How much does a Roto-Rooter franchise cost?
Opening a Roto-Rooter franchise takes a total initial investment of $123,110 to $281,550, 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.
Roto-Rooter franchises sewer, drain and pipe cleaning services. Category: Home Services.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Roto-Rooter franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $123,110 to $281,550. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Motor Vehicle ($35,000 to $62,000), Advertising ($16,110 to $60,550), and Opening Equipment and Parts Inventory and Supplies ($22,000 to $50,000). Together they make up about 61% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $25,000 to $75,000, about 20% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $25,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Motor Vehicle2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $35,000 | $62,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Opening Equipment and Parts Inventory and Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $22,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $16,110 | $60,550 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $13,000 | $18,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds - 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $12,000 | $16,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $123,110 | $281,550 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
Source Roto-Rooter, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Roto-Rooter franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing.
Source Roto-Rooter, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 28, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Roto-Rooter outlets there are, and how many closed
Roto-Rooter ended 2025 with 333 franchised outlets and 115 company-owned outlets. In that year no franchised outlets opened and 4 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Roto-Rooter opened 3 franchised outlets and 18 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 15, from 348 to 333 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 12 were terminated and 6 were bought back by the franchisor.
On average, about 1.8% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 57.
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 | 337 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 333 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45 |
| 2024 | 341 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 337 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45 |
| 2023 | 348 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 341 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 44 |
Source Roto-Rooter, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Roto-Rooter 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 Roto-Rooter's estimated range is $202,330. It costs more to open than 61% of Home Services franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 1.8% for Roto-Rooter. That is lower than 90% of the 82 Home Services franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Roto-Rooter's franchised system shrank 4.3%. 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. Roto-Rooter 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.
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