What Is the BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain (styled “bluefrog Plumbing + Drain”) is a home-services franchise specializing in residential and light commercial plumbing and drain cleaning. The brand began franchising in 2014 and later joined Restoration 1 under a shared umbrella (now known as Stellar Brands) following an acquisition and subsequent private-equity investment aimed at accelerating growth.
As of 2025, publicly available franchise databases report roughly 35 U.S. locations, with some franchisor pages referencing “20+ locations.” Discrepancies often reflect timing and whether closed or pending units are counted. For decision-making, assume “~30–40” active U.S. territories today.
Notable milestones
- 2014: Brand launches franchising.
- 2017: Acquisition by Restoration 1 (later organized under Stellar Brands).
- 2020: Strategic investment by MPK Equity Partners and Princeton Equity Group to scale Restoration 1 and bluefrog.
What Franchisees Get
Core services typically include drain cleaning, leak detection, pipe repair/replacement, water-heater service, and emergency calls—delivered from a home-based operational model that reduces fixed overhead. Customer demand is primarily residential, with some light commercial work depending on the market.
Training & support are positioned around initial training, field operations, and marketing. The brand also advertises technology and call-center/lead-gen support typical of home-service franchises (details vary by FDD year and addenda).
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
BlueFrog’s current FDD disclosures (2024) show the estimated total investment for a new (“standard”) territory generally in the $143,351–$352,251 range. Conversion franchises can be lower if you’re an existing independent plumbing business joining the system.
Common line items in Item 7 include the franchise fee, vehicles, initial marketing, insurance, licensing, and working capital; older brand PDFs and third-party digests mirror those categories with slightly different ranges due to year-to-year updates.
Fees commonly cited (verify in the most recent FDD you receive):
- Franchise fee: commonly listed around $59,900 for a standard territory (with discounts for multi-unit or veterans published on some broker sites).
- Royalty: tiered—greater of $250/week or 6% up to a weekly sales threshold, then 5%, then 4% at higher weekly sales levels. Collected weekly.
- Brand fund/advertising: typically 2% of gross sales (plus optional local marketing).
- Other tech/marketing program fees may apply (e.g., technology or marketing platform fees cited by brokers). Your FDD controls.
Earnings & performance data (Item 19, third-party summaries)
- EstateEnvy’s 2025 write-up cites $535,766 average gross revenue (FY 2023) per territory (reported ROI metric). Treat this as a secondary source; always compare to the FDD you receive.
- BizBuySell’s franchise page lists $457,615 average unit revenue in 2024 across 35 units; again, confirm definitions and sample sizes in the actual FDD.
- Other analyst sites report lower averages (e.g., $245,073–$270,000), highlighting the variability you’ll see across outlets and years. Your diligence should pinpoint the specific Item 19 table and cohort definitions.
Bottom line: BlueFrog’s investment level is mid-six figures all-in for a new market, with royalties/fees typical of home services. Real-world revenue varies widely by territory, staffing, pricing discipline, and your ability to win and schedule jobs quickly.
How the Industry Itself Compares
BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain Franchise Industry Advantages
Plumbing is an essential, year-round need. Customers can’t ignore a burst pipe or failed water heater, and emergency calls can command premium pricing. The trade’s macro picture—skilled labor shortages and aging infrastructure—can support resilient demand.
Other practical positives:
- Ticket size can be meaningful: even routine service calls can reach a few hundred dollars.
- Emergency demand can reduce customer price sensitivity during off-hours. (Confirm any surcharges with your local pricing strategy.)
- Brand umbrellas (Stellar Brands) may create shared services and cross-referrals with restoration networks.
Common challenges to account for:
- Licensing and skilled-labor dependencies: Many states require licensed plumbers or a licensed RME (responsible managing employee); recruiting and retaining licensed techs is a known bottleneck.
- On-call/after-hours requirements can be grueling, and owner involvement may rise during peak seasons or staff shortages.
- Equipment and trucks add capital intensity compared to lighter service models.
- Residential emphasis introduces weekend/after-hours cycles and appointment churn.
Compared to the Commercial Cleaning Industry
For career-changers after stability, scalability, and predictable income, a Cleaning Business Franchise in the commercial B2B space compares favorably on several fronts:
- $100B+ market size serving offices, medical, schools, logistics, and more (broad base of B2B demand).
- Essential and recession-resistant: facilities must meet cleanliness and compliance standards regardless of economic cycles.
- Recurring revenue via multi-year contracts (nightly or several-times-per-week service).
- Low cost of entry relative to trades requiring licensed technicians, specialized trucks, and heavy equipment.
- High income potential ($1M+ achievable) with semi-absentee oversight once systems and teams are built.
- Scales by territory densification (add buildings/routes, not heavy assets).
- Simpler for first-time entrepreneurs: operational playbooks, standardized service bundles, and clear KPIs (quality inspections, SLAs, attrition control).
