Facts from the filings · No franchise-bashing, no brochure copy
A franchise disclosure document (FDD) is a franchisor's own federal filing — Item 7 is its own estimate of what you will spend before you open. These are the numbers the sales process quotes selectively. We print them whole, with the filing year, and let you do the math.
| Franchise | Franchise fee | Total initial investment | Royalty | Advertising fund | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Instead | $54,000 | $92,640–$350,550 | See FDD Item 8 | See FDD Item 8 | 2026 FDD, Item 7 |
| Visiting Angels | $51,950–$89,950 (by territory population) | $125,460–$171,150 | 3–3.5% of gross | 2–2.5% of gross | 2026 FDD, Item 7 |
| Right at Home | See FDD Item 7 | $88,719–$157,669 | See FDD Item 8 | See FDD Item 8 | Total via franchise aggregator summary of the FDD — softer than a direct Item 7 read; flagged as such |
Figures checked October 22, 2026. Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross revenue, every year you operate — they are not in the "total initial investment" line, which is why the 10-year math below matters more than the opening line.
Take an agency grossing $500,000 a year once established — a planning example, not a promise; most agencies take years to reach any given revenue, and many never do. At Visiting Angels' published royalty + advertising range (5–6% of gross combined), the brand costs about $27,500 a year at that revenue — roughly $275,000 over ten years, on top of the $125,460–$171,150 initial investment. An independent pays none of that percentage, and instead buys its own marketing, its own policies, and its own mistakes. Which side wins depends on your territory, your referral sources and your discipline — anyone who answers that for you without your numbers is selling.
A known brand, a training system, template policies, a territory, and a peer network. For a founder with no healthcare background, the system is the product — price it as one.
Your state license. The franchisor does not hold your license, pass your survey, or employ your administrator. Every state verdict on this site applies to franchisees exactly as it applies to independents — including the closed doors.
"Owners make $270,000+" traces to consultancy marketing, not to the FDDs — franchisors are legally barred from making earnings claims outside Item 19 of the FDD, and most publish none. When a seller quotes owner income, ask which filing it is in.
The free checkers give you the verdict and the number. The Kit gives you the working papers: your state's application packet walked through in filing order, the policies-and-procedures binder spec (what your binder must contain — never a boilerplate binder), the administrator self-audit, the insurance & bond spec sheet, the Medicaid gate map, the franchise-vs-independent 10-year worksheets, and the payroll-runway planner.
$49 one-time payment
Included in the $49 HomeCareLicenseCheck Kit
