What Is the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is a home remodeling franchise specializing in interior renovations—primarily kitchens and bathrooms. The brand’s roots date back to the 1970s, when it began as a bathtub refinishing business under the Dwyer Group umbrella. It was rebranded as “DreamMaker” in 1999 and eventually spun off as an independent company in 2003 under CEO Doug Dwyer. Headquartered in Waco, Texas, DreamMaker has grown to around 40–45 U.S. franchise locations today. The franchise is faith-based and built on “biblical principles” of service, integrity, and respect, which shape its company culture and reputation.
In the home improvement industry, DreamMaker stands out as a full-service remodeling provider. Franchisees offer comprehensive kitchen and bath remodeling, cabinet refacing, and even aging-in-place upgrades (like mobility modifications) for clients’ homes. While primarily focused on residential homeowners, some franchisees also take on light commercial interior projects. DreamMaker’s niche aligns with a massive market—Americans spent nearly $500 billion on home renovations in 2024. This robust demand means franchise owners have a large pool of potential projects. In fact, DreamMaker franchisees significantly outperform typical independent remodelers: as of the latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), the average DreamMaker franchisee generated about $1.45 million in annual sales, which is nearly seven times the revenue of an average general remodeling contractor (around $211K). This places the average DreamMaker owner among the top 5% of all remodelers nationwide by revenue. Top performers can reach even higher volumes (the highest location topped $6.3 million in sales). These figures illustrate both the high demand in the remodeling sector and DreamMaker’s effective business model to capture that demand.
What Franchisees Get
As a DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchisee, you gain a turnkey system to operate a professional remodeling business. Services you can offer include complete kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, custom cabinetry refacing, and general interior design/build projects. The model even allows expansion into full interior remodeling as your business grows, so owners aren’t limited to just baths and kitchens. This breadth of services helps create “customers for life,” where a kitchen remodel today can lead to a bathroom or other interior project down the line.
DreamMaker provides a comprehensive training and support infrastructure for its franchise owners. New franchisees go through extensive preparation:
- Initial Training: A multi-phase program that spans several weeks. It begins with 16–18 weeks of preparatory training (remote webinars, self-study, and startup tasks), followed by an intensive one-week core training (currently via live webinars). After that, franchisees complete a 10-week “simulation” training, which includes hands-on practice with DreamMaker’s project management software, sales role-play, and even shadowing an existing franchise location. Additionally, owners complete an 8-week sales and sales management course from a third-party provider to sharpen their selling skill. It’s one of the more robust training programs in franchising, reflecting the complexity of running a remodeling business.
- Ongoing Support: Each franchisee is assigned a dedicated franchise coach for one-on-one guidance from day one through the life of the business. DreamMaker facilitates peer learning as well—franchisees participate in “Next Level Groups” to share best practices and support each other. The franchisor hosts two big events per year (including an annual conference called “Reunion”) where owners get updated on the latest in marketing, technology, production processes, and can network with fellow franchisees. In terms of daily operations, DreamMaker equips owners with proven systems for marketing, sales, project management, accounting, and recruiting. For example, there’s a structured sales process training (to help close remodeling deals) and a production system to manage projects smoothly in customers’ homes. There’s also a recruiting system and online portal to help franchisees hire quality staff (like designers, carpenters, and subcontractors). Marketing support is continuous – franchisees receive marketing tools, vendor relationships (group buying power for materials), and dedicated marketing coaching with bi-annual planning check-ins. Altogether, a DreamMaker franchisee is backed by a full playbook and support team to help grow their business, whether they are new to remodeling or converting an existing contractor business to the DreamMaker system.
