleaning franchise fees compared: royalty, marketing, and total fee burden

Estimated annual ongoing fees at standard revenue levels. Modeled from 2025 FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) terms — Year 5, single territory.

Key finding
Marketing burden — not royalty rate — drives the fee spread. At $300K revenue, the royalty spread across brands is $6,000. The marketing spread is $41,000.

Annual Fee Burden by Revenue Level

Brand Royalty Marketing Tech + Other Total % of Rev
1 The Cleaning AuthorityLowest $18,000 $3,000 $1,902 $22,902 7.6%
2 MaidPro $18,000 $6,000 $6,000 $30,000 10.0%
3 Molly Maid $19,500 $6,000 $5,556 $31,056 10.4%
4 Merry Maids $21,000 $6,000 $5,988 $32,988 11.0%
5 Maid Right $18,000 $6,000 $26,780 $50,780 16.9%
6 The Maids $20,700 $36,750 $1,680 $59,130 19.7%
7 Two Maids & A MopHighest $21,000 $36,000 $7,800 $64,800 21.6%

Spread: $41,898 between The Cleaning Authority and Two Maids & A Mop.

Royalty
Marketing
Tech + Other
The Cleaning Authority
$22,902
MaidPro
$30,000
Molly Maid
$31,056
Merry Maids
$32,988
Maid Right
$50,780
The Maids
$59,130
Two Maids & A Mop
$64,800

10-Year Cumulative Burden

At $300K/year revenue, ongoing fees total 4×–6× the initial investment over a 10-year term. The fee structure is a far more consequential decision than the franchise fee.

Brand Initial Investment 10-Year Fees Ratio
Molly Maid $168,550 $310,560 1.8x
The Cleaning Authority $119,975 $229,022 1.9x
Merry Maids $148,495 $329,880 2.2x
MaidPro $134,255 $300,000 2.2x
Maid Right $182,800 $507,800 2.8x
The Maids $129,460 $591,300 4.6x
Two Maids & A Mop $121,665 $648,000 5.3x

Brand-Specific Caveats

Mosquito Authority — Latent risk
Reserves right to implement national marketing fee (up to 3%). If activated at $300K: burden rises from $52,800 to ~$61,800. Still lowest, but gap narrows.
Mosquito Shield — Range uncertainty
Bookkeeping ($200–$500/mo) and sales center ($300–$750/mo) modeled at low end. High-end adds $9,000/year.
Mosquito Joe — Possible undercount
May have an ongoing local marketing minimum beyond Year 1 (FDD references “Minimum Local Marketing Spending” but amount unclear). If so, burden is higher than modeled.
Mosquito Squad — Year 9+ escalation
Minimum royalty reaches $3,000/month at Year 9+. At $200K revenue, this exceeds the percentage-based royalty. Long-term risk for lower-revenue operators.

Methodology

Included: Mandatory recurring fees — royalty, marketing/ad fund, technology, call center, convention, website, mandatory bookkeeping/sales center.

Excluded: One-time fees, optional programs, business operating costs, variable per-sale charges.

Assumptions: Year 5 · Single territory · 1 owner + 1 technician · Even revenue distribution · All mandatory fees enforced.

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