SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · WASHINGTON
Chem-Dry franchise in Washington: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Chem-Dry in Washington have taken 7 SBA loans since 1991 (average $109,714)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 29.2% is the better guide.
Loans in WA
7
Resolved
6
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
29.2%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor of 30 loans.
Businesses in this industry
2,552
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
32.1
national 26.7
Versus the country
+20%
denser
Every business in Chem-Dry's industry operating in Washington — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$737
Washington, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$659
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+12%
costlier to staff
What Chem-Dry's industry actually pays workers in Washington, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This is a real cost signal independent of the FDD — a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.
| System | Loans in WA | Local charge-off | Units in WA |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grounds Guys | 18 | 15.4% | — |
| SERVPRO | 15 | 10.0% | 57 |
| MOLLY MAID | 7 | thin | 16 |
| PAUL DAVIS RESTORATION | 6 | thin | 5 |
| RESTORATION 1 | 5 | thin | 18 |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Chem-Dry compares to the systems a buyer in Washington would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Chem-Dry's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.