By contrast, a plumbing operation’s revenue volatility often reflects unpredictable emergencies, seasonality in certain geographies, technician availability, and marketing costs to keep the phone ringing at target margins. These factors—plus licensing and higher per-truck capital needs—can complicate expansion beyond one or two full crews.
Takeaway: Both are “essential,” but commercial cleaning excels at contracted, recurring B2B revenue, lower asset intensity, and a staffing model that is easier to grow beyond the owner—all conducive to faster scale with less operational drama.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
Assett Franchise places you directly in the commercial cleaning lane from day one—where contracts, not one-off emergencies, are the growth engine. The model is designed for executive-style owners who want to work on the business (sales, leadership, and systems) rather than in the business (tools and trucks). Assett’s playbook targets $1M+ in recurring revenue by stacking multi-site B2B contracts and building reliable night crews to service them according to bizbuysell.com. (US only; owner: Matt Pencarinha.)
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
The single biggest headache in most service businesses is people—finding them, screening them, onboarding them, and keeping quality high. Assett’s automated hiring system compresses what many owners spend 20–30 hours per week managing into a streamlined pipeline. That saves you either your own time or the cost of a full-time coordinator while maintaining a consistent quality bar as you scale.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Assett is family-owned and founder-led, not private-equity controlled. You’re not a number in a portfolio; you get direct access to leadership and a community that shares playbooks, vendor relationships, compensation templates, and QA systems tuned to B2B demands. The mission is long-term, recurring revenue with semi-absentee oversight once your local team is in place.
Due Diligence Notes on BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain Franchise (What to Verify)
To be fair and thorough, here’s what a serious candidate should pin down in writing from BlueFrog’s current FDD and franchisee calls:
- Latest unit counts and openings/closures by year so you can evaluate net growth, not just sold territories. Third-party sites cite ~35 current units; franchisor marketing pages reference “20+” locations (these often lag updates). Request the Item 20 table for clarity according to The Franchise Reports.
- Item 19 revenue cohorts and medians (and whether single-truck vs multi-truck operations are mixed). External summaries cite $457,615 (2024 AUR) and $535,766 (FY2023), but sampling and definitions matter. Ask for the exact cohort size, standard deviation, and distribution (median vs average).
- Royalty tiers and weekly minimums (the greater of $250/week or % of sales, stepping down at higher weekly thresholds). Understand how the minimum applies during ramp-up months.
- Territory definition and encroachment protections (typical ranges are 250k–500k population, defined by ZIPs or boundaries).
- Licensing pathway in your state. If you’re not a licensed plumber, confirm how the brand supports hiring or contracting a licensed RME and what that does to margins and control.
- Truck and equipment plan for year one and year two (capital outlay, lead times, branding, financing).
- After-hours coverage expectations and on-call scheduling—who takes the calls, how leads are dispatched, and how you protect owner time at scale.
- Lead flow transparency (digital marketing, PPC, third-party marketplaces) and cost per booked job by market.
Practical, Financial, and Operational Comparison (Side-by-Side)
Entry & Setup
- BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain Franchise: mid-six-figure total investment; vehicles and equipment; licensing and skilled labor are critical.
- Assett (Commercial Cleaning): lower equipment needs, simpler staffing profile (screened cleaners vs licensed tradespeople), faster territory densification.
Revenue Model
- BlueFrog: a mix of scheduled jobs and emergency calls—larger tickets but spiky demand; customer base leans residential.
- Assett: contracted, recurring B2B revenue with multi-location clients and predictable schedules.
Scalability
- BlueFrog: scale by adding licensed technicians and trucks; ops complexity rises with each crew.
- Assett: scale by adding buildings and night crews; repeatable SOPs reduce owner time and complexity.
Owner Time
- BlueFrog: early ramp often requires hands-on scheduling and after-hours responsiveness.
- Assett: engineered for semi-absentee oversight (target ~5 hours/week once built) with automated hiring to keep labor consistent.
Risk & Resilience
- Both are essential, but commercial cleaning’s contract base mitigates revenue swings. Assett’s B2B focus further insulates you from residential seasonality and weekend callouts.
Final Thoughts
If you’re skilled in trades management—or you already have a licensed partner—BlueFrog Plumbing & Drain Franchise can be a compelling entry into a needs-based service with meaningful tickets and emergency demand. Confirm the latest Item 19 figures, royalty mechanics, territory rules, and the real-world labor plan for your state before you commit.
But if your goal is long-term income stability, simpler scaling, and executive-style ownership, the commercial cleaning path shines. With Assett, you’re building a contracted, recurring B2B revenue machine that scales without expensive trucks, after-hours emergencies, or licensing hurdles—supported by a founder-led team, a proven playbook to $1M+ recurring revenue, and an automated hiring system that saves 20–30 hours/week of operational grind.
If that’s the kind of business you want to own, Assett was built for you.
Call to Action:
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities and want a model that can deliver long-term income, flexibility, and control — we’d love to show you how Assett Franchise can help you build a business that works for your life. Visit https://assettfranchise.com to connect with our team and learn more.
