How much does a Culligan franchise cost?
Opening a Culligan franchise takes a total initial investment of $130,000 to $815,601, 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.
Culligan franchises dealerships offering Culligan Products and Services. Category: Home Services.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Culligan franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $130,000 to $815,601. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Bottled Water Distribution (if authorized) ($0 to $250,000), Additional Funds ($55,000 to $150,000), and Basic Equipment ($35,000 to $150,000). Together they make up about 67% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $0 to $40,601.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $0 | $40,601 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Lease and Deposit2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Opening Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $15,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Basic Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $35,000 | $150,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Bottled Water Distribution (if authorized)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $0 | $250,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Initial Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $3,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Office Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $10,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $2,500 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Computer Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $3,500 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Signs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $1,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Additional Funds2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $55,000 | $150,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $130,000 | $815,601 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
Source Culligan, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 19
What Culligan franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
Culligan does not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. Culligan also does not authorize its employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, Culligan may provide you with the actual records of that outlet.
Source Culligan, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 56-57, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 20
How many Culligan outlets there are, and how many closed
Culligan ended 2025 with 438 franchised outlets and 112 company-owned outlets. In that year 1 franchised outlet opened and 21 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Culligan opened 7 franchised outlets and 79 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 72, from 510 to 438 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 5 were terminated, 64 were bought back by the franchisor, and 10 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 5.5% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 18.
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 | 458 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 438 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 65 |
| 2024 | 475 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 458 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 65 |
| 2023 | 510 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 5 | 475 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 65 |
Source Culligan, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 65, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Compare
How Culligan compares with other Home Services franchises
Measured against the 105 Home Services franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Culligan's estimated range is $472,801. It costs more to open than 95% of Home Services franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 5.5% for Culligan. That is lower than 58% of the 82 Home Services franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Culligan's franchised system shrank 14%. The typical Home Services franchise here grew 6.6%.
- Earnings disclosure. 77 of the 105 Home Services franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Culligan 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 Home Services franchise side by side.
Alert me when Culligan files a new FDD
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