ITEMS 5–7 · 2025 FDD
How much is a Carstar franchise?
Per Carstar's 2025 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $10,000 (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $24K–$165K (Item 7).
$10,000
one-time, to buy in
$24K–$165K
franchisor's own estimate
| Cost line | Carstar | Sector median |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee ITEM 5 | $10,000 | $37,500 |
| Total initial investment ITEM 7 | $24K–$165K | $235K–$786K |
MEDIANS: LATEST FDD FILINGS (≤24 MONTHS OLD) OF 27 AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS · FULL AUTOMOTIVE BENCHMARK →
The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: royalties and fees leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD; use the Item 19 figures as a starting point, not a promise.
To open (Item 7)
$24K–$165K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$10,000
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
See Item 6
not a single flat % — read the fee table
This is not profit. It covers what the FDD fixes: what you put in, and the royalty you owe on sales. Your take-home depends on labor, rent, supplies, and the months to breakeven, none of which the FDD fixes for your unit (some Item 19s include cost data — read it).
Build a real pro-forma for Carstar with a buyer-paid CPACarstar cost questions, answered from the filing
How much is a Carstar franchise?
Per Carstar's 2025 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $10,000 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $24K–$165K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.
Does Carstar tell you what franchisees earn?
Partly — Carstar makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2025 FDD. Unit revenue is not owner profit: subtract royalties, ad fund, rent, labor, and debt service.
The Carstar validation checklist
questions built from this brand's own filings · read them all on the profile
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A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing Carstar’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.