Verified — real FDD extraction
SBA-eligible · directory code S0525 since 2017
DRYER VENT WIZARD
Other · independent · est. —
Dryer Vent Wizard is a home-services brand specializing in dryer vent cleaning, repair, and installation to improve dryer performance and reduce fire risk. A franchisee runs a van-based service business, performing on-site jobs for homeowners and property managers in a defined territory.
DRYER VENT WIZARD net unit count grew +10.9% from 2023–2025 per its FDD Item 20.
New to franchising? Start here
A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.
Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. The numbers on this page come straight from that document:
- Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
- Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
- Item 20 — how many locations opened and closed, the basis for our verdict (from Proven & strong down to Distressed — or Too new to judge).
The verdict
Proven & steady
Distress
The operating record is solid, but the FDD discloses a bankruptcy history (Item 4) — capped below a full endorsement. The main concern in the record: too many owners are failing outright rather than selling.
Exit rate · latest year
6.1%
fiscal 2025, per Item 20
Cost to open
$85K–$163K
Item 7 total investment range
SBA loan defaults
No loan record
no SBA 7(a)/504 loans found for this brand
Behind the verdict
the record, factor by factor · Item 20
3-yr trend · Item 20 Table 1
terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3
transfers vs. base · Table 3
actual vs. projected openings · Table 5
Item 19 disclosure + completeness
Systemwide units
2023–2025
Survival record
FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year
In fiscal 2025, 10 of 165 franchised outlets left the system — a 6.1% annualized exit rate. Not every exit is a failure — but this is the measurable floor.
Show the outlet tables ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Status (FTC) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 132 | 147 | 165 |
| Opened | 24 | 28 | 8 |
| Transfers | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Terminations | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| Non-renewals | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Outlets at end | 147 | 165 | 163 |
| Net change | +15 | +18 | -2 |
What it costs — and what it drags
FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty
Buying in means a $50K franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $85K–$163K (Item 7). The franchisor publishes an earnings claim (Item 19) — read its methodology closely.
To open (Item 7)
$85K–$163K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$50K
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
10%
of sales, ongoing
Your figure — cross-check against this brand's Item 19 and current-owner validation.
Royalty you'd pay / yr
$100K
10% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$1M
royalties alone, excl. ad fund
This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.
Build a real pro-forma for DRYER VENT WIZARD with an independent CPALabor record
US Dept. of Labor enforcement · franchisee-level · FY2005–present
Federal investigators have concluded 1 wage case against operators of this system, recovering $395 in back wages for 1 worker. These cases name franchisee-owned locations, not the franchisor itself.
Concluded cases
1
Back wages owed
$395
Employees affected
1
Since 2020
0
Read this carefully. The employers in these cases are individual DRYER VENT WIZARD franchisees — separately owned businesses operating under the brand name — not DRYER VENT WIZARD itself. The franchisor is not the respondent and in most cases is not a party. What the record shows is how this system's operators run their payrolls, which is worth knowing before you become one of them. Counts rise with system size and with age: a 20-year-old, 10,000-unit system will out-count a young one regardless of conduct. Source: DOL Wage and Hour Division concluded compliance actions, FY2005–present, most recent finding 2016.
Distress signals
news-sourced · bankruptcies, closures, lawsuits
No recent closures, bankruptcies, or major lawsuits found in the news for DRYER VENT WIZARD. That's a good sign — but it reflects news coverage, not a guarantee.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing DRYER VENT WIZARD's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →DRYER VENT WIZARD franchise questions, answered from the filings
What percentage of DRYER VENT WIZARD franchises closed last year?
In DRYER VENT WIZARD's latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2025), 10 of 165 franchised outlets left the system — an annualized exit rate of 6.1%. That counts terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons." There is no official failure rate, and not every exit is a failure, but this is the measurable floor.
How much does a DRYER VENT WIZARD franchise cost?
Per DRYER VENT WIZARD's 2026 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $50K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $85K–$163K (Item 7).
What royalty does DRYER VENT WIZARD charge?
DRYER VENT WIZARD charges an ongoing royalty of 10.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.
Does DRYER VENT WIZARD disclose earnings (Item 19)?
Yes — DRYER VENT WIZARD makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $165K. Read it closely: franchisors choose which units and which metrics to include.