How much does a Budget Rent A Car franchise cost?
Opening a Budget Rent A Car franchise takes a total initial investment of $625,500 to $1,588,400, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
Budget franchises vehicle rental businesses. Category: Automotive.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Budget Rent A Car franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $625,500 to $1,588,400. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Automobiles ($450,000 to $1,290,000), Additional funds - three months ($55,000 to $72,400), and Initial License Purchase Fee ($50,000). Together they make up about 89% of the high-end estimate.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial License Purchase Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
| Construction, remodeling, decorating, and leasehold improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $15,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Furniture, fixtures, other fixed assets, and equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $15,000 | $28,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $10,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| 3 months’ rent and security deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $9,000 | $18,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Vehicle Insurance Premiums2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $15,000 | $37,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Grand opening advertising and promotional costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $2,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Office supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 | $500 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 49 |
| Miscellaneous opening costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 | $1,000 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 |
| Automobiles2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 | $450,000 | $1,290,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 |
| Travel and living expenses during training (3 months to understand)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 | $3,000 | $7,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 |
| Additional funds - three months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 | $55,000 | $72,400 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 50 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $625,500 | $1,588,400 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
Source Budget Rent A Car, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 21, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Budget Rent A Car franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
Budget does not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. Budget also does not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, Budget may provide you with actual records of that outlet. If you receive any other financial performance information or projections of your future income, you should report it to the franchisor’s management by contacting Shari Asarch at (973) 496-3444, the Federal Trade Commission, and the appropriate state regulatory agencies.
Source Budget Rent A Car, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 75, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Budget Rent A Car outlets there are, and how many closed
Budget Rent A Car ended 2025 with 173 franchised outlets and 1,177 company-owned outlets. In that year 1 franchised outlet opened and 3 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Budget Rent A Car opened 8 franchised outlets and 25 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 17, from 190 to 173 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 5 were bought back by the franchisor and 20 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 4.6% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 22.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 175 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 173 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 107 |
| 2024 | 177 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 175 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 107 |
| 2023 | 190 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 177 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 107 |
Source Budget Rent A Car, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 79, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Budget Rent A Car compares with other Automotive franchises
Measured against the 35 Automotive franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Budget Rent A Car's estimated range is $1,106,950. It costs more to open than 68% of Automotive franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 4.6% for Budget Rent A Car. That is lower than 59% of the 28 Automotive franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Budget Rent A Car's franchised system shrank 8.9%. The typical Automotive franchise here grew 0.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 16 of the 35 Automotive franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Budget Rent A Car is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Automotive franchise side by side.
Alert me when Budget Rent A Car files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Budget Rent A Car's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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