The customer base for DreamMaker franchisees is overwhelmingly residential. Unlike B2B services, remodeling deals directly with homeowners and families (DreamMaker is not a B2B or commercial cleaning business). This means franchise owners focus on consumer marketing in their local area – building a reputation through quality work and referrals. DreamMaker emphasizes customer satisfaction; they even tout a 96% customer referral rate in surveys. Happy homeowners lead to strong word-of-mouth, which is crucial given that remodeling is often a high-trust, high-investment decision. Franchisees benefit from DreamMaker’s established brand credibility and involvement in professional associations (like NARI – National Association of the Remodeling Industry) that set them apart from ordinary contractors. In short, what franchisees get is an established brand, extensive training, ongoing coaching, and a suite of systems and tools to operate a high-quality remodeling business with strong margins.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
Starting a DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise requires a significant investment, reflecting the setup of a professional design-build operation (often including a design center showroom). According to DreamMaker’s FDD and franchise guides, the initial investment ranges from about $220,000 up to $465,000 for a new location. This range includes many components: build-out of a design center or office (real estate costs can be $62K–$160K), initial marketing launch ($36K–$48K), equipment and inventory of materials ($30K–$34K), insurance, permits, and working capital to cover the first 9–12 months of operations. The initial franchise fee itself is typically $44,000, although territories above a base population may require higher fees (up to ~$69,000 for a large metro area). DreamMaker also charges some unique upfront fees like a software license (~$4,000) and a refundable deposit for the design center concept ($5,000).
For ongoing fees, DreamMaker uses a variable royalty structure. The standard royalty is a percentage of gross sales that starts at 7% and can decline to as low as 3% as your annual sales volume increases. In other words, they reward high-performing franchisees with a lower royalty on incremental revenue. (For franchisees who converted an existing remodeling business into DreamMaker, there is a slightly different “roll-in” royalty rate of 4% down to 3% on that pre-existing business revenue.) In addition to royalties, franchisees contribute to marketing funds: typically 2% of sales for national branding and 1% for local marketing, though these also may scale with sales volume. It’s worth noting that DreamMaker offers financing assistance for qualified owners (they may finance a portion of the franchise fee or refer third-party lenders) and provides a 20% franchise fee discount for military veterans.
Beyond fees, prospective owners should know the operational requirements. DreamMaker is not a home-based or absentee business – you will need a physical showroom or office and you’re expected to be actively running the day-to-day operations. The typical franchise has around 5 employees (designers, project managers, etc.) once established. The franchise agreement term is 10 years, with option to renew for additional 10-year terms, assuming performance and compliance requirements are met according to franchisedirect.com. All told, the startup costs are on the higher side and the model requires full-time owner commitment. In exchange, franchisees get a business with high revenue potential – as mentioned, average annual sales are in the seven figures, and franchisee gross profit margins average around 43%. Many DreamMaker owners are able to comfortably net six-figure incomes once their business ramps up (owner operators can earn an estimated $170K+ annually based on Item 19 earnings ranges). Of course, results vary, but the earnings data indicates a well-run DreamMaker franchise can be a lucrative venture.
How the Industry Itself Compares
When evaluating DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, it’s important to consider the remodeling industry it operates in and compare it to the commercial cleaning industry (where our Assett Franchise competes). Both sectors are large and profitable, but they differ greatly in business dynamics. Below, we break down how DreamMaker’s home renovation industry stacks up against the commercial cleaning business in practical, financial, and operational terms.
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Industry Advantages
The kitchen and bath remodeling industry offers several appealing advantages for franchise owners, especially those who enjoy home improvement or design/build work:
- Huge Market Demand: Home remodeling is a massive market. Homeowners collectively spend hundreds of billions each year updating and upgrading their properties. Kitchens and bathrooms are among the top projects, ensuring a steady flow of interested customers. An aging U.S. housing stock (average home age 40+ years) means many homes need renovations, not just want them. This creates plenty of opportunity.
- High Revenue per Project: Remodeling franchises benefit from large transaction sizes. A single kitchen remodel can be a $20K–$50K job (DreamMaker’s average project is about $44,000 in revenue). A few projects per month can quickly add up to seven-figure annual sales. This high average ticket means you don’t need hundreds of customers to hit your revenue goals – each closed sale is significant.
- Premium Margins: Despite the higher overhead, remodeling projects can yield healthy profit margins. DreamMaker cites an average gross profit margin of ~42.9% on its franchisees’ projects. Skilled labor and quality materials command premium pricing. For owners, this means that with strong cost control, each project can contribute substantial profit.
- Personal Satisfaction and Impact: Many remodeler franchisees find the work rewarding beyond just dollars. You’re transforming someone’s home – creating “dream” kitchens and bathrooms – which can be very satisfying. Happy clients will rave about a beautifully finished renovation, leading to personal referrals and a sense of pride in the work. For entrepreneurs who have a passion for construction, design, or working closely with homeowners, this industry offers a tangible, creative outlet.
