ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company Franchise Costs, Fees & FDD

Year Business Began: 2002

Franchising Since: 2005

Headquarters: Columbia, Maryland

Estimated Number of Units: 420

Franchise Description: The franchisor is ASP Franchising SPE LLC. The franchisor’s direct parent company is AB Assetco LLC. Authority Brands, Inc. is an indirect parent. The franchised business provides swimming pool cleaning, swimming pool maintenance, and swimming pool renovation services, as well as other services and products related to the swimming pool industry.
Training Overview: Before the franchised business opens, the key person and any owners that the franchisor designates must attend and successfully complete an initial training program. The training program generally lasts 11 business days, depending on the size of the training class. The initial training program is usually conducted at the franchisor’s office located in Macon, Georgia, but the training course may be held elsewhere in the future in its discretion. After the franchised business opens, the franchisor will make available, at the time(s) and location(s) it designates, such other required and optional training programs as it deems necessary and appropriate.

Territory Granted: Franchisees will have a protected territory during the term of their Franchise Agreement, provided they are in full compliance with the terms of the Franchise Agreement, including certain minimum performance requirements and their obligation to primarily service customers in the territory. “Protected” means that the franchisor will not operate a business under the marks and the system in the territory or authorize others to operate franchised businesses within the territory, except as described in the FDD. A typical territory will consist of at least one unit and will be defined using postal zip codes present at the time the territory is established with population totals included in the description as well. A unit is based on the total number of residential pools in the territory and is generally defined as: (a) 10,000 residential pools in California; (b) 6,000 residential pools in Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada; and (c) 3,000 residential pools in all other states.

Obligations and Restrictions: Franchisees must designate an individual who will be responsible for the day-to-day operational performance of the franchised business and who has the authority to bind the franchisee in all decisions regarding the franchised business (the “key person”). The key person must personally manage and operate the franchised business as a primary occupation. The key person must complete the training program. Spouses of franchisees will be required to sign a Spouse Acknowledgement, by which the spouse acknowledges that the franchisor is relying on all assets of the guarantor, including jointly owned marital property, in accepting the guarantor’s obligations. Franchisees are required to offer and sell all products and services that the franchisor designates as required items for ASP businesses. Franchisees may also offer for sale any optional products and services that the franchisor has approved for sale in the franchised business. Franchisees may not offer products or services through any channel other than those the franchisor has expressly approved.

Term of Agreement and Renewal: The length of the initial franchise term is 10 years. Franchisees can renew the franchise for one additional term of 10 years if they meet certain conditions.

Financial Assistance: In its discretion, the franchisor may permit franchisees to finance up to 75% of the franchise fee and any applicable additional pool fee rather than paying the entire amount in a lump sum when they sign the Franchise Agreement. However, the franchisor does not offer financing for any transaction involving brokers or any other third-party referral sources. Except as described, the franchisor does not offer direct or indirect financing. The franchisor does not guarantee a franchisee’s note, lease or other obligation.

Estimated Initial Investment

Name of Fee	Low	High
Initial Franchise Fee	$40,000	$90,000
Leasehold Improvements	$0	$0
Vehicle Wrap	$2,800	$4,200
Business Outfitting Fee	$3,621	$3,621
Operations Outfitting Fee	$3,600	$11,350
Truck Outfitting Fee	$6,365	$6,365
Pre-Paid Call Center Fee	$4,300	$4,300
Vehicle	$0	$3,402
Office Equipment and Supplies	$90	$4,060
Initial Advertising Fee	$5,820	$58,200
Insurance	$4,387	$6,393
Professional Fees	$1,070	$2,140
Initial Training Expense	$642	$2,140
Licenses and/or Bonds	$0	$1,000
Additional Funds	$16,000	$16,000
ESTIMATED TOTAL (does not include real estate costs)	$88,695	$213,171

 
Other Fees

Type of Fee	Amount
Royalty Fee	Franchisees will pay the applicable royalty fee percentage (from 7% down to 5%) based on total gross revenue in a calendar year. The applicable royalty percentage will revert to 7% of gross revenue at the start of each calendar year.
Brand Fund Contribution	Currently, 1% of gross revenue.
Brand Fund Materials	The franchisor’s costs.
Local Marketing	The greater of 3% of gross revenue or $30,000 per calendar year.
Key Account Programs	Will vary under circumstances.
Technology Fees	Currently $250 per month; may be increased.
Additional Opening Support Fee	Up to $500 per day, plus the travel, meal, and lodging expenses of the franchisor’s opening support personnel.
Territory Infringement Fee	Amount will depend of number of occurrences.
Training Fees – Pre-Opening	None, unless franchisees request and the franchisor agrees to accept extra trainees at $300 per day per extra trainee plus the trainers’ reasonable costs and expenses, when applicable.
Training Fees – Remedial and Optional Training	$500 per trainee.
Annual Conference	Determined by the franchisor's based on anticipated costs of the conference.
Non-Attendance Fee	Two times the amount of the published registration fee for the annual conference missed.
Call Center Fee	Paid directly to the franchisor's designated vendor.
Service Deficiency Fee	The franchisor’s costs.
Renewal Fee	$5,000
Transfer Fee	Generally, $10,000.
Change of Ownership Fee	Currently, (a) the greater of $500 or the franchisor’s external legal and administrative costs; plus (b) applicable training fees for the individuals the franchisor requires to attend training.
Procurement of Insurance	Cost of insurance, plus reasonable fee of up to 25% of total insurance premium cost.
Vendor Review	The franchisor’s reasonable costs, plus the reasonable travel, meal and lodging expenses of the vendor review personnel.
Management Fee	Up to $500 per day, plus the franchisor’s costs and overhead.
Step In Fee	Up to $500 per day, plus the franchisor’s costs and overhead.
Interest	12% per annum or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, whichever is less.
Late Fee	$100 for second occurrence of payment more than 30 days past due; $200 for third occurrence; $300 for each subsequent occurrence.
Insufficient Funds Fee	$50 or the amount the bank charges the franchisor due to the insufficient funds, whichever is greater.
Indemnity for Tax Withholding	The amount of any penalties, interest, and expenses incurred by the franchisor.
Audit Costs	The franchisor’s costs and expenses of conducting audit, including travel and lodging.
Non-Compliance Fee	$500, $750, or $1,000.
Operational Deficiency Fee	$500 per day during the on-site visit or inspection and for each day the franchisee will remain in default at the conclusion of the visit, plus the franchisor's actual costs and expenses.
Enforcement Costs	The franchisor’s actual costs and expenses.
Defense Costs	The franchisor’s actual costs and expenses.
Indemnification	The franchisor’s actual costs and expenses.
Liquidated Damages	The greater of: (i) two years of royalty fees, or (ii) $100,000.
De-identification Fee	The franchisor’s costs.

The above information has been compiled from the FDD of ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company. Year of FDD: 2026.
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