Roto-Rooter
Financial Plan
Liquid capital
The amount you need to secure the necessary loans.
Total investment
Total Investment to launch the business, including initial fees ($25,000–$75,000)
The Concept
Roto-Rooter is a U.S. plumbing and drain-cleaning services brand founded in 1935. Its services include sewer and drain cleaning, plumbing repair, pipe services and related work for residential, commercial and municipal customers. The company describes itself as a pioneer in the drain-cleaning industry.
Roto-Rooter offers independent franchise opportunities in the United States. Its franchisees operate within assigned territories and may provide approved services under the Roto-Rooter name. The company says its broader network includes more than 600 franchisees and affiliates worldwide.
The opportunity is a home-services business, rather than a traditional storefront franchise. Applicants can request details directly from the franchising team; specific territory availability and qualification requirements should be confirmed with the franchisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Roto-Rooter franchise?
The 2026 FDD summary reports an estimated initial investment of $123,110–$281,550. The total depends on the territory and the costs required to establish and operate the service business.
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Third-party summaries report a franchise fee between $25,000 and $75,000. Because public summaries are not entirely consistent, prospective franchisees should use the complete, current FDD and their proposed territory agreement to establish the applicable fee and total investment.
What qualifications are required to become a franchisee?
Roto-Rooter invites entrepreneurs to contact its franchising team for information about starting an independent franchise. Its public franchise page does not provide a complete, current list of financial, professional or operational eligibility requirements.
Roto-Rooter
Applicants should ask the franchisor about minimum financial qualifications, relevant management or plumbing experience, staffing expectations, required equipment and the territory-development process before proceeding.
What ongoing fees does a Roto-Rooter franchisee pay?
Roto-Rooter uses a population-based monthly franchise fee, rather than a royalty calculated as a percentage of gross sales. The fee formula accounts for the population of the assigned territory and is subject to adjustments described in the franchise agreement.
The FDD also specifies local advertising obligations calculated per person in the territory. The exact payment schedule and any additional charges should be confirmed in the current Item 6 and the franchise agreement.
How much revenue or profit can a Roto-Rooter franchise generate?
Roto-Rooter’s 2026 FDD does not include an Item 19 financial performance representation, so it does not provide a franchisor-disclosed average revenue or profit figure for franchise outlets.
Potential franchisees should request any information the franchisor is permitted to provide, speak with current and former franchisees, and build a territory-specific financial model that accounts for labor, vehicles, equipment, insurance, marketing and the population-based franchise fee.
How many locations can a franchisee operate?
Roto-Rooter’s franchise model is based on operating service businesses in defined territories. Public information does not establish a universal maximum number of territories or units a franchisee may own; that depends on the development opportunity and agreement offered.
The 2026 filing summaries report 333 franchised outlets and 115 company-owned outlets at year-end 2025. These are system counts, not a statement of how many territories are available to new applicants.
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Latest News from ROTO-ROOTER
Roto-Rooter acquired its largest independent franchise territory in California for $60.6 million, adding 11 market areas covering 11 million residents.
Roto-Rooter Services Company has acquired the operating assets of its largest independent franchise comanies territory for $60.6 million, bringing 11 California market areas covering approximately 11 million residents under direct company ownership. The acquired business generated annual revenue of between $50 million and $55 million before the transaction closed, according…