- Robust Franchisor Support in a Fragmented Field: Remodeling is a fragmented industry (there are an estimated 650,000+ independent remodelers in the U.S., most very small operations). Being part of a franchise like DreamMaker gives owners a competitive edge through proven systems, a recognizable brand, and bulk purchasing power. It’s easier to win clients when you can demonstrate professional processes and trustmarks that mom-and-pop contractors may lack. DreamMaker franchisees also benefit from the network’s involvement in industry groups (like NARI and GuildQuality feedback), which build credibility. In short, the industry’s huge size and fragmentation mean a well-supported franchise can capture outsized share in its local market.
However, it’s also important to acknowledge that the remodeling industry has some built-in challenges that come with those advantages. Success can depend on economic cycles (home improvement spending tends to rise and fall with consumer confidence and housing market trends). The sales process is often lengthy and consultative – homeowners might solicit multiple bids and take time to decide, given the large expense and emotional nature of renovating their home. There’s also more operational complexity: managing skilled tradespeople, construction permits, design selections, and variable project schedules. These factors don’t negate the benefits, but they do mean a remodeling franchise owner must be prepared for a hands-on, project-focused business model. Now, let’s see how that compares to the commercial cleaning industry.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
In contrast to home remodeling, the commercial cleaning industry (e.g. office and facility cleaning services) offers a very different set of characteristics – generally favoring stability, simplicity, and recurring revenue. Here’s how a cleaning business franchise like Assett stacks up:
- Essential, Recurring Demand: Commercial cleaning is often described as recession-resistant and essential. Every office, school, medical facility, or retail store needs regular cleaning to operate – in good times and bad. This creates a stable base of demand that isn’t driven by discretionary consumer spending. In fact, the U.S. commercial cleaning sector generates over $100 billion annually and continues to grow steadily. Crucially, cleaning contracts are typically ongoing agreements (daily, weekly, or monthly service), which means predictable recurring revenue for franchise owners. You’re not starting from zero each month; income flows from long-term client contracts. An industry expert notes that this model provides reliable cash flow every month – unlike other businesses where revenue depends on landing the next big one-time sale or a seasonal uptick. In short, commercial cleaning offers consistency that remodeling (with its one-project-at-a-time nature) cannot match.
- Low Cost of Entry and Operation: Compared to the heavy startup investment for a remodeling business, a cleaning business franchise has a lower barrier to entry. It typically does not require an expensive retail location or showroom – many commercial cleaning franchises can start from a small office or even home-base, with basic cleaning equipment and a vehicle. There’s no need for large inventories of materials or specialized construction tools. This means lower initial investment and lower overhead. For example, Assett Franchise owners don’t need to lease a high-end showroom or buy costly machinery; the model can be launched lean. The business scales by adding cleaning teams, not by adding significant fixed assets. This translates into a faster path to profitability and fewer sunk costs.
- Scalability with Fewer Headaches: Cleaning contracts can be scaled up relatively straightforwardly – to grow, you mainly add more client accounts and hire more cleaning staff. Importantly, commercial cleaning doesn’t rely on highly specialized labor. Training someone to professionally clean an office is easier and faster than training a carpenter or plumber for a remodel. Labor is more readily available, and Assett’s franchise model in particular leverages an automated hiring system to continuously recruit and train cleaning personnel (more on that in the next section). This means as an owner you spend far less time dealing with labor shortages or project delays. Also, unlike construction, cleaning work is fairly routine and standardized, so quality control is simpler. The franchise systems handle a lot of the scheduling and quality checks automatically. In summary, a cleaning business can grow steadily without the growing pains of finding additional skilled trades or managing complex projects – you can add revenue in a plug-and-play fashion by signing new clients and deploying more cleaning crews.
- Semi-Absentee Potential: The commercial cleaning industry is well-suited for semi-absentee ownership, meaning you don’t have to be on-site for every job or involved in every detail. Many cleaning franchise owners operate in an executive capacity – focusing on client relationships and business growth – while delegating daily cleaning operations to supervisors or crew leaders. Assett Franchise is specifically designed for this: owners can run the business with as little as ~5 hours per week dedicated to high-level oversight. This is possible because cleaning jobs are repetitive and processes can be easily documented or even automated. By contrast, DreamMaker explicitly states it is not a semi-absentee business; remodeling owners must be deeply involved in each project and client interaction. So, if your goal is to build a business that doesn’t require your full-time presence, commercial cleaning has the clear edge.
- Recurring B2B Relationships vs. One-Time B2C Sales: A commercial cleaning franchise focuses on B2B clients, forming professional service relationships. Businesses care about reliability, cost, and results – if you deliver consistent quality, they tend to stick with you long-term and you invoice them regularly. Home remodeling is B2C and often a one-time (or infrequent) sale – even a thrilled customer likely won’t need another kitchen remodel for 15 years. That means a DreamMaker franchisee must constantly market and sell to find new clients for each project. In cleaning, the marketing/sales effort per client is much lower; once you win a contract, it could run for years. Also, dealing with businesses tends to be more objective and contract-driven, whereas dealing with homeowners can be more emotional. (Residential clients might change their minds frequently, get stressed about design choices or dust in their house, etc., which a remodeling owner has to manage closely.) B2B cleaning clients generally just want the job done consistently – a less emotional, more predictable service dynamic.
- Resilience to Seasonality and Economic Swings: Commercial cleaning services are needed year-round and are considered a basic operating expense for companies. While no business is 100% recession-proof, cleaning comes close – offices, schools, and hospitals must be cleaned regardless of the economy. Historical data shows the cleaning industry has minor dips in severe recessions, but nothing like the swings seen in construction or remodeling spending. Moreover, cleaning isn’t seasonal; an office building needs janitorial service in January as much as in July. In contrast, remodeling work can slow in winter or during holidays, and homeowners may postpone renovations in uncertain times. This makes cleaning franchises less volatile and easier to plan for growth (and for financing, since lenders appreciate steady cash flow).
In summary, the commercial cleaning industry offers franchise owners a path to recurring revenue, lower startup cost, and operational simplicity, whereas the remodeling industry, as with DreamMaker, offers higher per-job revenue and creative satisfaction but with more complexity, upfront cost, and reliance on one-time sales. Next, let’s look at how our Assett Franchise leverages these cleaning industry advantages and further improves on the model.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
Assett Franchise is already positioned in the thriving commercial cleaning industry, so it benefits from all the industry advantages described above – essential demand, recurring B2B contracts, scalability, and recession-resistant cash flow. But Assett goes a step further by making the business model as simple and high-potential as possible for franchise owners. It’s built for people who want to work on the business, not in it. That means as an Assett owner, you’re not expected to grab a mop or be out cleaning offices yourself; instead, you focus on managing and growing the business, using Assett’s systems to handle the day-to-day operations.
Despite having a low cost of entry, Assett’s model is engineered for big income potential. The systems and support enable even first-time entrepreneurs to realistically build a $1M+ annual recurring revenue business (with healthy profit margins) in the commercial cleaning space. Hitting seven-figure revenues is a benchmark Assett is designed around, similar to how DreamMaker touts $1M+ in remodeling – but Assett achieves it with far less complexity. Importantly, you don’t need any prior industry experience. Assett provides a complete business playbook that covers everything from acquiring clients to delivering services to managing finances. Training is tailored for those coming from corporate careers or other fields, so you can quickly grasp the essentials of running a cleaning enterprise. The simplicity of the model (cleaning has fewer moving parts than construction) means the learning curve is shorter and you can reach operational excellence faster. In short, Assett gives you a simpler operational system but without capping your upside – you can scale your revenue as high as your ambition takes you, by adding more contracts and teams over time.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
One of the standout features of Assett Franchise is its automated hiring and workforce management system. Ask any service business owner what their biggest headache is, and most will say “finding and keeping good people.” This is especially true in cleaning, where high employee turnover is common industry-wide. Assett has innovated a solution: a proprietary automated hiring pipeline that continuously recruits, screens, and onboards cleaning staff for franchisees. The system uses technology and proven processes to keep a steady flow of qualified cleaners coming into your business, so you’re never left shorthanded for a contract.
