SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
Mr. Electric franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Mr. Electric in California have taken 18 SBA loans since 1991 (average $191,027)— 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 19.0% is the better guide.
Loans in CA
18
Resolved
7
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
19.0%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. 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
16,787
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
42.6
national 39.6
Versus the country
+8%
denser
Every business in Mr. Electric's industry operating in California — 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.
| System | Loans in CA | Local charge-off | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hardware | 121 | 15.9% | — |
| True Value Hardware | 25 | 18.2% | — |
| Snap-On Tools | 18 | thin | — |
| PAUL DAVIS RESTORATION INC FRANCHISE AGREEMENT | 15 | thin | — |
| Mr. Handyman | 13 | thin | — |
| Five Star Bath Solutions | 12 | thin | — |
| GLASS DOCTOR | 11 | thin | 7 |
| 1-800-GOT-JUNK? | 10 | thin | — |
| Coast-to-Coast Store | 8 | thin | — |
| EverLine Coatings and Services | 8 | thin | — |
| Rainbow International Restoration & Cleaning | 7 | thin | — |
| Roto Rooter | 7 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Mr. Electric compares to the systems a buyer in California 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. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Mr. Electric's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →