180 Water

The vendor opportunity at 180 Water

180 Water is a home-services franchise based in Montana with just 6 total units—5 franchised and 1 company-owned—according to its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. For software vendors, this is a micro-cap target: the entire system runs on a handful of mandated platforms, and purchasing decisions are centralized at headquarters. The royalty rate is 6.0%, and the initial franchise term runs 10 years, with a single 10-year renewal option available under specific conditions. No average unit volume (AUV) is disclosed in the FDD, and year-over-year unit growth is not reported, suggesting a stable or early-stage footprint. Vendors should approach this as a relationship-driven sale, not a volume play.

Who controls software purchasing

The FDD lists four HQ executives in Item 1: Jack Clark, Founder & Chief Executive Officer; Wyatt Fitz, Chief Financial Officer; Brandt Netschert, Sales Manager; and Matthew McKenzie, Director of Training and Development. In a system this small, the CEO and CFO are the likely software decision-makers. Clark and Fitz would evaluate any tool that touches financials, operations, or franchisee compliance. Netschert and McKenzie may influence sales-enablement or training-tech purchases, but budget authority almost certainly rests with the C-suite. There is no parent company on file—180 Water appears independently owned—so no external corporate procurement layer exists.

Mandated and current tech stack

180 Water’s 2026 FDD mandates two technology categories. For operational management, the system requires House Call. For accounting, it mandates both QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. This dual QuickBooks mandate covers desktop and cloud environments, which may reflect a transition period or franchisee preference flexibility. No other mandated systems—POS, CRM, payroll, or marketing automation—are named in the FDD. Vendors selling complementary or replacement tools should note that any new software must integrate with or displace these mandated platforms, and the HQ team will evaluate that fit directly.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the formal purchasing model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly disclosed. However, the existence of mandated systems signals a top-down procurement culture. Renewal timing is governed by Item 17: franchisees must provide written notice 9 to 12 months before their 10-year term ends to qualify for a successor agreement. The renewal itself carries a fee, requires equipment upgrades to then-current specifications, and may involve a materially different franchise agreement. For software vendors, these renewal windows represent the most predictable moment when franchisees—and HQ—reassess their tech stack. With only 5 franchised units, these windows are rare and should be tracked individually.

How to read the 180 Water FDD

The 2026 FDD is embedded below for full review. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (mandated technology and suppliers), Item 1 (executive team and ownership structure), and Item 17 (renewal and transfer conditions). Because 180 Water is a small, privately held franchisor, the FDD is the most authoritative source on its operations and purchasing behavior. Use it to confirm the mandated tech stack, identify decision-makers, and time your outreach around renewal notice periods. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.