The impact of this cannot be overstated. By automating the most time-consuming aspect of the business (hiring and HR), Assett saves owners an estimated 20–30 hours per week in management effort. That’s the equivalent of eliminating the need to hire a full-time HR manager or scheduling coordinator – a huge cost savings. It also means you, as the owner, can concentrate on higher-level tasks like building client relationships and expanding your territory, rather than constantly recruiting or filling in for no-show workers. The automated hiring system not only sources candidates but also helps filter for quality, so you get a reliable, vetted workforce. This ensures your cleaning crews maintain a consistently high level of service, which keeps client retention rates high. Essentially, Assett has turned the labor challenge into a competitive advantage by systematizing it. For a semi-absentee owner, this is a game-changer – you can confidently step back from daily grind knowing the labor supply and training are on auto-pilot. Fewer emergencies about staffing mean more stability and sanity for you as the business owner.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another key difference with Assett Franchise is the personalized, founder-led nature of the company. Assett is a family-owned franchise brand, led by its founder Matt Pencarinha according to bizbuysell.com (not a distant private equity firm or corporate conglomerate). This has real benefits for franchisees. When you join Assett, you gain direct access to the leadership – Matt and his team are hands-on in providing guidance, answering questions, and ensuring each franchisee succeeds. You’re not just “unit #205” in a massive system; you become part of a close-knit franchise family where your individual business goals matter. Many franchisors talk about support, but being founder-led means Assett can truly deliver one-on-one mentorship and rapid support when you need it, without bureaucratic delays.
The company’s ethos is very much community-focused with a clear mission: to help entrepreneurs break free from corporate life and build businesses that also serve their local communities (through cleaner, healthier workplaces). Because Assett isn’t beholden to faceless investors, it emphasizes franchisee satisfaction and long-term success over short-term expansion. In practice, Assett franchise owners often find that suggestions or feedback they provide go straight to the top and can influence the direction of the franchise system – the leadership is listening. This level of personal attention can make your journey as a new business owner much smoother and more rewarding. By comparison, larger or older franchise brands (even DreamMaker to some extent) have layers of management; a new franchisee might primarily interact with an assigned coach or support rep, but rarely the actual company founders. With Assett, you have the founders in your corner. It’s the difference between being part of a small, agile team versus a big corporation. For many first-time business owners, knowing that the people who designed the system are directly involved in your training and growth provides extra confidence. Assett is also continually modernizing its model (e.g., using the latest tech for operations and marketing) and as a franchisee you’ll have a voice in that evolution.
Final Thoughts
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is undeniably a strong franchise in the right context. For someone with a passion for home renovation, design, and project management – and who doesn’t mind the hands-on involvement – the DreamMaker franchise offers a chance to build a sizable remodeling business backed by a proven brand. Its strengths lie in a huge market and the satisfaction of creating beautiful, tangible results for homeowners. However, if you are an entrepreneur prioritizing long-term stability, scalability, and simplicity, it’s worth considering how a model like Assett Franchise might be an even better fit. Commercial cleaning provides recurring, recession-resistant income with far fewer operational headaches. You won’t be tied up managing construction crews or seasonal sales cycles; instead, you’ll be growing a business with predictable revenue and a scalable structure.
In comparing the two industries and opportunities, Assett Franchise offers more advantages for someone seeking a scalable, stable business with low complexity and faster ROI. Assett’s modern approach – from automated hiring to founder-led support – is built for executive ownership. It allows you to maintain flexibility (even keep a day job initially, thanks to the semi-absentee setup) while growing a substantial asset. The risk is lower (smaller investment, essential service demand), and the revenue is predictable and recurring, which speeds up your return on investment. DreamMaker, by contrast, involves higher upfront costs, a longer ramp-up to profitability, and more exposure to economic swings and one-time sales.
At the end of the day, the “best” franchise depends on your personal goals and what you want your day-to-day life as an owner to look like. DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen could be a great choice for a buyer who loves the idea of being a remodeler and doesn’t mind managing the complexities that come with it. But for many corporate refugees and first-time business owners who want a profitable, low-drama venture, a cleaning business franchise like Assett checks more boxes.
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.
