Questions to ask a cleaning franchise before you buy
Use this as your franchise due diligence checklist. Eight questions, each tied to the FDD item where the real answer should live.
Questions to ask a cleaning franchise with the FDD open
The best questions to ask a cleaning franchise are the ones you can trace back to the Franchise Disclosure Document. A sales answer is only useful if the document says the same thing. Keep the FDD open, ask where each answer appears, and listen for plain explanations instead of mood music.
- Item 6 — Ongoing and other fees.
- Item 12 — Territory, channels and selling restrictions.
- Item 11 — Assistance, advertising, training and required computer systems.
- Items 17 and the agreement — What happens when the relationship ends or changes.
- Item 7 — Estimated initial investment, not only the opening fee.
- Item 20 — System outlets, transfers, closures and contact information.
- Item 19 — Financial performance representations, if the franchisor chooses to make any.
What is the ongoing fee calculated on?
Ask what the ongoing fee is calculated on because the base matters as much as the rate. A fee on every dollar you collect is a different structure from a fee tied to work the brand sends. Check Item 6, then ask the franchisor to explain the words without turning it into fog.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 6 | It names the fee, the calculation base, when it is charged, and what triggers it. | It says the fee is standard, normal, or easy to understand, but never says what it is calculated on. |
Can the brand sell into my territory over the internet?
Ask whether the brand can sell into your territory over the internet because a map can look protected while online channels stay reserved. Item 12 is where you check territory language, customer restrictions, and whether web leads, national accounts, call centers, or brand-controlled channels can reach homeowners inside your area.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 12 | It explains the territory boundary, what the brand will not do there, and which channels are reserved. | It says you have a protected area, then waves away online sales as a detail for later. |
What software am I required to buy, and can that price be raised?
Ask what software you are required to buy because required systems can become a quiet extra cost. Item 11 generally describes assistance, advertising, training and computer systems. Ask whether the software is included, separate, optional, required, vendor-controlled, and whether the franchisor can change the cost later.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 11 | It names the required systems, who provides them, what the owner pays, and how changes are handled. | It says the tech is part of the system, then dodges price, vendor control, or future increases. |
Where is the ad fund spent?
Ask where the ad fund is spent because advertising money can support local customer demand, brand awareness, administration, or recruiting the next owner. Item 11 is the place to check advertising programs. Then ask for the plain split: your zip codes, broader brand marketing, franchise sales, or overhead.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 11 | It explains what the fund may pay for, who controls it, and whether money is spent in your market. | It talks about brand building but cannot say whether your area sees the spend. |
Who owns the customer if I leave?
Ask who owns the customer if you leave because your book of business is not an abstract point. It affects what you can do after the relationship ends, what data and contact details you keep, and what happens to customer records. Check Item 17 for end-of-relationship issues, then read the agreement itself.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 17 and the franchise agreement | It explains post-termination limits, customer records, brand assets, domains, phone numbers and what you may keep using. | It says nobody plans for divorce, which is adorable until you are the one packing boxes. |
What is the total investment, not the franchise fee?
Ask for the total investment because the franchise fee is only one line. Item 7 is where you check the estimated initial investment. Ask what else you should plan for: insurance, supplies, equipment, local checks, launch money, professional advice, and anything required before you can actually operate.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 7 | It separates the initial fee from the broader estimated investment and explains the categories behind the range. | It keeps pointing back to the headline fee as if opening a business takes no other money. |
How many owners left last year, and can I have their numbers?
Ask how many owners left last year because turnover tells you what the sales deck will not. Item 20 is where you check system changes, openings, transfers, terminations and contact information. Then ask to speak with current and former franchisees without the franchisor hand-picking every conversation.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 20 | It walks through the outlet tables and gives you the contact list the FDD provides. | It says everyone is happy, or that former owners are negative, so calls would not be useful. |
Is there an Item 19, and if not, why not?
Ask whether there is an Item 19 because any sales, income or profit discussion has to be treated carefully. Item 19 is where a franchisor puts financial performance representations if it chooses to make them. M.I.L. Cleaners has no Item 19, so there is no substantiated earnings figure we can give.
| Where to check | Straight answer sounds like | Evasive answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| FDD Item 19 | It either shows the Item 19 basis and limits, or plainly says there is no Item 19. | It answers with stories, averages, screenshots, payback talk, or a wink instead of the document. |
Ask us these eight questions
Ask M.I.L. Cleaners these eight questions on a call. We will answer them, show you where the document handles them, and say plainly when the answer belongs in the Franchise Disclosure Document or agreement. A brand that will not answer basic diligence questions is already answering one.
What people ask
What should I ask a franchisor before buying?
Ask what the ongoing fees are based on, how territory works, what software is required, where ad money goes, who owns customers if you leave, what the total investment is, how many owners left, and whether there is an Item 19. Then ask where each answer appears in the FDD.
Is this a franchise due diligence checklist?
Yes. This is a franchise due diligence checklist built around the FDD, not a mood check about culture. It gives you eight questions to ask before buying a franchise and points each one to the document item that should hold the real answer.
What should I ask current franchisees?
Ask current franchisees what the franchisor explained clearly, what surprised them after signing, whether fees matched what they expected, how support actually works, and what they wish they had pressed harder on. Do not ask them for earnings unless the franchisor has an Item 19 basis for that conversation.
How do I evaluate a franchise opportunity without cleaning experience?
Evaluate a franchise opportunity by checking the FDD, the agreement, the training, the required systems, the territory rules, the full investment, and the people already in the system. No cleaning experience means the operating system matters more, not less. Ask plain questions until the answers are plain too.
Bring the FDD questions
Book a call with the franchise team. We will walk through all eight questions, what the documents say, and what you should check before deciding.
* This website is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. A franchise is offered only by Franchise Disclosure Document, and only in states where we are registered or exempt.
* Our Disclosure Document has no Item 19, so there is no substantiated earnings figure to give you.
* These guides provide general information, not legal, tax, accounting, financial, lending, employment, immigration, insurance, or benefits advice. Check requirements and eligibility with qualified advisers for your circumstances.