Plumbing franchises are a specialty within the larger home services industry. There are five general types of plumbers: commercial, residential, sanitary, service and repair, as well as water supply. A single plumbing company can have a collective skill set that crosses over between types.
Specifically, the number of different areas plumbing franchises can operate in is numerous. Per Rooter-Man, the following list summarizes the vast number of areas a plumbing franchise can work in:
- Bathtubs
- Catch Basins
- Clogged Drains
- Dishwashers
- Faucets
- Floor Drains
- Garbage Disposals
- Grease Traps
- Leak Detection
- Oil to Gas
- Pipe Relining
- Pipe Repairs
- Portable Toilets
- Remodeling
- Repiping
- Restoration
- Root Removal
- Septic Pumping
- Septic Systems
- Sewer Lines
- Sewer Pumps
- Showers
- Sinks
- Storm Drains
- Sump Pumps
- Toilets
- Video Inspections
- Water Heaters
- Water Jetting
- Water Softeners
- Waterproofing
A plumber's services are needed in every home’s bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, and at times outdoors, making plumbing franchises a very valuable resource. In addition to its lucrative residential side, commercial customers are also a significant source of business for plumbing franchises.
Currently, plumbing service franchises operating in the United States account for an estimated annual revenue of $1 billion per market research company IBISWorld. Popular plumbing franchises include: 1-800-Plumber, Ace DuraFlo, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, Conserva Irrigation, Michael & Son Services, Mr. Rooter, Plumberz, Rooter-Man, Roto-Rooter, and more.
Plumbing franchises, along with the home services industry as a whole, experienced an unexpected positive jolt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early 2020, home just hasn’t been where the heart is, it’s been where nearly everything has been taking place for most of us.
Because of how life shifted, it’s not a huge surprise that plumbing franchises and its home services franchises counterparts have been doing well as homeowners strive to make their residences as comfortable as possible.
The general industry numbers back up this fact. Of the eight main business industries of franchise companies studied by FRANdata in the most recent Franchise Economic Outlook, only half posted positive growth for the year of 2020. And of these four, no other industry's growth rate came close to that of commercial & residential services at 8.8%.
In addition, the construction boom is also helping spur industry growth. Per IBISWorld, “Similar to most industries linked to the residential construction sector, demand for [plumbing] industry services has expanded during the current period.”
Furthermore, the construction boom doesn’t account for the fact that the number of older homes that will need plumbing maintenance is on the rise. According to Housecall Pro, the average age of pipes in the United States is 47 years, with pipes in some locations (such as a number of states in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic) having pipes that are significantly older. As the site says, “You may or may not find customers asking about pipe relining before an incident occurs, but you’ll definitely get calls from people dealing with the consequence of waiting too long to replace or reline their pipes.”
Initial Investment and Opening Costs for Plumbing Franchises
The amount necessary to open a plumbing franchise varies depending on the unique business system and execution requirements.
The exact opening costs for a given plumbing franchise depends on many factors, including but not limited to: the franchise fee, training expenses (such as travel and living expenses, not the actual training courses), grand opening advertising and marketing costs, the cost for a dedicated office space (if necessary), and more.
The franchise profiles on our website will present you with a basic range for the initial investment or minimum cash required to open a franchise. But when it comes to finding out the details of an initial investment, the franchise disclosure document is the best place to look. Franchisors offer itemized estimates in their franchise disclosure document (FDD) based upon their experience establishing, and in some cases operating, units.
Keep in mind these estimates are just that, though—an estimate. Prospective franchisees should review the figures presented with a business advisor, taking into consideration their unique circumstances, before making the decision to enter into a franchise agreement.
Top Benefits of Being a Plumbing Franchise Owner
The benefits of owning a franchise can be numerous vs. independent operation. Here are a few of the top benefits for those who decide to own a plumbing franchise instead of going at it alone.
Name Recognition: When it comes to finding a service provider, people tend to deal with someone they have a familiarity with—especially for services that involve someone they don’t know entering their home. Franchises tend to have established brand names that, in many instances, have been around for years. If you buy a plumbing franchise, you will be given the right to associate your business with that franchise company's name, trademarks, and logo.
Training and Support: A popular feature with all franchises is the training provided. While in business, franchisees will have access to the franchisor’s operations manual, computer systems, and other items designed to help you successfully manage your plumbing franchise.
Insurance and Licensing: One of the advantages to aligning yourself with a franchise is, in many cases, the franchise brand you choose already has a measure of familiarity with the rules and regulations that must be adhered to. In fact, within the FDD many franchises provide a detailed list of insurance coverages that should be carried by you while in business.
Advertising: Getting your name out there can be expensive and sometimes it can be hard to know where to spend your advertising and marketing budget. With a franchise, national advertising is typically done by the franchisor. In addition, though local advertising is generally up to you, you’ll have guidelines in place to help guide you.
You can also check out many more categories of home services franchises here on Franchise Direct, such as: